'He was a comfort': Family, friends remember Livingston County businessman James Lamb
HOWELL — Livingston County lost a longtime businessman on April 28.
James Lamb was a funeral home director, property owner, and realtor over five-plus decades. He was motivated by his love for helping others.
“He just felt like, if you follow your dream, you can achieve it,” his daughter, Wendy Thompson, told The Daily. “Anything he thought he wanted to try, he did it and he succeeded. That’s how he raised us — to know there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Lamb was 83. He once owned the funeral home that's now Borek Jennings.
“He loved his community and he really felt honored to be part of helping to develop and add to it,” Thompson said.
Lamb was born Oct. 6, 1940, in Detroit to Burton and Luella Lamb, according to his obituary. He graduated from Clarenceville High School, attended Michigan Tech and the University of Michigan, then completed his mortuary science degree at Wayne State University.
He was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. After returning from service, he purchased the funeral home in Pinckney.
Lamb married Penny (Reynolds) Lamb in 1969. They ran the Lamb Funeral Home together while raising their two children, Wendy Thompson and Michael, in the house attached.
“My mom and dad were inseparable,” Thompson said. “They did every business from the moment they married together. As soon as my brother and I got out of college, we did everything together with them. It was a true family business.”
Lamb and his brother, Gary, purchased a second funeral home in Howell and ran both locations together, according to his obituary. He moved his family to Howell in 1979.
James and Gary opened two convenience stores and built the first automatic car wash in Livingston County, which is now Jax Kar Wash. In the early 1980s, they opened a fabric awning company called Detroit Awnings.
“He did all these things simultaneously, while he was a funeral director," Thompson said. "He was pretty amazing."
In the early 1990s, James and his son, Michael, purchased property on Thompson Lake in Howell. They started two new companies, Lamb and Lamb Development and Brookfield Homes. They developed properties and built single family homes and condos through the late 2000s.
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James and Michael also built and operated Grand River Mini Storage on the west side of Howell. The family established Real Estate One Howell in 2002.
“He enjoyed selling real estate,” Thompson said. “He loved dealing with people. He loved telling stories, talking to people. He loved the funeral business because he felt connected to the community. He felt like he was a comfort to people in their time of need. That was rewarding for him.”
After Lamb retired from the funeral home, he kept his license and helped at a local funeral home whenever needed. He loved to travel and enjoyed “lake living." He was also an avid car collector.
Lamb was preceded in death by Penny, his wife of 51 years, and Gary. He was a grandfather to three.
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: 'He was a comfort': Family, friends remember Livingston County businessman James Lamb
