OXFORD – Most people would never consider becoming a funeral director, but Steve Behe isn’t like most people. The son of a funeral director, Behe says he never seriously considered anything but following in his father’s footsteps.

On Oct. 1, the Oxford man celebrated his 40th anniversary as funeral director of Behe’s Funeral Home, the business which has borne his family name for nearly five decades.

“I grew up riding with my dad,” said Behe, who was in seventh grade when his family moved to Oxford in 1960, after his father, Judson Behe, purchased the State Street business from its previous owner, Lynn Seymour.

Behe still transacts business while sitting at the same small desk that Seymour used all those years ago.

While Behe is the first to admit that most people would eschew his chosen profession, he takes great pride in what he does. Particularly in the knowledge that he provides some measure of comfort to people struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one.

“That’s why I do what I do,” he explained.

In his four decades in the community, Behe has developed something of a reputation. And it is a reputation that has endeared him to many of those who have had need of his services.

You won’t find dark draperies or wall coverings at Behe’s, but rather plenty of natural light and walls richly papered in soft tones. For evening calling hours, the lights are turned up. Rather than traditional black hearses, the Oxford funeral home has signature cars in silvery gray. And until recently, Behe said, he didn’t even own a black suit.

The difference isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, but the warmth and comfort of Behe’s own personality showing through. He greets most callers himself, often with a story or joke of the day to ease the tension.

“I think I make a hard time easier for people,” Behe said.

The best complement he has ever received, he explained, was from a local woman after her mother passed away. After they had finished making the arrangements for her mother’s service, she told him that he was the only funeral director that put the world “fun” in funeral.

That’s not to say that anything about Behe or his funeral home is irreverent; on the contrary, all who pass through its doors are treated with dignity and respect.