The art of rememberance

When a loved one passes away, grief and loss can be overwhelming, leaving families searching for something steadfast and trusted. At Orlando-Donsante-Previte Funeral Home, guidance with memorialization and the details of saying goodbye begin with empathy. Owner Anthony Previte manages everything. He will sit down with the family either at their home or his funeral home and ask simple questions to find out about their loved one.

Every Life Tells a Story

Just as no two lives are the same, neither are two memorials that Anthony oversees.

“For some families, remembrance takes place in small yet deeply personal ways,” he says. “Maybe we place a tray of homemade pizzelles, just like the deceased’s mom used to make, near the guestbook. For others, it might be a tribute to a passion—golf clubs resting in the corner for an avid golfer, or memorabilia honoring a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Guardians. These touches transform a visitation from a formal gathering into something more personal—a reflection of a life fully lived.”

Anthony can produce slide shows and photo enlargements, as well as keepsakes to preserve thumbprints or locks of hair of the deceased. The goal is to help people begin to heal while celebrating their loved one’s legacy.

“Clients tell me they find comfort in knowing they’ll be working with me throughout the process,” he says. “If someone passes away at home, it’s me who comes to the home. I answer the phone and am the only point person who coordinates things, such as obtaining a death certificate, coordinating with the church or cemetery, even ordering flowers and food. I take the burden of overwhelming decisions away.”

Welcoming and Calm

“We’ve designed our space to be welcoming and calm,” he says. 

Rather than a stark or clinical environment, Orlando-Donsante-Previte Funeral Home offers a home-like setting, with rich wood-paneled rooms, classic artwork and antiques that evoke the feeling of a gracious estate. It’s a space created not just for mourning, but also for comfort.

If families meet with Anthony there, they are situated around an inviting wood table, much like a family’s kitchen table. The discussion is never rushed. He takes the time to get to know people.

This is where the planning and pre-planning services take place. He says that more families are interested in the pre-planning process.

“It’s like a meaningful gift parents can give their children,” he adds. “It lends peace of mind knowing there will be no questions or doubts about final wishes. We go over all the details and decisions, from their burial choice to selecting a casket or urn and the type of service. There’s nothing left to chance.”

Oftentimes his clients who come for pre-planning have been through an unpleasant funeral experience where the family was left with no idea what someone would want. It can be stressful and divisive.

“In the end, it also saves money since I honor and lock in the prices from when the pre-planning takes place,” says Anthony, who has been in the funeral profession since he was 16 years old. 

Staying active on a local level is important to him. After graduating from Villa Angela-Saint Joseph High School, Anthony earned a degree from Lakeland Community College, then another from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. 

Along with wife Celeste and their two kids, he’s involved at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Concord Township and honors his cultural roots by acting as vice president of the Wickliffe Italian American Club. Anthony also belongs to the Club Molisani Charities in town, where his favorite pastime is bocce.

Orlando-Donsante-Previte Funeral Home

29550 Euclid Avenue, Wickliffe 

440-943-2466

OrlandoDonsanteFH.com