Embracing His Family’s Legacy
This article was adapted from one that originally appeared in the January 2020 issue of American Funeral Director, published by Kates-Boylston Publications. 60
JOE EAGAN IS THE FIRST to say that he entered the family business somewhat reluctantly when he was 15. When Hurricane Katrina struck, Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home wasn’t damaged. “My father needed any help he could find,” says Eagan. “So I began to help maintain the grounds and change light-bulbs.” Fast forward to today. That somewhat-reluctant-to-work in-a-funeralhome teen is now 29 years old, a sixth-generation funeral director and manager of three metro New Orleans properties and Grace Funeral Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden in Covington. And yes, he still changes lightbulbs. “It’s (funeral service) never monotonous— there’s always a new experience or operational challenge to work through,” Eagan points out, “and I can’t imagine that I would have the same rewarding experiences if I were doing something else.” In 1864, Eagan’s great-great-great-grandfather, Ambrose Leitz, a German immigrant, opened a
Inside Northside
photos courtesy: JOE EAGAN
Joe Eagan
cabinet shop in New Orleans. He also made coffins, and the shop evolved into the oldest and largest family-managed funeral home and life insurance companies in New Orleans, with three funeral homes and three insurance companies. While the flagstone funeral home at Magazine and Phillip closed in 1992, locations in Metairie and Marrero continue. In 2019, Leitz-Eagan celebrated its 165th year, making it one of the older continuously operating funeral homes in the country. It’s a legacy that Eagan is proud to embrace. “While working in the business during high school, I soon began to appreciate not only the legacy and significance of my family’s business, but also the value of providing sincere care to families after the passing of a loved one.” In 2005, the Leitz-Eagan Companies was under the ownership of the Alderwoods Group. In 2006, Service Corporation International acquired Alderwoods, and later opened a funeral home in Metairie. Eagan says, “I began to take much interest in the business, as well as the operational aspect of the company.” After graduating from Louisiana State University, he began his funeral directing apprenticeship and enrolled in the University of New Orleans’ MBA program. In 2014, then-24-year-old Eagan was offered the opportunity to manage SCI’s three metro New Orleans properties. Today, Eagan oversees both Leitz-Eagan funeral
