Clarion County Coroner Candidates State Their Cases at Chamber Legislative Breakfast

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The candidates for the position of coroner in Clarion County both spoke at Friday morning’s Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry Fall Legislative Breakfast at the Park Inn by Radisson.

[Pictured above: Roland (Rollie) Burns and Randall Stom.]

Clarion County Chief Deputy Coroner Randall Stom has been the deputy coroner for two years and Chief Deputy for the last four years under current Coroner Terry Shaffer.

Stom thanked Shaffer for his mentoring, spoke of the opioid epidemic that has plagued Clarion County while touting his qualifications.

“During these past six years, we’ve seen significant increases in the number of opiate and drug-related deaths in Clarion County,” Stom said.

“We’ve seen families torn apart, the economic impact on our community has been significant.”

“Having a coroner who is always prepared, always professional, always compassionate, respectful, dignified, and willing to listen to families is so very important,”

“Every investigation must focus on getting the answers to questions that are needed by law enforcement, the courts, and the families.”

“If the coroner misses details, it can be disastrous to an investigation and to the family. The coroner has to be focused on the investigation, not making profits for a funeral home business. We have worked hard to move the facilities to a county-owned property and away from personal property and business-owned facilities,” Stom continued.

“No funeral home business in Clarion County should be allowed to own or run the county coroner’s office,” Stom said. “I am not a funeral home owner and have no vested financial interest in a funeral home. I am a salaried funeral home employee, and I won’t try to pressure families or direct them to any one particular funeral business.”

Stom is a graduate of Clarion-Limestone High School, Clarion University of PA (B.S. in Biology and M.Ed. in Science Education), and has post-graduate doctoral (ABD) studies in education and education administration from the University of South Carolina and Slippery Rock University of PA. He graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science with honors and was recognized by his peers with the Memorial Award for leadership. He has completed all the required coursework for coroner and is current on all his continuing education credits.

Rollie Burns also had prior experience, serving as the Clarion County Coroner for eight years that ended in 2005.

“As a funeral director and past coroner, I understand the complexities and emotions that families face when dealing with the death of a loved one,” Burns said. “I’ve always strived to treat them with the utmost care and respect.”

“I also understand the importance of budgets, not only for businesses and families but also for the taxpayers of Clarion County. In the past, I’ve always used good judgment in staying within the coroner’s budget and keeping costs down by using my own equipment at no cost to taxpayers.”

Burns is a licensed funeral director and owner of the Robert V. Burns Funeral Home and the R.V. Burns Crematorium Inc., both in Clarion, and the Burns Funeral Home and Crematorium in Rimersburg. He has spent 23 years in the funeral business.

He attended Clarion Area School, Clarion-Limestone High School, and Clarion University. In 1994, he graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science with an associate degree in Specialized Business and Funeral Service Management and a diploma in Mortuary Arts and Science.

Burns completed the coroner’s education board course in Medico-Legal Death Investigations in 1997, at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey. To maintain his certification, Burns has attended mandatory continuing education classes each year. Those courses were in Blood Borne Pathogens; Forensic Photography; Forensic Death Investigation; Mass Disasters; Traumatic Injuries; Grief Counseling; Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Toxicology; along with a number of other courses.

In the spring primary election, Stom beat Burns by 111 votes across the 41 precincts in Clarion County. Stom had 1767 votes while Burns tallied 1656.

Nevertheless, Burns – previously a long-time registered Democrat – who filed as a Republican for coroner, gained a place on the November general election ballot after he generated 346 write-in votes to Stom’s 195.


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