Son emulates dad as Governor-General’s awards recipient

As the CEO of Honeyghan’s Funeral Service, based in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Melvin Honeyghan Jr says it’s not just about managing a business – it is about preserving a family legacy built on dignity, high operational standards, and unwavering dedication to the parish.

That dedication was formally recognised at King’s House recently, when the 26-year-old received the Governor-General’s Achievement Award for Excellence for the 25 to 35 age group in Westmoreland. The honour carries deep personal significance as his father, Melvin Honeyghan Sr, received the same honour in 2007.

“He’s definitely very proud. When he heard that I was going to be the recipient of the award it actually brought tears to his eyes. [The award] definitely means a lot to me. For my family, it means quite a great deal as well… [and] my team at Honeyghan’s also takes great pride in the fact that their boss got such a prestigious award,” Honeyghan Jr told JIS News.

His path to leading the family business was both natural and unexpectedly accelerated. His early interest took root during his high-school years at Munro College. Spending afternoons alongside his father, whether in the morgue or supporting grieving families, he developed a genuine passion for the field. He later formalised his craft at the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York, graduating in 2019.

“I just fell in love 100 per cent with the work, and I definitely take pride and passion in the work that I do because they always say that you have to love what you do, because you spend the majority of your life doing it,” Honeyghan Jr said.

However, life tested his resolve in 2024 when his father suffered a severe stroke that stripped him of most of his speech. Almost overnight, the weight of the company fell onto Honeyghan Jr and his elder sister.

“Ever since I graduated from college in 2019, up until the day that he got sick, he was constantly instilling his values in me, which, after the time when he got sick, I really had to buckle down and get serious with everything, because he was the one that was doing the majority of everything,” he said.

“It was definitely a big hurdle to overcome initially, but after a few months in the position and kind of battling out a few little issues here and there, I started to figure it out. I started to find out what’s right to do in this situation, and what’s wrong to do in that situation,” he added.

Navigating the heartbreak of his father’s condition gave Honeyghan Jr an even deeper, personal understanding of the grief experienced by the families who walk through the doors of the funeral home. Guided by the high standards his father had long established, and supported by industry mentors like Andrew and Dale Delapenha, his family and workers, he sustained the family business without sacrificing quality or care.

The young CEO’s commitment to Westmoreland extends far beyond the walls of the business. He participates in youth employment and mentorship by hiring local youth, providing them with steady work, life skills and guidance to keep them on a positive path. Additionally, he provided disaster relief, utilising his personal water truck to deliver the essential commodity to vulnerable communities following major storms, including Hurricane Melissa.

Despite these wide-ranging efforts, receiving the award came as a total surprise.

“I never even knew anyone was watching. I was just doing it, not really looking for something in return. So, the fact that I even got the award, it was really a surprise to me when I was told that I was chosen for it,” he emphasised.

Looking ahead, Honeyghan Jr has clear plans to expand. Beyond upgrading the existing facilities at Savanna-la-Mar, he envisions opening a new, privately operated cemetery, open to other funeral homes, to help address the burial space shortages facing Westmoreland.