In the mid 1930s, the St. Pete Beach area, which was also known as Long Key, was just being discovered as a winter resort locale. L.W. Baynard Sr. realized that the developing area was missing something it desperately needed — a modern memorial chapel with its own crematory. Choosing the beach area of St. Petersburg as his setting, in 1936 Baynard opened Baynard’s Beach Memorial Chapel and operated it in conjunction with Baynard Funeral Home in downtown St. Petersburg. By 1937, the Baynard Beach location’s crematory was completed and for many years operated as the only crematory in the St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay area.
The original Beach Memorial Chapel building consisted of a large lobby that doubled as the chapel office, a receiving area and an apartment for an attendant. In 1949, Baynard partnered with Paul E. Thompson and the two men converted the chapel into a facility featuring a full-service funeral home, crematory and ambulance service. The renovated funeral home, which was renamed Baynard-Thompson Beach Memorial Chapel, also included a casket display room, embalming facilities and garage apartment. Following an acquisition in 1983, the name was changed to Beach Memorial Chapel. Today it continues to serve the needs of the Beach Communities as well as all of Pinellas County.
Life is very precious. When a life does end, saying goodbye is very difficult. It is the mission of the Beach Memorial Chapel and its staff to assist families through this most difficult period by providing the very finest services in the most caring and meaningful way.