R. Steenson & Son was founded in 1905 by the late Robert Steenson who had been a manager in the undertaking company Silas E. Weir & Co. in Cookstown for some twenty-five years. The first motor hearse was purchased after the First World War, a Crossley Motor Tender, as used by the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The late Thomas J. Steenson, son of Robert entered the business in 1924. Robin Steenson is shown below pictured with his father, Thomas, shortly after joining the business in 1960. Robin took full control in 1965 when his father retired.
Robin was the first of the family to become a Member of the British Institute of Embalmers (B.I.E.) in 1981 and gained his Diploma in Funeral Directing in 1982. He was a chairman of the B.I.E. and was also a Northern Ireland (N.I.) area National Council Representative on the B.I.E. as well as N.I. Area President of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD).
The firm moved to spacious new premises in Loy Street, Cookstown in 1990. The extensive premises include a funeral home/chapel of rest, viewing room, coffin selection room, embalming room, car park and cloakrooms. The private car park provides parking for over thirty vehicles and public car parking for over two hundred cars close by, for directions see here.
Robin’s son Bryan joined the business in 1989 and together with his wife Carole took over the day-to-day running of the business following Robin’s untimely death in 2012. Their sons, Adam and Matthew are now both involved in the business making them the fifth generation of the Steenson family to do so.