People who attend wakes at Central Chapel or live in the vicinity of Central, are well familiar with LILLY THE WONDER DOG. Lilly died Monday, April 24, at the age of 9 ½ after a month long battle with pulmonary lung disease.

Central Chapel owner and Funeral Director, Robert Moynihan, bought Central in late 2010 and adopted Lilly a few weeks after. Lilly was a rescue dog from Chicago Canine Rescue. Moynihan lives upstairs from the funeral home and had never intended for Lilly to be involved in the funeral home itself. In her earliest days at Central, she happened to be in the office with Moynihan when bereaved families came in without an appointment. Moynihan quickly offered to take Lilly upstairs when the families asked that she remain. Over time, Lilly remained with the families when they made funeral arrangements, often seeking out people who were particularly distraught to comfort them. Moynihan always offered to not have Lilly present but in this very dog friendly community, over 95% of families asked her to stay. Lilly was not a trained grief therapy dog but was a grief companion dog by instinct. Two years ago, Lilly was joined by another rescue dog, Dolly the Beagle, who is now 11, to whom the torch has now passed.

A simple burial service was held for Lilly on Tuesday, April 25. Lilly has the distinction of being the first dog buried in a human cemetery that plans to expand to allow for dogs to be buried with their human loved ones.

A public Memorial Service will be held for Lilly on Tuesday, May 3, 2017, at Central Chapel, 6158 S. Central Ave., Chicago. Gathering and Refreshments at 6 p.m, followed by a Celebration of Life at 7 p.m.