Our Staff

Our Caring Staff

Our team is made up of highly trained and licensed professionals, each with extensive experience in their respective fields. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, knowledgeable support for all your needs, whether you're seeking guidance on pre-planning arrangements or navigating through the difficult process of making decisions for a loved one. With a deep understanding of the services we offer, our staff is always available to offer clear, personalized answers to any questions you may have.

We believe in providing a welcoming, supportive environment, and you can trust that every interaction with our team will be handled with care, respect, and professionalism. Whether you need assistance in person, over the phone, or via email, we encourage you to reach out to any of our staff members at any time. We are here to help you every step of the way, ensuring your experience is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

J. Patrick McGann

J. Patrick McGann

Owner & Funeral Director

Born and raised in the South Bend.  Pat believes Michiana is a great place to live and raise a family. Pat has been working in the family funeral business since 1968 when he was 15years old.  He serves as a Funeral Director and Chairman of the Board of McGann Hay. 


He is a 1972 graduate of John Adams High School, and organized a number of the Class Reunions.  He attended Holy Cross College, IUSB, IUPUI, Ivy Tech and graduated from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science..  Pat volunteers many hours with the National Ski Patrol at Swiss Valley Ski and Snowboard Area helping injured skiers and administering first aid.


Pat has served on many community boards including: The American Heart Association, Red Cross, YMCA, Camp Eberhart, Camp Fire, Granger Lions Club, Charter President of the Notre Dame Optimist Club. His family were 25 year members of Morris Park Country Club. He is a former President of the Downtown Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He is a member of St. Pius X Parish in Granger, and a Third and Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He is a past Commodore of the Birch Lake Yacht Club.


He enjoys Snow Skiing, Sailing, fishing, golf and traveling. When his children were young, coaching and watching and m their sports activities and now watching his grankids. Pat lived in Granger for 30 years before moving to Birch, and now Diamond Lake, where he and his partner, Leslie Paul, delight in visits from their grown children and grandchildren and many social activities.

Jessica (Howard) Lambert

Jessica (Howard) Lambert

Manager & Funeral Director

Jessica is a South Bend native and proud graduate of the “Pride of the Westside”-Washington High School, with the Class of 2000. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Vincennes University Funeral Service Program, and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. After graduation she served her Internship with the Forest G. Hay Funeral Home where she had worked part time before entering mortuary school.  She became a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in 2005. After the merger of the McGann and Hay families into one funeral operation in 2005, Jessica became a staff funeral director. Today, Jessica is the Operations and Compliance Manager for the McGann Hay firm and is proud of her role in her chosen profession. She values her long time membership in the Ontwa Baptist Church in Edwardsburg, MI and is an active member in the Downtown South Bend Rotary Club, where she served on The Board of Directors. She volunteers time by serving meals at the Center for the Homeless and going on Mission Trips when she has the opportunity. Prior to Mortuary School, she taught Ballroom Dancing at Dan O’Day’s Dance Studio and still loves to dance every chance she gets. Jessica, her husband Jason and their rescue dogs split their time on Barron Lake in Niles, MI and in Puerto Rico, where they escape the cold.

 Pastor John Railton

Pastor John Railton

Funeral Assistant & Pastor

John graduated from South Bend’s Riley High School and then attended and graduated from Oregon Bible College in IL (now Atlanta Bible College), with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. Upon graduation, he pastored a church in Minnesota, and three in Indiana, including his current pastorate at Family Bible Church in Granger. He and his wife Alice celebrated 50 yrs. of marriage in 2019. They have three adult children and five grandchildren in the Michiana area. A few years ago they rescued a little Bichon Poodle, Cheyenne, who's given them a lot of joy. Spending time with family is very important and such a blessing. Traveling with his wife is a favorite thing to do as they have visited 49 states and most of the National Parks. He keeps active playing pickle-ball and is often found working in the kitchen at home. John joined the staff at McGann Hay in 2015. He has a heart for pastoral ministry, caring for people, and feels it pairs well with serving on staff at the funeral home. He’s available to officiate funerals or memorial services for families who don’t have a close church affiliation or pastor.

Renee Dominiak

Renee Dominiak

Funeral Director

Renee spent most of her school years living in Indianapolis, IN. She continued moving south to Brown Co. and Columbus, IN. During this time, she attended Mid-America College of Funeral Service, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 2012 with 3 children. Her fourth child, and only girl, came in 2014. Renee moved to the South Bend area in 2016 to be closer to her mother and grandparents. Renee started with us in the fall of 2017 as an intern and became a Funeral Director in November of 2018. When asked why did you want to become a Funeral Director, her answer was always is, “I want to help families in need.” She attends Christian Center Church in South Bend. She spends her time with her children and family, reading, traveling, and working in the yard. She loves to vacation anywhere with a beach and palm trees.

Kayla Koszyk

Kayla Koszyk

Preneed Counselor

Kayla was born and raised in South Bend, IN and graduated from Washington High School in 2017. Afterwards, she decided to fulfill her lifelong wish of attending Bible College. She graduated from Indiana Bible College in Indianapolis, IN in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Biblical Studies and a minor in Music with honors. After graduating, she decided to move home and help out at her home church- Ironwood United Pentecostal Church. She is very involved with her church, serving in any capacity she can, but mostly in the music department. She leads worship and directs the choir along many other things such as playing the organ and praise singing. Following in her family’s footsteps, she felt a calling to help people plan their final wishes, in advance, offering support and making that inevitably difficult day easier. She obtained her life insurance license and joined the McGann Hay team in October, 2022. Kayla loves to travel, crochet blankets, and read.