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V O L . X X X I N O. X X V N OV E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 5 16 FA M I LY OW N E D B U S I N E S S F O C U S F rom illuminated metal chandeliers to tables and chairs in muted grays and browns, this light and airy space feels more like a hotel or wedding venue waiting for the right occasion. But the $3.6 million building in Portland's North Deering neighborhood is neither — it's the new home of a family-owned funeral business called Conroy-Tully Walker. "We sound more like a law firm," says Adam Walker. He and his wife, Caitlin, bought the busi- ness in 2014, adding their surname to those of the in-laws who started the business in 1959. e couple did the same in 2020 when they bought a Springvale operation they rebranded as Black- Heald Walker. "e families who establish those businesses, they put their blood, sweat and tears into those communities to serve those people, to help those families, so I felt it's important to honor that heri- tage," Adam Walker says. "We're all family-owned funeral homes that come together to serve people." e 38-year-old has worked in the profes- sion since 2002, while his wife joined later, after a career teaching children with behavioral disabili- ties. Sitting near vintage photos that pay homage to Conroy-Tully Walker's roots in Portland's West End, Walker says that much of the industry clings to a 1950s model of somber, traditional funerals. But the flexible, multi-purpose venue equipped with screens for livestreaming services and other amenities will "accommodate families where they are now," he says. e lower-level preparation room, designed with employee safety in mind, is as pristine as the public areas. Like Conroy-Tully Walker, the vast majority of funeral businesses in Maine are family-owned, including some that go back several generations. We're proud to be family- owned and we intend to remain family-owned. — Adam Walker Conroy-Tully Walker P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Adam and Caitlin Walker, of Conroy-Tully Walker, at the company's new space in Portland's North Deering neighborhood. Disruption comes to traditionally staid industry B y R e n e e C o r d e s