Although many people are terrified by death, it is not something you would expect from a funeral director.

That used to be the case for Eugene Brown, owner of the recently opened Brown's Funeral Chapel in downtown Ironton.

&#8220I was always afraid of dead people. I was the one who went to a funeral, and you couldn't even get me to go near a casket, much less do what I do now,” Brown said.

Somehow, Brown ended up choosing a degree from a mortuary school in Cincinnati over his other option of law school. Now he's licensed in four states as a funeral director and has a shop of his own.

Brown's chapel has been attracting a lot of attention for the unorthodox way he does business. For example, the windows of his shop prominently feature the coffins he sells, which are currently nestled among Halloween decorations.

He admits that it's primarily a business strategy. Many, he said, have stopped in the shop to comment on the display, but also, it's a way for Brown to demystify the often unnerving world of funerals especially for the younger set.

&#8220It makes it less scary,” Brown said. &#8220We encourage people that if they're taking their family to one of the local funeral homes that they bring their children here first to get them comfortable with what they're going to see.”

&#8220Because what we have here is the exact set up they're going to see at a funeral home, minus the body. So it makes it a lot easier on kids to transition from one to another than just to throw them in.”

Brown's work to save children from the kind of fear he experienced as a child doesn't end there. He's currently holding a contest among high school seniors to design a coloring book dealing with grief that he will distribute to children to help them learn about death in a comforting way.

The funeral director also tries to make adults feel more comfortable, going so far as to offer meat and cheese trays and soft drinks during visitations.

&#8220During these days, people live longer and people migrate from the area, and the only time people get together is for a funeral,” Brown said. &#8220So basically, it becomes a reunion-type event although everyone gathers for a sad occasion.”

Offering refreshments at a visitation may seem odd, but it's the way Brown chooses to do business, working to make death just a little less scary.

Through a lifetime others overcome their fears, Brown has conquered his own.