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Death of funeral home director determined a suicide

The death of an Amherst funeral director in November has been ruled a suicide.

Charles Durante, 43, who lived in an apartment and was a director at the John Roberts Funeral Home at 280 Grover Cleveland Hwy., was found in the middle of North Bailey Avenue near the funeral home on the morning of Nov. 4.

Hazmat crews were called for a possible situation at the funeral home involving an embalming fluid, but the situation was declared clear. Durante was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he died later that day.

Amherst police investigators did not say how Durante ended up in the street, or whether his death had any connection to the embalming fluid situation.

Mark Wozniak, WBFO's local All Things Considered host, has been at WBFO since mid-1978.