Scott Vendetta has long worked to make people feel at peace when a loved one passes. Now the Niagara County native is providing that service to local residents.
Since July 1, he has been the new funeral director for Hardison Funeral Homes, which has locations in Lewiston and Ransomville. He takes on the role held by Brad Hardison, who passed away this past November at the age of 68.
A Niagara County native, Vendetta has been an arranging funeral director for Amigone Funeral Homes in Erie County for the past 20 years. He wanted to broaden his horizons with a chance to lead a professional team of his own.
“Here at Hardison, I do it all,” Vendetta said.
Brad Hardison had worked at the funeral home since graduating from Hudson Valley Community College in 1975. Dayton Hardison started the funeral home in 1921. Brad purchased the business from his father Denton.
Between the two locations in Lewiston and Ransomville, the funeral homes work with between 150 and 175 families a year between Ransomville, Lewiston, Youngstown, and Wilson.
Paige Hardison, Brad’s sister and funeral home supervisor, said they have a communal relationship with these areas since most people there know each other. Vendetta said he had three funerals done in a week and seen the same people at all of them.
As a funeral director, Vendetta works to arrange funerals and memorial services for loved ones, assisting from the beginning to the end of the process. How much work he puts into it depends on how extravagant the family wants the service, usually working with them, with Vendetta considering himself part of the extended family by the time it is over.
While plenty of traditional remembrance services take place, cremation has become a more popular option, something unheard of when Vendetta started in the business. A lot more nontraditional services did come up during COVID, with drive-by services and Facebook streaming making it ever-changing.
“You have to make sure that the community trusts you, not only as a funeral home but as a person to carry out their wishes,” Vendetta said. “That’s all I’ve always tried to do.”
Some changes are planned under Vendetta. The logo has been updated, with the website and two buildings looking to be updated.
“It’s still in the Hardison family,” Vendetta said, with Brad’s son Evan working as an assistant office manager, and will soon own the business, and the other son Ian doing part-time work. “Hopefully the two boys carry on the tradition for a very long time.”