Bob Wustner, Funeral Director in Residence at Life Celebration by Freed-Givnish, has been living above Glenside’s revamped funeral home since June.
A Glenside native, Wustner grew up on Sylvania Avenue, graduated from Abington High School, and initially went to college to become a high school math teacher. A part-time gig at a nearby funeral home was all it took to steer his career trajectory in a different direction.
“The more I worked, the more I fell in love with the job. I found so much meaning it,” Wustner said. “I love this profession. I think it’s a calling, and once you find it, I think it’s hard to get rid of that feeling.”
After graduating from mortuary school at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, he got his start with Life Celebration by Givnish in 2021. In January 2023, the Freed Funeral Home and Life Celebration merged, and Wustner got the nod to return to Glenside.
For Wustner, the most rewarding part of the job is taking on a difficult situation and making it an easier transition for those involved.
“Some don’t know which questions to ask, so they’re just kind of lost. It’s a tough situation no matter what, but being able to turn that into a positive and turn it into an experience versus something you just have to do,” he said. “Everything we do, we base it around a life celebration. We try to add light to the situation. We have an area for people to bring food and customize the layout of the building. It adds a new touch that a lot of other places don’t have or don’t succeed at. People don’t know they want it until they have it.”
Wustner noted that families find appeal in Freed-Givnish’s collages on the walls, slideshows on the TV, and personalized background music.
“It’s not the traditional route. It’s more family-involved and it’s customized,” he said. “Every person is unique so we feel they deserve a unique celebration. We take their interests, their hobbies, and life experiences and turn that into a celebration.”
Life at 124 N Easton Road has been treating Mr. and Mrs. Wustner well.
“It’s just easy access. We work at multiple funeral homes, but it’s convenient. It’s nice to be back in Glenside. I was living in Jenkintown prior, and I feel more involved in local programs and churches in the area. I feel right at home here,” he said. “My family still lives here. I have aunts, uncles, cousins who are all around the area.”
For more on the Freed-Givnish Life Celebration Home, you can visit their website.
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