Our Staff

David Rairigh has spent most of his lifetime in the funeral business. He grew up in Hillsdale, the son of Albert and Doris Rairigh, where he and his family lived above the Albert E. Rairigh Funeral Home. David’s grandfather, H.D. “Dan” Rairigh and his great grandfather, H.A. “Albert” Rairigh were funeral directors and founded and established the family business in 1915.

Dave is a 1984 graduate of Purchase Line High School and a 1988 graduate of California University of Pennsylvania where he earned a degree in mass media communication. After college he lived in Myrtle Beach, SC where he worked in radio and television. Dave returned home to Indiana County working as a news reporter at WDAD. It was through this job that he met his future wife, Jennifer Brader, of Johnstown. 

In 1991 Dave left radio and began his studies at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, graduating in 1992. He was fortunate to serve his internship under the supervision of his father and continued to work with his dad as a licensed funeral director until Albert’s untimely death in 1998. Dave’s mother, Doris had previously passed away in 1997.

After his parents passed, his sister took ownership of the family business and Dave and his wife, Jenny, sought out a business of their own.

From 2001 through 2012, Dave and Jenny owned and operated the Kelchner-McMichael Funeral Home, later known as the McMichael & Rairigh Funeral Home in Berwick, PA. In 2012 they discovered an opportunity to return “home” to Indiana County, therefore selling the funeral home in Berwick and purchasing the Bence Funeral Homes in Indiana and Clymer. Dave is the supervisor of our Indiana location.

Dave and Jenny were married in October 1992. They have two children: Dan, a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster and of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California where he earned an MA in translation. He is currently employed in San Francisco, California. Their daughter, Kate graduated from the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts in Punxsutawney. She presently works at Nap's Cucina Mia and Josephine’s Pizzeria & Enoteca in Indiana. Dave and Jenny love to visit their son in San Francisco and eat where their daughter cooks. They reside in Indiana.

Dave enjoys watching the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins. He loves to watch old TV shows and movies. Among his favorites are: The Andy Griffith Show, Friends and Fraiser. His favorite movies are: The Godfather movies, The Shawshank Redemption, Field of Dreams and of course, It’s A Wonderful Life. He prefers listening to popular music of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s, as well as “Carolina Beach Music”. As a former trumpet player, he also enjoys big band music such as the Glenn Miller Band and jazz combos, like  Chuck Mangione.

He loves to eat at local restaurants and is partial to anything cooked by his daughter, Kate. His perfect vacation day would be a hot summer day at the beach, preferably in South Carolina.  

Most of all, Dave enjoys being with his family. He loves being a funeral director and carrying on the legacy of funeral service in the Rairigh family. He truly cares about the families who call on him for funeral and cremation services.

Jenny grew up in Johnstown, graduating from Westmont Hilltop High School.  She received a BA in Psychology and an MA in Industrial and Labor Relations from IUP.

Since 2003, she and Dave have been partners in the funeral business, employing her business skills and Dave’s lifelong funeral expertise. Married in 1992, they raised a family in Indiana County and later in Berwick, PA. They are proud parents of Dan, who lives in San Francisco and works in the translation industry, and Kate who is a cook at Nap's Cacina Mia and Josephine's Pizzeria & Enoteca.

Jenny has been very active in community service in all the places she’s lived. In Northeastern PA, she volunteered at and then became Director of Camp Courage, which was a camp for grieving children. She raised money for flood victims and collected items to be shipped abroad in the wake of earthquakes.

Since their return to Indiana County in 2012, Jenny and Dave have been involved in helping individuals in the county who struggle with food security, transportation and housing issues. In 2016 Jenny spearheaded the effort to expand the It’s a Wonderful Life festival to include the giant Christmas tree on 7th Street and add weekend activities in the downtown throughout the holiday season.  She has volunteered at Grace United Methodist food bank, ICCAP Food Bank and Chevy Chase Community Center. During 2020, Jenny helped to collect thousands of pounds of food for distribution to hungry families throughout Indiana County.  She has also helped with cat rescue in areas where animals need to be spayed and vetted. In 2021 Jenny was named the Indiana County Female Civic Leader of the Year. In 2024 she was the recipient of the Athena Award for Indiana County.

Since November 2023, Jenny has been the Executive Director at the Chevy Chase Community Center in Indiana, where she continues her ongoing efforts to help our local neighbors who have food insecurities.

Essentially—if there is a need--- Jenny is always willing to pitch in to address the issue!

She’s an avid sports fan, following the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. She loves to travel. She enjoys genealogy and has traced her own family back into the 1400’s.

Amanda grew up in Shelocta, graduating from Indiana Senior High School, where she met her husband, Jed.

Amanda and Jed married June, 14, 2008 and reside in Indiana. Together they have a daughter, Kelsey, a dog named Mila and a rabbit named Archie.

In 2005 Amanda began studying at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, graduating in 2008 with an associates degree in Funeral Directing and Embalming. 

Before coming to work with us at Rairigh-Bence, Amanda had worked at IRMC in the Emergceny Room and was the Chief Deputy Coronor for Indiana County.

Amanda enjoys vacationing with her family at Myrtle Beach, going to concerts and camping. 

She's been a wonderful addition to our team at Rairigh-Bence Funeral Home & Crematory. She is also the supervisor at our sister business, Evergreen Cremations, Inc. We're delighted to have as a part of our team. 

Taylor isn’t new to the staff of Rairigh-Bence, she trained and completed her internship under the supervision of David Rairigh in 2017 and 2018. She later became the supervisor of our Clymer Funeral Home.

Not unfamiliar with hard work, Taylor grew up on a dairy farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, in Pulaski Township.  She graduated from Wilmington Area High School.

She graduated from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, earning an A.S. degree in Funeral Directing and Mortuary Science. She also became a CANA-certified Crematory operator. While in school, she earned the Pierce Award for excellence in restorative arts and cosmetology.

She is no longer with us on a full-time basis, but you'll see her every once and a while helping out at one of our two locations.

In her spare time, Taylor enjoys being with her family, as well as her pets: cats, Nova and Pickles, and her bassett hound, Murphy.  She also enjoyes traveling, and spending time outdoors.

Lilly joined the Rairigh family in 2011. She is an English Springer Spaniel with a particularly loving and friendly personality. Lilly smiles to show how happy she is to meet people!

She comes to work most days with Dave and Jenny and can be found perched on the couch in the office. She occasionally visits families and children downstairs at the funeral home.