(The new crematorium is tucked into the woods at the rear of Mayflower Cemetery.)

Tucked deep into Mayflower Cemetery, surrounded by towering pines and lush oak, with views of the final resting places of those who have passed on, is Duxbury’s new crematorium.

Though the architecture isn’t necessarily in keeping with the town’s traditional buildings -- long stained planks mimic tree bark and walls of windows act like water, reflecting the surroundings -- it suits the landscape perfectly, as if it’s part of the woods.

“The building lends itself to the environment and what surrounds it,” said Patricia Pappas, Cemetery Director. “We wouldn’t have been able to achieve serenity without this building. They built this for what we needed it to do.”

And what it needs to do is comfort the bereaved.

Unlike traditional crematoriums designed to do a job, Duxbury’s new facility isn’t quite a facility at all, but more like a welcoming funeral home. A family viewing area is situated just beyond the foyer with comfortable chairs, windows rising to meet 14-foot ceilings and somber black tiles that meet wood floors. But it’s the twin mahogany doors that soar to that ceiling that give it a stately aura.

Behind them is a glass panel with a view of a mesh curtain, a conveyor belt-like device and one of four stainless steel retorts. In this room, family members can gather, hold a memorial service or simply say a private goodbye to a loved one. If they so choose, a button at the rear of the room provides them with the opportunity to set the conveyor into motion and watch as their beloved is carried into eternity.

“It’s a common theme with cremations that a lot of families want to be present for it, some even have ceremonies,” said Peter Buttkus, the director of Public Works, who along with Inspectional Services Director Scott Lambiase oversaw construction of the facility. Since assuming his position three and a half years ago, Buttkus made it his priority to build a new crematorium. “The family can start the whole process by hitting the button here… and the auto-load would slide the body into the retort.”

Though some may recoil at the idea, others view it as intensely personal moment that allows them to stay with a loved one until the very end.

“It’s their option,” said Buttkus. “This is becoming more common at crematoriums across the nation.”   

According to the Cremation Association of America, 41 percent of Americans choose cremation over burial. To be able to accommodate those numbers, the Town of Duxbury chose to update its municipal crematorium to a state-of-the-art facility. The one-year construction project is due to be completed and open to the public on July 9. Initially it will earn the town approximately $700,000 in annual revenue. In difficult economic times, it also makes sense. Cremation at the Duxbury site is only $250. If it proves to be more successful than its four retorts can handle, Buttkus helped design it so two more retorts could easily be added.

“I see exponential growth,” said Pappas. “I’ve seen a bit more this year, we did over 3,000 last year. It’s the largest in the state for volume, and we’re in the upper five percent for the country.”

For Buttkus, it wasn’t simply about good economics, but about being a good steward of the environment. The retorts are clean burning with low emissions. There are no unpleasant odors, not even the whiff of smoke.

Few are as pleased about the new crematorium as Paul Bruce. A crematorium tech, he appreciates the cleaner working conditions and state-of-the-art technology. It’s his job to load the clients and monitor the actual cremation – which can take anywhere from two hours for a two hundred pound client to four or more for those who were larger in life. He feels it’s his duty to do so with the utmost compassion.

“It’s difficult, but it’s actually a good experience,” said Bruce. “I work with a great group of people from the superintendent on down to the groundskeepers. We take pride in our work. Every (client) is treated with dignity. We’ve had our own family members cremated in Duxbury. We show them all a lot of compassion.”

Town Manager Richard MacDonald who supported Buttkus’s goal of building the new crematorium toured it with pride last week. He gave credit to Buttkus for his vision and Lambiase for managing oversight of the actual construction and keeping costs down. He pointed out landscaping the Department of Public Works did, interior carpentry and underground utility work, as well as a stately granite and wrought iron fence that greets visitors.

“These two have done a magnificent job,” said MacDonald. “These guys have saved the town hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

There’s little doubt the new facility will benefit the town, yet for some it’s bittersweet. For Pappas, who’s been with the town 14 years, she must do her own letting-go of sorts.

“It’s really kind of emotional,” said Pappas of the slated demolition of the old crematorium. “But I look forward to bringing this business into the next century.”