History & Staff
We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.
When we sit down with a family, we have just one goal: to create a fitting, memorable and affordable service for their loved one. Together, we explore the wide variety of services and products available, as well as a wealth of creative ideas and suggestions.
Together, we'll design a memorial or funeral service that suits their needs now, and in the future. Families who come to us know that years from now, they will have deep peace-of-mind because in coming to us, they've done their best to honor their loved one.
Our History
During 1977, William J. McDonough and his brother-in-law Robert L. Potterfield III saw the need for a new funeral home in Leesburg, Virginia. A funeral home that would put great emphasis on the service aspects of the industry and serve each family with out regard to race, creed or station in life, with the highest quality of professional service and sincerity.
During the early part of June 1977 a groundbreaking ceremony was held and after eleven months of construction our family was able to offer the families of Loudoun County a funeral home that was built just for funeral services, all on one floor with a formal chapel and rooms large enough to accommodate most families needs. This was the first time families of Leesburg had a choice in funeral homes for there final tribute to there loved one.
William J. McDonough and Robert L. Potterfield III were partners in the business for twelve years before Robert sold his interest to William in 1989. Over the next eight years Bill McDonough’s three children, Kathy, Bill, and Mark, graduated and began to help with the day-to-day operations of the funeral home. Loudoun Funeral Chapels, the McDonough family and the Loudoun community lost Bill, a loving and dedicated servant in July 2002 to cancer. Shirley Potterfield McDonough and their three children have continued to provide the same quality of professional service to families.
In August 1980 the Brown Funeral Home of Lovettsville, Virginia was purchased from Renice and his wife Lucille Brown. Brown Funeral Home began as a furniture and coffin business operated by Elijah Goodhart up until the early 1920s.
John D. Brown, a former banker in Brunswick, Maryland, then purchased the business. Mr. Brown’s sons Renice and Wendell operated the business and built the building in 1938 that the funeral home is still providing services in today. Wendell sold his portion of the business to his brother in 1940 and began working for the Railroad.
Families continued to use their homes for visitations as they always had until around 1942. During this year they began to see more families interested in using the funeral home. Families began to be more interested in using a building that had larger rooms than most homes to accommodate their friends. The Brown family operated the business for over sixty years before selling the business to Loudoun Funeral Chapel in 1980.
In 2012 all of Lovettsvilles operations were consolidated to the Leesburg chapel. We would like to thank the community for the years we have been allowed to provide our services and stand ready to continue the level of professionalism and service you have become accustom.
Our Valued Staff
William J. McDonough, Founder
William J. McDonough, passed peacefully on July 30, 2002 at home in Leesburg with his family by his side. Mr. McDonough was born February 12, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, to the late Joseph J. and Kathryn P. McDonough. He attended Arlington County Public Schools.
Shirley McDonough, President
Shirley and her late husband, William, were founders of Loudoun Funeral Chapels. She has been a life long resident of Loudoun County, being a Potterfield, Shirley is proud of her family's ancestors being one of the founders of Lovettsville. Shirley is involved in many civic activities including a lifetime member of the Rebecca's Lodge as well as a member of Leesburg United Methodist Church and Chairman of the Kathryn Eye Circle. Shirley and her family have dedicated their lives to serving the community.
Bill McDonough, Funeral Director
Bill attended Loudoun County Public Schools growing up and graduated in 1991 from Loudoun County High. He holds a mortuary science degree from Gupton Jones Collage of Mortuary Science, Atlanta, Georgia. He has been with the funeral home since 1991 and helps with all aspects of the family business. Bill resides in South Riding, Virginia with his wife and four daughters.
Kathryn McDonough Webb, Managing Director/ Funeral Director
Kathryn is a 1989 graduate of Loudoun County High. She graduated in 1997, Magna Cum Laude from Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science, Atlanta, Georgia. She has been with the family business since 1994 and began managing the funeral home when her father passed in 2002. Kathryn resides in Leesburg with her husband, Terry and three beautiful children.
Mark McDonough, Monument Sales/Funeral Assistant
Mark, a life long resident of Leesburg, attended Loudoun Country Day School, Leesburg, Va. and graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. At Loudoun Funeral Chapels, Mark helps with many aspects of funeral service and manages our monument division.
Mark Brewer, Funeral Assistant
Mark graduated in 1987 from Division Avenue High School in Long Island, NY. He served his country in the US Navy and has been in the Northern Virginia area since 2006. Mark started with the funeral home in 2009 and helps with many aspects of the funeral homes daily operations. He presently lives in Arcola, VA.
Butch Mellotte, Funeral Assistant
Butch grew up in Fairfax County and served in the US Army during Vietnam. He worked with Fairfax County Water Authority before retiring in 1990. During his retirement he has provided electrician servieces to many families and business in the area. Butch has volunteered with the Loudoun County Vol. Fire and Rescue for over 35 years. He has been with Loudoun Funeral Chapel since 2009. Butch has lived in Lucketts, VA with his wife Violet for many years.
Bruce Shaffer, Funeral Service Associate
Bruce joined Loudoun Funeral Chapels in August 2006 after 34 successful years of teaching in the Public Schools of Alexandria City and Fairfax County. He educated students in Grades K-12, and was an Adjunct Faculty Instructor for two Virginia Universities. His undergraduate work was done at West Virginia University and graduate work at the University of Virginia and George Mason University. As an accomplished Music Educator, he has served churches in the Northern Virginia Area since 1970 as Director of Music. He presently holds the position of Church Musician with a congregation near Charles Town, West Virginia. Bruce and his wife Marlene live in Purcellville, VA. Their children and families live in Round Hill, VA and Knoxville, TN.
Roland England, Funeral Service Associate
Roland has been married for 41 years to Nancy [the former Nancy Gochenour] and they have adult sons: James, Michael and Nathan. Nancy and Roland live in Boonsboro, MD. He has served as a Pastor in this area for 33 years in congregations affiliated with the United Church of Christ. This has included churches in Lovettsville, Boonsboro, Winchester and Neersville [Purcellville]. Roland is the founding Pastor of Christian Community Church at St. Paul’s, in Western Loudoun [Neersville] with members in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. His church web site is www.cacucc.com/she/churches/community Roland enjoys working with stained glass. This began as a hobby and has developed into a number of projects. In the largest to date he designed, crafted and installed a series of eight leaded stained glass windows in there church fellowship hall. He is currently working on the first window for the church Sanctuary which he expects to install soon. Roland recently completed a window for another church. Being available as a Pastor for bereaved families has always been a significant part of his community ministry. As a part time Associate with Loudoun Funeral Chapels this is a quite natural way for him to express God’s compassion to people during their time of loss.