On August 12th 1981 Darnell R. McPherson was birthed to Linda Rich (McPherson) And Dwight McPherson @ Metropolitan Hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Darnell was the youngest of three boys. On October 21st Darnell lost his brother in a car accident that would change the lives of his family forever. After seeing the body of his brother before embalming @ Kimble Funeral home in west Philadelphia @ the age of 12 Darnell developed a keen morbid curiosity. Darnell being a saved born again Christian since the age of 8 was very inquisitive and understood salvation but he didn’t really have all the cognitive abilities to understand universality or the chasm of death, so he would call the undertaker day in and day out asking about his brother. After burying his brother Darnell went on a journey of understanding death and dying, that included wasn’t limited to going to every funeral he could find, burying family pets and disinterring them to rate the stages of decomposing, having mock funerals with other kids and family, and researching embalming, helping others who have lost a loved one. His journey went on all through high school where this curiosity became a dream of one day becoming an Undertaker. During high school Darnell was a stellar athlete (Football) he wanted to play professional football one day and knew that college would be the beginning of that dream as well. Darnell’s mother Linda kept Darnell’s counselors notes on Darnell wanting to be an undertaker, and and in fall of 2000 his mother and father surprised him by taking him out to dinner but little did he know he was going to a Mortuary school. Darnell passed his Mortuary acceptance test and was admitted into the program. Darnell day on the student academic appeals committee @ Northampton College in Bethlehem, PA, Darnell also helped create some science questions (Embalming with John V. Lunsford Funeral Service Dean of students for the national board exam. During his education at Northampton, Darnell served as a student trainee and apprentice at Jacob K. Chandler Funeral Home Inc. where he began his advanced embalming and restorative art experience, he will tell you that he owes his great embalming skills to Jacob K. Chandler who taught Darnell the legendary Practice of undertaking. Darnell Graduated Magna Cum laude in May of 2002 after taking 26 credits his last semester to expedite his graduation. After graduation Darnell passed his National Boards scoring 92 on his science section. Darnell continued his education at Wilmington University graduating in January of 2004 with a Bachelor of Science. In January 2004 Darnell Started McPherson Emb & Funeral Service Inc. His Step Father Gary Gusoff esq incorporated him as a birthday gift. Darnell began trade embalming for other Funeral homes and in 2004 he received his license to practice in Delaware and Pennsylvania. He also met the family of Youngs funeral home and served as an embalmer from 2004/2007. In March of 2007 Darnell started Young & McPherson Funeral home in Milford and Seaford Delaware. He would go on to also get his Maryland license to practice in Maryland and serve families which he strongly believes is his ministry. In September of 2010 Darnell would solely operate as McPherson Funeral Service in which he would open up a location in Camden in 2016 and move his Seaford Location to Laurel currently. Darnell didn’t think three licenses was enough so he would go on to get Licensed in VA, District of Columbia and New Jersey. McPherson Funeral Service Inc. serves all six states and it is Darnell’s passion to serve all families no matter Religion, Race, Faith, or Creed. It is our goal to satisfy all of our family's needs. Darnell furthered his education obtaining his Doctorate in (Humanities) from Sacramento School of Theology. Dr. Darnell R. McPherson enjoys touching the hearts and souls that God has brought his way through public speaking and communicating with communities abroad. Dr. McPherson hopes to write his first book "Living Through Death & Dying", in which his passion for helping those who succumbed to the loss of a loved one will be ubiquitous. This all started from a 12 year old's own experience with the unknown and now he’s here to serve and help others no matter what their financial state is to start the grief cycle that Alan Wolfelt describes so artfully.
