Richard "Rick" Shoemaker graduated from Blairsville High School in 1965 and Slippery Rock University in 1969. He taught Health, Physical Education, and Driver's Education at Grove City High School for two years. After that, he furthered his education at Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where he graduated in 1972, becoming a Licensed Funeral Director.

Rick has been the past president and current member of the Westmoreland, Indiana, and Armstrong County Funeral Directors Association as well as a member of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association.

Willa Shoemaker has served the Blairsville community along with her husband, Rick, from the very beginning. She aids in funeral ceremonies and does many things behind the scenes to keep the business running smoothly. Willa has been a great asset to the business since their return in 1972.

Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 13, 2020. 

R. K. Shoemaker graduated from Blairsville High School in 1995 and then completed a postgraduate year at The Kiski School in 1996. From there, R. K. went to Mount Union College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2000. Upon graduation from college, he went on to receive an Associate Degree as an Embalmer and Funeral Director from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 2001.

Since 2002, R. K. has been serving the Blairsville community as a Licensed Funeral Director. He is also the current owner and president of the Shoemaker Monument Company, which serves Blairsville, Indiana, Johnstown, and Altoona.

Meghan Radkowski-Shoemaker has been a Licensed Funeral Director since 2005. She is also a Licensed Life Insurance & Annuity agent along with her husband, R.K.

R.K. & Meghan are both current members of the Westmoreland, Indiana, and Armstrong County Funeral Directors Association as well as members of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association.

In 2016, R. K. was inducted into the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame and remains dedicated to athletics in the community. He lives in Blairsville with his wife, Meghan, and their four children. He is the supervisor of our Indiana branch, Robinson-Lytle-Shoemaker Funeral Home. 

In August of 2021, Sam Piper joined our family-owned funeral home as a Licensed Funeral Director. Since September 2019, he has been serving families in the York County area. Sam is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. In addition to being a Licensed Funeral Director, Sam is also a CANA Certified Crematory Operator (aiding in both Human and Pet cremation) and a Certified Celebrant.

As a Certified Celebrant, Sam is uniquely trained and able to assist families who are not a member of a church or who simply do not wish to have a religious service. He works directly with families to create a meaningful tribute that reflects the personality and lifestyle of the deceased. A celebrant does not take away from a religious service; instead, Sam offers an alternative for someone who isn't a member of a church but still wishes to have a tribute service. 

Sam will meet with you to offer guidance and consultation while planning a personalized and meaningful tribute. A celebrant doesn't do a cookie-cutter service where you take the last person’s name out and insert the new name. A service designed by a celebrant is as personal and unique as the individual and their families are. A celebrant has a wide library of resources for readings, music, and other special ceremonies to help the family design a service that honors the life lived. 

Sam received his training and certification from the In-Sight Institute. Sam is a member of the Westmoreland, Indiana, and Armstrong County Funeral Directors Association as well as the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.

Sam is the manager of our Indiana branch, Robinson-Lytle-Shoemaker Funeral Home, and proudly serves families in Indiana and Blairsville.  

David joined the staff of our family owned funeral home in February of 2025 as a Licensed Funeral Director. A native of the Bucks County, PA area, David completed his Mortuary Science degree in 1989 at Northampton County Community College and later completed his Bachelor's Degree in Communication/Public Relations at Millersville University. David is a member of the Westmoreland, Indiana, and Armstrong County Funeral Directors Association as well as the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association

David feels his role as a Funeral Director provides a unique opportunity to serve families at a time when they often feel help is needed the most. He feels memorializing the lives of those we love could not be more important. David places a high priority on guiding families as they strive to personalize services honoring their loved one(s); a process which may seem difficult without the experience and consultation of a knowledgeable professional who also shares the same goals and priorities you and your families do.

David considers his devotion to funeral service an opportunity to give back to his community, and he could not be happier to have moved a bit west of his roots. Ironically, many years ago, members of the Weitzel family settled in western areas of our commonwealth, making his return to the Blairsville/Indiana areas seem even more meaningful. 

David proudly serves families at our Blairsville and Indiana locations. 

Debbie started working at Robinson-Lytle, Inc. in 2005 and has made the transition with us to Robinson-Lytle-Shoemaker as our Office Manager. Just as in the past, Debbie handles the day-to-day operations of the office. She takes great pride in working hand-in-hand with families to help create personalized, meaningful, and customized services and products that last a lifetime. 

Debbie is grateful to help your family ease the burden after the death of your loved one with her compassion, understanding, and experience. Debbie and her husband, Steve, live in Clymer. They have three children and three grandsons.

Melissa (Shoemaker) Albright is no stranger to the funeral industry. As the eldest child of Rick and Willa Shoemaker, Melissa has been around the death care industry her entire life.

After a change in her vocation in March 2021, Melissa returned to the funeral home and began working at her family’s business. Melissa’s duties are vast, and she serves in many capacities. She is the head Pet Cremation Coordinator and Counselor, and she also serves as the funeral home's office manager while creating meaningful customized merchandise for families.

Melissa and her husband, Steve, live in the Delmont area, and they have three children. Melissa proudly serves the Blairsville community. 

Karen has lived in the Blairsville/Black Lick area her whole life. After managing an equipment sales company for 30 years, Karen came to work for the Shoemaker Monument company in 2018. Karen personally designs custom, one-of-a-kind monuments, helping families pick the right testament and tribute to their loved one. 

Karen also helps with the daily operations of the Blairsville Funeral Home and Pet Crematory. In her spare time, she loves to paint, craft, and travel.

In March of 2024, Chris Holub joined our family owned funeral home.

Chris has been around the death care industry for over 25 years, serving families in a myriad of capacities. Since 2008, Chris has been creating custom burial vaults and aiding famlies across Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia to lay their loved ones to rest with care and compassion. Chris brings years of experience to walk along-side families through their journey of grief.

Chris proudly serves families in both Blairsville and Indiana.