McCabe Brothers Funeral Homes

McCabe Brothers Funeral Homes, a family-owned and operated funeral home with a storied 153-year history, served the Pittsburgh community from its Shadyside location at 6214 Walnut Street. Founded in 1870 in the Strip District by the McCabe family, the business moved through several locations on Penn Avenue before opening its Bloomfield funeral home around 1930. The Shadyside property, purchased in November 1958, was originally a school for young women learning office skills and before that a private home with a large wraparound porch. The McCabe family transformed it into a dignified funeral home, adding the iconic pillars that became a landmark on Walnut Street. For nearly 65 years at this address, McCabe Brothers provided compassionate end-of-life services to families throughout Allegheny County and beyond, including nearby communities such as Aliquippa, Allison Park, Ambridge, Apollo, and Arnold.

The funeral home offered a comprehensive range of services tailored to honor each individual's life. Families could choose from traditional funeral services featuring visitation and religious ceremonies, cremation with options for memorial gatherings or private family services, and graveside services at local cemeteries. McCabe Brothers also assisted with pre-planning, allowing individuals to document their wishes and lock in pricing to ease the burden on loved ones. The staff handled all logistics, paperwork, and coordination with clergy, cemeteries, and other vendors, ensuring that every detail was managed with care and attention. The funeral home was known for its accessibility features, including a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking lot, as well as on-site parking and financial assistance options for families in need.

Over its long history, McCabe Brothers served countless families and notable figures, including former Pittsburgh mayor and Pennsylvania governor David L. Lawrence, federal judge Joseph F. Weis Jr., and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publisher William Block. However, after more than a century and a half of service, McCabe Brothers Funeral Homes ceased operations on April 18, 2023. Owner and president Edward G. McCabe cited personal health issues and the challenge of maintaining the aging buildings as the primary reasons for the closure. The Shadyside property was listed for sale with an asking price of $1.5 million. In a message on the company's website, McCabe expressed gratitude to the community for its trust over the years and arranged for Walter J. Zalewski Funeral Homes to handle existing pre-arrangements. The closing marked the end of an era for a beloved Pittsburgh institution that had been a steady presence through generations of life's most difficult moments.