In 1954, Arthur's son, W. Maxwell (Max) Fillatre, after completing his funeral training with James Patten Funeral Home in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, opened Fillatre's Funeral Home in Curling, Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. Curling has been since incorporated into the City of Corner Brook. Maxwell (Max) Fillatre was originally a barber and the initial business was a barber shop with a funeral home attached. At the time of his opening, equipment consisted of a 1954 Ford Ranchwagon that was converted into a funeral coach, and a converted 1953 panel van served as an ambulance. He said later, "It wasn't the most luxurious beginning, but it served the purpose until better facilities could be obtained." The firm's first major expansion was in 1958, when the business was moved to its present location on Curling Street in Corner Brook. The second expansion was in 1963, when that building and its facilities were doubled in size.

Max was joined in the family business by his first son, Keith, in 1964 after Keith attended the Canadian School of Embalming in Toronto. In 1967 his second son, Kerry, joined the business.

As the funeral business grew the company expanded to Deer Lake, a town 30 miles from Corner Brook. The new home, fully staffed with experienced personnel, officially opened on May 28, 1968, and offered the residents of Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula the same facilities as the one in Corner Brook.

A third son, Ernie, joined the firm in 1974 after serving his apprenticeship with Ward Funeral Home in Ontario. His youngest son, Maxwell Jr. decided to attend the Humber College of Applied Arts & Technology in Toronto from where he graduated in 1981 and then joined his father and brothers in the family business. Max has since retired from the family business in 2007.

In 1985 a branch was opened in Port au Choix to serve the residents of the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, and another in Stephenville Crossing for residents in Bay St. George, Port au Port Peninsula.

On April 5, 1986 Max's second son Kerry Fillatre suddenly and tragically passed away at the age of 36.

On April 22, 1987 tragedy suddenly hit again when we lost the founder and father of our company, William Maxwell (Max) Fillatre at the age of 58.

William Maxwell Fillatre had been vice-president of the Nova Scotia Funeral Directors' Services Association, a member of the National Selected Morticians and of the Associated Funeral Directors Association International. He was founder and first president of Newfoundland's funeral service association, and served on the board of the Newfoundland and Labrador Funeral Directors.

Max was active in the community, serving five terms on the Corner Brook city council and belonging to numerous organizations. He was elected to the city council when Corner Brook returned to elected municipal government in 1967 after several years under a commission of administration, and he remained on council until he retired from municipal politics in 1985. Fillatre was president of the Corner Brook Chamber of Commerce, a lifetime member of the Corner Brook Lions Club and the International Association of Lions Clubs, a founding member of the Elks lodge in Corner Brook, a member of Branch 13 of the Royal Canadian Legion, a Master Mason of Lodge Lomond of the Corner Brook Masonic Lodge, and for many years vice-president of the Westmount Club. He had also been an active member of the Blomidon Country Club, and in his early years he had been involved in the Corner Brook Hockey Association, as well as many charitable organizations in the city.