James P. Ginley was raised in Walpole and attended local public schools until he entered the newly opened Xaverian Brothers High School where he graduated in 1968. He graduated from Boston College in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in American History and minors in Theology and Philosophy. During college he also attended the New England Institute where he graduated with high honors in 1972. A licensed funeral director since 1973, he is the owner of the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin, the Ginley-Crowley Funeral Home in Medway.     

In 1979, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Walpole Board of Selectman serving two terms until moving to Franklin. Because of his upstanding character and dedication to his profession, he was asked to purchase both the Jackson Funeral Home in Franklin in 1984 and later the Crowley Funeral Home in Medway in 1996. They are now part of the Ginley Funeral Homes, completely owned by James P. Ginley.

In 1983 he married Kathleen Dolbec, a former editor of the Walpole Times and Dean College Children’s Center Teacher. Recently, his wife became a Licensed Funeral Assistant and works full-time in the family business. Together they have raised four children, Meredith, Madeira, Patrick and Ciara. Jim is also on the Board of Directors at Dean Bank. He is committed to serving families that have called on him, but also enjoys spending time with his own family and his beloved dogs.

Bob Irving has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 2000. He has worked at the Ginley Funeral Homes since 1998, first as an apprentice and later as a director assisting Jim Ginley with the management of his three funeral homes.

He graduated from Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro and later graduated from Fisher College with Associate’s Degrees in Business Administration & Accounting. In 1999, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Funeral Institute of the Northeast and received the Faculty Award.

Prior to his funeral-directing career, he worked as a pharmacy technician for twelve years at New England Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children in the Pediatric Pharmacy. Although he found his work at the hospital rewarding, he had a desire to work in funeral service and after educating himself a bit about the industry; he enrolled in the funeral service program at the Funeral Institute in 1997. About nine months into the program, he met Jim Ginley and has been associated with the Ginley Funeral Homes, ever since.

“I truly love what I do and although my responsibilities can be challenging both emotionally and with balancing our unpredictable schedules, I see what I do as a true vocation being able to compassionately help individuals and families at what is probably the most difficult time in their lives.”

Bob lives in Plainville with his wife, Lisa, who is a public school teacher in South Attleboro and his two children, Zachary and Julia. He tries to spend most of his free time with his family and had volunteered in the local baseball and soccer leagues in his town when his children were young. Bob is a former member of the Plainville Housing Authority and tries to stay active in his local community and town affairs.