Testimonials – Duncan Stuart Todd

Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Home

I wish I had done the renovation ten years earlier. The difference in the efficiency and appearance of the new room is remarkable and Duncan and his team made the process as easy as it could be.

Frank Kapr Funeral Home

DST is the best decision we have made in a new Preparation Center. They know exactly what you want, how you want it and most of all, they know all the State and OSHA Regulations. You can’t go wrong with Duncan Stuart Todd.

The Wood Mortuary

Duncan Stuart Todd knew what we needed. They made it simple in having the total package.

French Funerals and Cremations

From beginning to end, Duncan Stuart Todd was able to take our vision for a state-of-the-art workspace and articulate it into a care center that out entire staff is proud to serve our families out of. Even our contractor, who was unfamiliar with prep room construction, was impressed with how easy it was to follow the drawings and plans that Duncan Stuart Todd provided.

O’Guinn Family Funeral Homes

Your Prepair system was the finishing touch to our DST prep room remodeling project and it has revolutionized our embalming process. With the fresh air intake and state of the art, integrated exhaust systems we are able to operate in an odorless, fume-free environment in a room that exceeds OSHA standards.

Lakeview Funeral Home

We absolutely love our new prep room and dressing room. It is so user-friendly with lots of room to maneuver around in. Duncan did a great job with the design and layout to maximize the space available. Thank you for your work in designing and seeing the project through. It is a great addition to our building.

Day & Carter Mortuary, Inc.

Once we found Duncan Stuart Todd we looked no further! They made this process quite enjoyable and eliminated any “second guessing” of our decisions. Today, we are extremely pleased with our new prep/dressing area that was designed specific for our needs!

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Harris Funeral Home

I especially liked working with Duncan Todd on space planning. As a result, we found that there are now few unnecessary steps in our work flow. We take two steps, and there are our instruments, two steps the other way and there is the water control unit. It’s a breeze for the operator. Fewer steps mean less stress, we save time, we’re more efficient and with the PrepArm and PrepAir ventilating system, we are always safe and comfortable.

Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service

The air quality is wonderful. And now, only a few months into using it, it is obvious that the system keeps pace with our needs and is the best part of our upgrading. More importantly the staff likes it and finds the room comfortable to work in. It is nice, clean and doesn’t look depressing. The entire experience was money well spent.

Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home

We wanted an easy and comfortable place for our staff to work. Good working conditions are a priority. The equipment is user friendly. We like the aspirator. The lift is very good and we have never regretted its purchase. It is beneficial to everyone.

Conner-Bowman Funeral Home and Crematory

Having the largest and most modern facilities in Franklin County will allow us the flexibility to serve each family as if they were the only family we are serving at any given time. We offer the county’s first on-site crematory as well as the county’s largest chapel.

Sunset Memorial Lawns Cemetery

We have a nice environment to work in now. We can stand in one place and move only minimally to access all of our equipment. Throughout the initial planning, our biggest concern was ventilation. The PrepAir HVAC System we installed has been a godsend and total life saver. We test and monitor formaldehyde levels and find that they have been reduced by 50%.

Skinner Funeral Home

The bottom line is that the health and well-being of my employees is of the utmost importance to me.
A separate room where the embalmer can shower and change clothes helps move us into the 21st century. A godsend is the overhead lift that allows a body to be moved from the embalming table to dressing to casketing and protects the embalmer from injuries that often result from heavy lifting.

Peacock Funeral Home

The renovation has made my work a lot easier. Everything is in its place. Duncan Stuart Todd was very good to work with.

Omps Funeral Home

If we are going to do this, we’re going to do it first class, just like the rest of the building.

Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Service and Crematory

We are very pleased, [the new preparation room] is serving us well.

Lewis & Ferguson Funeral Home

Why didn’t I do this years ago? Life is easier now. It’s the difference between daylight and dark.

Hart’s Mortuary

The single station room… meets our needs well.

Freedom Funeral Service

We like the space; we have room to open another station. The custom cabinetry provides lots of storage. And the PrepAir ventilating system creates a comfortable and safe atmosphere for our embalmer.

Drury & Leppert Mortuary

Our modern embalming room… meets the standards for a 21st century facility.

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Davis & Davis Funeral Home

We love everything about the preparation room. The ease of how everything works, from the aspirator to the foot controls on the sinks, and the PrepAir ventilating system have given us a state-of-the art facility.

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Costello Runyon Funeral Home

Everything is convenient and we don’t have to work around things.

Cline & Hanson Funeral Home

Working from our flagship New London site and now handling approximately 300 calls per year, we experienced the stress of working from a single station preparation room. We had one work station with a slop sink that required constant cleaning. Our new prep room has two work stations, each equipped with the Todd Morgue Table Receptor, which is a totally enclosed waste water removal system that…

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Calvin B. Scruggs Funeral Home

The air system was our first priority, and it is excellent. We do not smell any odors–all of the airborne contaminants are exhausted and we feel that we are well protected. I love it. The new equipment and technology provided by the Todd’s put the final touches on our facility.

Aaron and Burney Bivens Funeral Home

[The equipment is] there for use if needed, but not in the way. The ventilating system is great and the separate dressing room with overhead lift is very functional.

Gate to Heaven Funeral Home

I am a licensed funeral director and embalmer. From 2000 to 2010, I served families in 9 locations in several states. With the exception of a few prep labs, I can say that none of those rooms had proper ventilation. Some had jerry-rigged bathroom exhaust fans! I could go on about the other prep rooms. I think the chief compliant most embalmers have is the fumes we are exposed to. We know that formaldehyde and phenol are carcinogens. I have battled lymphoma and bone cancer so I worry every time I step into that room. In some of the prep rooms I had to run out into the garage or outdoors to clear my lungs. Three years ago I discovered that my olfactory nerves were damaged by formaldehyde. How many of you older embalmers know what I’m talking about? No sense of smell. And it’s permanent. Think of what that’s doing to your lungs.

When Gate to Heaven Funeral Home hired me last year as their funeral director and I experienced their excellent ventilation system, I can truly say that Duncan Stuart Todd should be the company to call when you’re planning a preparation room. Years ago I would see photos in funeral magazines of Duncan Stuart Todd prep rooms featuring that long-armed pipe over the table with the clear plastic hood and wonder – does that thing really work? It sure does! Excellent, negative exhaust. I used to have burning sinuses and could hardly see from tears in my eyes. I no longer have that problem. The vent pipe also features what I call an operating room light built within the clear hood. Duncan Stuart Todd realized the additional light the operator needs in the prep room.

By the way, another reason to choose Duncan Stuart Todd is the design, or layout of the prep room. They make everything convenient for the operator. We have enclosed cabinets with drawers that roll out for your viscera hardening compounds. There’s another cabinet with a rolling tray to hold your bio-hazard container. The countertops are easy to clean and the counter plumbing at the foot of the table features an aspirator and water station for the embalming machine. The actual aspirator is hidden, out of the way under the counter. The trocar hose easily disconnects so we don’t leave it lying on the counter. Also built into the counter is a lid-covered three-trocar container with wells for sanitizing solution. We have the pedal operated sinks which come in handy when you’re cleaning instruments or clearing debris from your gloves during embalming. The instrument and hand wash sink both have foot pedals. Our hand wash station also features the eyewash station.

We have a ceiling mounted overhead reel hose with sprayer for our embalming table. I don’t know how many times I had the sink hose (with suction cup) fall off the table onto the floor and I had to have a mop and bucket nearby. With the overhead, adjustable locking hose and sprayer I set the flow to gently spray down the table and it keeps my work area clean without getting water all over the floor. Another feature that I know is there, if I need it, is the overhead safety shower with the handle built into the wall.

I could go on and on about our new prep room. If you are planning to build a funeral home, or thinking about remodeling your existing prep room, I strongly suggest that you call the folks at Duncan Stuart Todd.

Thomas Crown
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Gate to Heaven Funeral Home
Dearborn, Michigan

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Fairhaven Memorial Services

Having a state of the art prep room combining safety, functionality and aesthetics was an absolute necessity as we laid out the design of our new funeral home. Duncan Stuart Todd made that happen. The Water Control Unit and Morgue Table Receptors are compact with clean lines. We are as proud of our prep room as we are of our new chapel. Thank you, DST.

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Bridges Funeral Home

When I set out to build my new funeral home, I wanted only the best. Now upon its completion, I feel that we have achieved that goal. A large part of that is the prep room and dressing room that were designed by Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd.

Piper Funeral Home

What an easy company to work with. From start to finish, they were there to help. Great people to work with.

Carmony – Ewing Chapel

As I remodeled my building, I thought I could save money by designing my own prep room. ‘Because no one knows better about what I want, than I do.’ Then I realized this was a daunting task, something would be left out! Duncan Stuart Todd came to my rescue and I’m 200% satisfied with eveything from the instrument drawers and cabinetry, countertops, modern and up-to-date water supply units and drains.

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Frain Mortuary

When we had problems during construction, it was as easy as picking up the phone and calling Duncan Stuart Todd. We really appreciate their cooperation and assistance.

South Carolina Cremation and Burial Society, Inc.

We opted for a small single station preparation room that is compact and state-of-the-art. It is equipped with the latest technology and meets our requirments perfectly. We are very happy.

Pike Funeral Home – Boyd Chapel

One thing we particularly liked about working with Duncan was going through the process. There were situations where we thought we had a solution, but Duncan often helped us find a better way. We were able in our mind’s eye to follow the entire flow pattern from when the family entrusted us with their loved one through to the final trip to the chapel.

Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers

The level of care we have provided for our embalmers’ well being says ‘I support you because I respect you.’ Our preparation room is perfect for a perfectionist like me. There is a place for everything and it is so convenient. We protect it and keep it spotless.

Foard Funeral Homes

[The new construction] is the best thing we ever did. The job was done professionally. We have peace of mind knowing that we have proper ventilation and that we meet compliance codes. Furthermore, our staff is happy working in an efficient and comfortable environment.

North Sacramento Funeral Home

It starts with an understanding of the needs of the organization and the ability to communicate with the owner. Duncan Stuart Todd did this very well with the North Sacramento Funeral Home in the designing of our embalming room. We are extremely happy with the outcome.

Bonaventure Funeral Home

It is a pleasure to work in a state of the art embalming room. It is with ease that I can move around and be at hand’s reach for most anything needed in the prep room. The air system is a wonderful addition to today’s embalming room with less fumes, strong chemicals and unpleasant odors that I once had to deal with.

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Rose Hill Funeral Home

In designing my new funeral home, I was very concerned with the planning of the preparation room. I decided it was best to go to the experts who knew OSHA regulations and other requirements for this space. I contacted Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. They designed a state-of-the-art preparation suite and dressing suite.

Moore Funeral Home

We spent weeks trying to find plumbers, HVAC and construction personnel who could construct our new prep room to meet our needs and all OSHA regulations. The cost soared and there was no assurance that the room would actually meet required specifications. One call to Duncan Stuart Todd led us to a perfect prep room that we knew was built right from the start.

Music City Mortuary Service

We recently remodeled our preparation room. The DST Morgue Table Receptors have been one of the best investments we have made. They are compact, clean and easy to maintain. We also installed the DST Water Control Units. The design takes up a minimal amount of space on our countertops and provides a clean and professional appearance, while allowing us to operate very efficiently.

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Piedmont Technical College

When we made the decision to upgrade our embalming lab, we were determined to have a first class, top-of-the-line setup. With Duncan Stuart Todd, we knew they would get us there. We now have an embalming lab that offers everything we need to prepare our students for their embalming career.

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Wilmington Mortuary Service

Your services exceed all business standards. Every funeral home that has a prep room should have the standards Duncan Stuart Todd does.

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Sanders Funeral Home

After the purchase of Sanders Funeral Home, which was a converted Victorian home, we had the challenge of remodeling a very small prep room with as much moderation as the space could tolerate. That is when we called on Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd. for assistance. They were very helpful in the design phase and were there to advise as the project progressed.

South Jersey Funeral Associates

We are very pleased that PrepArm was introduced into our funeral home. It has enhanced safety measures for our technicians. Our general HVAC system does turn air over quite frequently but the PrepArm eliminates my concern over what I call “formaldehyde bursts” at the point of injection.

Beggs Funeral Home, Ltd.

A vital part of the new construction was the addition of a state-of-the-art preparation room that was designed by Duncan Stuart Todd, Ltd., well-known preparation room specialists. “It has medical grade flooring, the latest in ventilation – the whole nine yards,” remarks Loyal. “…embalming is something I and our staff take great pride in.

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