About Us

Merton H. Kays Funeral Home, Inc. has been serving it's communities for over 120 years. Mark Stephens has been licensed for 25 years and is a past board member of the Rochester Genesee Valley Funeral Directors Association and supports many local community organizations. 

​Throughout the years, Merton H. Kays Funeral Home, Inc. has maintained its grand and spacious home like environment that so many families appreciate. While keeping with its historic features the funeral home is a very large facility offering families the space they need while ensuring the costs to families is kept competitive or below other funeral homes in the surrounding area.

The original funeral home was located on East Street in the Village of Honeoye Falls and was established by the late Christian Nau. As they became of age, his sons, William and Fred, joined Mr. Nau in the business. Following Mr. Nau’s death, William and Fred Nau continued operating the business under the name, “C. Nau’s Sons.” William passed away in 1921, and Fred continued the business until his death in 1944.

The establishment was then purchased in 1947 by Merton Kays, who changed the name of the firm and moved it to its present location on Monroe Street. In 1965, Merton Kays retired, and sold the business to Richard Dye. Mr. Dye operated the funeral home until his death in 2005. During Mr. Dye’s ownership, many renovations were performed on the building including the addition of a large viewing room which was completed in 1980 along with adding a beautiful front atrium which was completed in 2002.

The funeral home was most recently purchased in May of 2006 by Mark A. Stephens. As owner and funeral director Mark operates the funeral home under its name of the last 60 years. Mark is a 1990 graduate of Simmons School of Mortuary Science in Syracuse, NY, and has been a licensed funeral director for 25 years. Most recently prior to purchasing Merton Kays, Mark worked as a funeral director in Livonia and Honeoye, N.Y for over 15 years.