About Us

Our History

Joseph J. Carter, with the assistance of his father, Joseph T. Carter, who was a retired City of Syracuse motorcycle patrolman, established Carter Funeral Home in 1950. Joseph J. was a life resident of Syracuse and received his degree in Mortuary Science from Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in Syracuse. 
The business has always been a "family business". In the beginning, the business served as a place of business, as well as a home for many members of the Carter Family. Joseph J. and his wife, the former, Barbara Knobel, raised three children while living at the funeral home and moved just three homes down the street when their fourth child was born. Over the years, many members of the family have contributed at various levels to the services entrusted to the funeral home. Thomas E. Carter, the brother of Joe, joined the firm after graduating from Simmons Institute of Funeral Service and served families for over 25 years, before retiring in 2000. James C. Carter, Joe's youngest son, is also a graduate of Simmons Institute of Funeral Service and proudly served families for over 30 years before selling his interest in the business in 2023.

Today, the proud tradition continues with Joe's oldest son, Joseph K. "Pete" Carter. He is a graduate of Simmons Institute of Funeral Service and has been serving families at the funeral home since 1992.

Joe's easy going and down to earth manner is fondly remembered to this day. He had a great understanding and respect of people and served families with integrity, often putting people before profit. He had a great commitment to the local community and believed in the importance of supporting other area small businesses. Joe was a firm believer of putting money back into the business to better serve client families. For over 50 years, with the leadership of Joe, and the dedication of the entire family, the funeral home has evolved into a modern and progressive business.

Our Philosophy

It’s our belief that the major events in life deserve to be commemorated.

The remembrance of a person’s life is no exception. Each person will have only one funeral. It is our duty to provide the utmost care to those that are entrusted to us and to provide guidance and personal service to those they leave behind.

A funeral is a time to reflect and honor what was unique about a person and to remember how that person has touched the lives of those around them. It marks the beginning of a journey for their family and friends, as they search for a new identity and begin a transition of life without the one they love. A funeral gives support by gathering and sharing the pain of loss and is an important step in the grieving process.

Our Committment

  • Give superior personal service in a comfortable environment
  • Assist in the creation of meaningful, personalized tributes that commemorate life
  • Maintain comfortable, modern and clean facilities
  • Inform and explain the options, rights and regulations that pertain to the types of services that are available. 
  • Honor individual customs, religious beliefs, preferences and financial circumstances 
  • Offer a wide range of service options and products at a fair price
  • Provide value to each family we serve

What Makes Us Different?

Treating people like Family and not like a number.  
In recent years, there have been many changes in our profession; from large conglomerates purchasing local family funeral homes to an out-of-state funeral home “chain” opening in our area, promising discount prices. The spread of consolidation, mergers and corporate influences affects many aspects of our modern life, many times not for the better. Locally, we can see this with the closing of the Marcellus Casket Plants. 

We are pleased to announce that the far majority of funeral homes in the United States remain owned by families and individuals and not by large corporations. We take great pride in our family ownership and believe that in a service like ours, being independent remains the best way to serve our neighbors.  

We are not motivated by stockholders, corporate offices or by commissions. We are committed to satisfying the individual needs of the families we are entrusted to serve. 

Our family's tradition of providing personal service, fair prices and attention to detail is our foundation. We realize the future of our business relies on this and we adhere to the principals that established our business, more than 50 years ago. The principals of Service, Guidance and Integrity.
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