Danielle Altaffer of McDonald is a fifth generation for her family's business, Blackstone Funeral Home which her mother Kathy Blackstone Tomasino has been at since 1983.

GIRARD — Growing up seeing her mother working at Blackstone Funeral Home in Girard inspired Danielle Altaffer to follow in her footsteps, and she is now the fifth generation of the family to work there.

Altaffer, 29, who grew up in Girard but is a resident of McDonald, said: “I have been around this my whole life. I always knew I wanted to take care of people in some way. I did fall into this because it is my family’s business.”

She said she remembers her mom coming and going to the funeral home, which was two streets away from the funeral home.

Altaffer said as she got older she had a passion for wanting to be at the funeral home like her mother, Kathleen Blackstone Tomasino.

“I have had great role models to look up to. For my mom to do this, she is a remarkable woman. With each generation, we have been taught to lead with our emotions. In this business you have to have that compassion. We have always put ourselves in another family’s shoes. You have to look at their situation to empathize with them,” she said.

She started helping at the funeral home doing office work.

Altaffer received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Youngstown State University, did her two-year apprenticeship and is completing her application for her license.

“I believe in quality over quantity. We have one place — you know where to find us,” she said.

The five generations in the family are Thomas Gordon Blackstone Sr., a great-great-grandfather from 1907-1924; Thomas Gordon Blackstone Jr., a great-grandfather 1924-1984; Thomas Gibson Blackstone, grandfather 1962-present; Kathleen Blackstone Tomasino, mother, 1983-present.

Altaffer will run the business after her mother retires after nearly 40 years.

“With the challenges we face with the changing times, we have always stuck to the basic principles we were taught and that is to provide the utmost care, compassion and honesty to each family we have served. I will continue to go that extra mile for the families I serve.” Altaffer said.

She said her mother and she are coordinating the Wreaths Across America event Dec. 18 at Girard City Cemetery to make sure each veteran gets a wreath on his or her grave. They have held the event for two years.

“We are always looking at ways to give back to Girard. This is our home, and we truly care about Girard. My mom saw something in a magazine about the wreaths and told me we should do something for Girard. I agreed we should since it is so sad when many veterans’ graves are not always taken care of. We wanted to make sure the veterans are not forgotten.There are over 1,200 veterans buried at Girard Cemetery,” Altaffer said.

The event honors veterans from all branches of military.

Altaffer and her husband, RC, have two daughters, Addison and Scarlett, and they stay busy.

“Family is very important to me. I always put the needs of others before mine,” she said, noting her family helps those in need, such as at Thanksgiving.

Altaffer said she has been active in Literary Club, which has not been able to meet much since the coronavirus pandemic. In high school, she was a competitive swimmer but said at the time she was the only Girard High School student swimmer.

Altaffer said she stays active with her daughters’ activities at Roosevelt Elementary School.

She grew up Methodist, but Altaffer became Catholic and is a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in McDonald.

” I am truly blessed to be able to continue my family’s legacy and carry on that compassion and loyalty. That is and will always be who we are,” she said.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com