For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193.
Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com.
In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased’s care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email.
All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full.
Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published.
Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing.
Hill Road Coffee Roasters is a business that not only sells coffee but also shares a story of passion for quality products, conversation and community.
For owner and roaster Shane Kilpatrick, the journey began in 2016 with a simple curiosity about coffee.
“I started roasting my own coffee after discovering the unique flavor profiles of coffees from around the world,” Kilpatrick said.
That curiosity quickly became a craft, and eventually, a calling. After getting his home kitchen food safe certified, he officially launched Hill Road Coffee Roasters in 2019. Just months later he brought his beans to the West Reading Farmers Market for the first time.
The decision to sell at the market was about more than finding a place to reach customers, it was about connection.
“I am inspired by the story of coffee from farmer to cup, and the farmers market provides the perfect opportunity to talk to customers about coffee’s journey,” he said.
That sense of storytelling is woven into every bag of beans he sells, every bottle of cold brew he offers. For him, the market isn’t just a sales gig, it’s a community, a family.
Hill Road Coffee Roasters has built its reputation on both variety and quality. At the market, you’ll find 10 different products available, including a decaf option, with beans sourced from seven different coffee-growing countries.
His offerings range from light to dark roasts, each roasted with an emphasis on highlighting the natural flavors of the beans.
“The conditions in which the coffee trees are grown, the techniques used to extract the seed from the cherry and the overall quality of the seed will greatly affect the taste of brewed coffee,” he said. “I hopefully roast the coffees in a way that allows the origin flavors to shine bright.”
While Brazil and the Ferndale Blend have been customer favorites this year, his personal favorite remains the Light Roast Ethiopia, the coffee that first sparked his passion.
“This was my spark coffee, the one that made me say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know coffee could taste like berries,’” he said.
Market shoppers don’t just stop by Hill Road Coffee Roasters for their caffeine fix; they also come for the conversation.
“I enjoy seeing genuine reactions when the shoppers begin seeing the interconnectedness of food supply systems,” Kilpatrick said.
Over the years, he’s also learned from fellow vendors, discovering new produce like mustard greens, exploring winter squash varieties, learning about honey production and even developing a newfound love of mushrooms.
One surprising fact that many market visitors learn at his stand is that every cup of coffee starts as the seed of a cherry grown on trees, often at high elevations in tropical climates. That sense of wonder is part of what he hopes to inspire in others.
To help customers brew the perfect cup at home, he even shares his favorite recipe: start with 23 grams (about ¼ cup) of ground coffee to 380 milliliters (13 ounces) of water for a balanced 12-ounce cup.
With a motto like “Freshly Roasted to Delight and Inspire,” Hill Road Coffee Roasters continues to do just that. They delight customers with bold flavors and inspire them to see their morning coffee in a whole new way.
And while Kilpatrick’s business has grown since those first small-batch roasts in his home kitchen, the heart of Hill Road Coffee Roasters remains at the farmers market, where the story began. Meet Kilpatrick on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the West Reading Farmers Market.
Kendra Giangiulio is the manager of the West Reading Farmers Market.