The former Tait Funeral Home, located at 2333 Fenner Road in Cazenovia, has reopened under a new owner and a new name.

Michael E. Brown Funeral Services, LLC, acquired the funeral home as of Aug. 6 and is now open for business.

“I consider it a privilege to offer my services to families at their time of need. I have and always will continue to serve families to the best of my ability and guarantee a high level of professionalism,” Brown said. “We are local; our prices are fair; we value what we do and provide value to our customers; and when somebody needs us we are here for them.”

Brown, 42, is a New York State licensed funeral director. He obtained his license in 1999. He began his career working at Maurer Funeral Home, Inc., which has locationsin Baldwinsville and Liverpool. In July 2004 he went to work for Foster Funeral Home, Inc., which has locations in Fulton and Hannibal. Brown was the manager of the Hannibal location until leaving to start his own company in Cazenovia. Brown and his wife Jennifer have seven children ranging in age from 15 years old to 18 months.

The Browns currently live in Fulton, but are planning to relocate to Cazenovia by next spring, Brown said.

Brown acquired the existing funeral home from Brian Tait, who had to surrender his funeral director’s license and the certificate of registration of the Tait Funeral Home to the state Department of Health by Aug. 10 as the result of his October 2011 arrest for subjecting a number of his female employees to inappropriate physical exams.

Brown said he had been looking around Central New York for a place to set up his own funeral service company when he heard the Tait Funeral Home was going up for sale.

“Opportunities come few and far between,” he said about why he chose to purchase the Tait Funeral Home. “I’ve looked elsewhere and nothing came close to the facilities [at Tait] and the community of Cazenovia.”

Brown is no stranger to Cazenovia; his wife Jennifer is a 1993 graduate of Cazenovia College and her mother grew up and still has family and friends in Erieville.

Brown said that from the minute he signed the purchase papers for the Fenner Road building on Aug. 6, he has been open for business.

“We’re slowly making changes; not too many or too quick,” he said. Those changes currently include updating inventory, creating a new website based off the Tait template and changing the name on forms and letterheads, Brown said.

Brown said he will offer traditional funeral services, cremation services and green burial. He also said that Ronald H. McDermott, who worked with Brian Tait for more than 15 years, will stay on as an employee and licensed funeral director for Brown Funeral Services.

Brown is currently honoring all the prearrangements accepted by Tait Funeral Home that Tait could not complete due to his legal situation.

“I believe that faith, hard work and dedication is what binds a family together. These same traits will be the foundation of Michael E. Brown Funeral Services, LLC,” he said.

For more information, call 655-4615 or visit michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].