Honouring Life, Supporting Community
We are proud to announce Ferris Funeral Home as a Title Sponsor for the 2025 Hike for Hospice, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us as we work to build a compassionate and community-centered hospice in Norfolk County.
Established in 1880, Ferris Funeral Home has been a pillar of care and dignity in our community for over a century. Under the leadership of Jim and Tracy Cochrane, the funeral home has evolved while remaining deeply rooted in its commitment to serve families with grace, compassion, and innovation.
“We want people to feel comfortable in the most uncomfortable time in their lives,” said Jim Cochrane. “Whether it’s in our funeral home or in the final days of life, dignity and comfort should be at the forefront.”
That commitment to comfort and compassion is what drives Ferris’ support for hospice care. With changing needs in end-of-life care, many families now seek alternatives to institutionalized hospital settings. Hospice offers that — a place where people can live their final days surrounded by warmth, family, and support.
“We’ve seen firsthand the difference hospice makes,” Cochrane shared. “One of our former staff members had his wife in a hospice in Woodstock, but it wasn’t close to home. She ended up coming back to Port Dover with community hospice support to pass away at home. That proximity matters — and we believe it’s time Norfolk has its own.”
Ferris Funeral Home’s generosity goes beyond sponsorship. Jim and Tracy are embedded in the fabric of this community, from Lions Club membership to supporting local sports and arts, to simply answering the phone — even from a pool in Jamaica — when a family calls in need. That kind of dedication is rare.
“We can’t just be a business that takes from the community,” Cochrane added. “We are part of the community, and we must give back.”
Their contribution to Hike for Hospice is a reflection of that belief — a call to others to join in creating a future where every Norfolk resident can live out their final chapter with dignity, close to home.
