03/10/2026
Four Generations of Service at Hallowell & James
At Hallowell & James in Countryside or in Downers Grove, the first voice you hear or first face you see, will likely be Dottie or Aileen James.
The most important thing to a Family-owned and operated funeral home is the generational commitment of the family. Now entering the 4th generation, the James family is committed to serving their community with empathy and professionalism. Harry James and his son Rich laid the important groundwork that emphasized how important it is to families calling or entering their locations that the family is present. They understood that it is reassuring to people who are entrusting Hallowell & James to serve them in their time of need, their time of grief. Upon entering the funeral home, chances remain great that you will meet a James family member.
At either location, you'll likely hear the voice of or see one of Rich's daughters first. That connection leads to meeting with an extraordinary staff of tenured and compassionate professionals, some of whom have been there for decades. In addition to greeting families, 2nd generation owner Bill James shares that every member of the family, brother Tom, sisters Dottie and Aileen, and nephew Eric have responsibilities far and beyond making this family owned and operated funeral home a special experience. Aileen is the IT Director for both locations, ensuring that digital and technological advances help families and are made available to them. "So many things have become easier for our families with the availability of technology to help with accuracy and efficiency. The most important thing is that these digital services make the experience more comfortable for our families. Over the past 20 years, things have started changing with services and accommodations during Funeral Arrangements. Whether doing At-Need Planning, where a death has occurred without any previous arrangements, or Pre-Planning Funeral Services, things rapidly change regarding IT and the technical services that are needed, desired and requested, for planning of services, visitations and funerals", Aileen comments.
At H&J, we are fortunate to be ahead of the curve as our family has a trained specialist in this area. Aileen James has the education, training and practical work experience to accept this responsibility for our electronic services. Aileen is also the person coordinating records, data, images, slideshows, guestbooks, and any other application that requires IT intervention for our locations in Countryside and Downers Grove.
For at-need and pre-need assistance, or any questions that need answering, please contact us in Downers Grove 630.964.6500 or Countryside/LaGrange 708.352.6500 or https://www.hjfunerals.com. Anytime, day or night, we’ll be here for you.
To reach out to Hallowell & James:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hjfunerals
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HJfunerals
Blog: https://hjfunerals.wordpress.com/
Website: https://www.hjfunerals.com
