Growing up on Cemetery Grounds Led Patty Harris to a 35-Year Career at MPG

Patty Harris has been around cemeteries for as long as she can remember. Her paternal grandfather was the manager of St. Peter’s Cemetery in London, Ont., and her father grew up in the house on the property. She and her two siblings spent a lot of time visiting her grandparents there.

“It was always the backdrop to my life,” said Patty, Manager, Family Services at Meadowvale Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centres.

When she was 12, her father followed in his own father’s footsteps and got a job managing the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston. The family moved into the house on the property.

“Living inside the gates of a cemetery isn’t something that most kids experience, but that’s where I grew up and we would always be running around,” said Patty. “We’d ride our bikes through the cemetery, stop by the pond and spend countless hours admiring the monuments and statues. Reading the epitaphs, we’d imagine who they were and what their lives must have been like.”

Patty recalled some of the interesting experiences she had in high school living on cemetery grounds. When going out, the hesitation of their dates knocking on their front door meant that she and her siblings would have to meet them at the gate. Girlfriends sleeping over would often have “stomach aches” at around 10:00.

“I knew who my very good friends were – they were the ones who would stay overnight!” she laughed.

She went to university for psychology and sociology and took a job working at a group home for young offenders. She was also doing odd seasonal jobs around the cemetery like painting fences, working in the green house and answering phones. But after 12 years in Kingston, Patty’s father took a job at MPG in Toronto, so she joined her parents in the big city.

In thinking about her next steps, Patty considered teacher’s college or speech pathology, but knew she would have to earn some money to go back to school. Her father mentioned that MPG was hiring some coordinator positions, so Patty applied and got one.

“It wasn’t my plan to work in the industry, but the MPG job was a good start, and I just stayed! Obviously, I’m very comfortable in this environment,” said Patty. “I gravitated towards the social work part of it, helping families. It’s satisfying and natural.”

So natural that 35 years and numerous roles later, Patty is still here. She has held roles at Pine Hills, Mount Pleasant and has been at Meadowvale since 2022. She was also the President of the OACFP in 2017.

“When your company provides you the opportunity to continuously learn and grow, it’s hard to find reasons to leave. Plus, I enjoy what I do,” said Patty. “When you stay somewhere for that long, it’s because you believe in what the company and what you’re doing, and you’re proud of it. I’ve felt that for 35 years.”

Unfortunately, the tradition of working in the industry ends with Patty after three generations. Her children have chosen other fields of work. Still, the memories she has created—growing up among quiet landscapes, helping families and shaping meaningful moments—will always remain part of her family’s story.