Our History
Our History
The Riverview Funeral Home opened its doors in July of 1968. It’s owner, 28 year old Joseph A. Pagliaro, had been born and raised in Shelton. His father, Frank Pagliaro, Sr., was the owner of Frank’s Peoples Market, which had served the Shelton community for over 40 years and through the great depression. All the Pagliaro children worked in the market, alongside their father and uncles, and Joe was delivering orders to local families before he was 10. Family and community were central to Frank Pagliaro Sr.'s way of life, and these values were passed down to his son.
Over the following 36 years, Joseph A. Pagliaro, Sr. and the Riverview Funeral Home became local institutions, and Joe made an indelible mark on the community with his professional standard of service and active leadership and participation in the local charitable and civic arena. His dedication to the people of the Valley did not go unnoticed, and he was a recipient of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys and Girls Club Service to Youth Award, the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gold Seal award, and the prestigious Charles H. Flynn Humanitarian Award from the Valley United Way, among others.
He cultivated his belief in the strength of family by welcoming his nephew, Edward J. Sheehy, Jr. to the business in 1985, his son, Joseph A. Pagliaro, Jr. in 1994, and his son-in-law, C. Brett Haywood in 1998. In addition to these family members, the Riverview Funeral Home grew its staff of compassionate and dedicated funeral professionals to be able to meet all the needs of the families that were served.
Tragically, in June of 2004, Joseph A. Pagliaro, Sr., passed away while directing a funeral. The community was stunned, and the outpouring of sympathy was overwhelming. While his life was tragically cut short, his efforts to build a business that would survive and serve the community for generations continues through his family.
Edward J. Sheehy, Jr., Joseph A. Pagliaro, Jr., and Brett Haywood all remain committed to meeting the needs of those families that call upon us, and dedicated to the standard of service established by our founder.