NFDA Commends Funeral Homes for Excellence in Service to Families and Communities

August 29, 2019

For Immediate Release: August 29, 2019

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that 160 funeral homes have earned a 2019 Pursuit of Excellence Award. This award is presented by NFDA annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.

To earn an NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a funeral home must demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, including compliance with state and federal regulations; staff participation in ongoing education and professional development; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement in the community; active participation in and service to the funeral service profession; and promoting funeral home services through a variety of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Participants are also required to adhere to a Pledge of Ethical Practices.

NFDA will recognize the 2019 Pursuit of Excellence Award recipients on October 28 during the All-Star Recognition Ceremony, which will take place during the 2019 NFDA International Convention & Expo, October 27 through 30 in Chicago. All funeral homes that have earned a Pursuit of Excellence Award are invited to attend.

Information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence program can be found by visiting www.nfda.org/pursuitofexcellence. Registration and application materials for 2020 will be available in late-October 2019.

Best of the Best Award Recipients

All Pursuit of Excellence applicants submitted an essay describing the development and execution of a program or service that had a positive impact on the families they serve or their community, qualifying them for the Best of the Best Award, which recognizes the most novel and innovative programs and services in the profession.

Essays were judged on the uniqueness of the idea on a national and international level, quality of implementation, benefit to those served, benefit to the funeral home and how easily the idea could be replicated or modified by another funeral home. After a thorough review, the Pursuit of Excellence Task Force selected five funeral homes to receive the Best of the Best Award:

Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel, New York, N.Y. – The staff at Frank E. Campbell welcomed their community to their funeral home for two concerts, one in winter and one in spring, featuring musicians from the New York Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera, Broadway and other legendary New York City musical ensembles. The firm also welcomed the community for an art exhibition featuring paintings of the Frank E. Campbell building and other works of art.
Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services Inc., Clarks Summit, Pa. – Art is a proven, effective tool for helping people deal with grief. Twice a year the funeral home sponsors “Good Grief Art,” an eight-week series of workshops during which participants are guided by an artist in creating a painting that reflects their loss. Staff regularly visits the classes, offering information and guidance to help attendees work through their grief. The series also features guest speakers and local musicians who perform while attendees work on their paintings.
Posey Funeral Directors, North Augusta, S.C. - Equipped with an iPhone and a list of three simple questions, funeral home staff created PoseyCares Spotlight, a two-minute video, which is posted on social media, highlighting people who make a difference in the community. The staff of Posey Funeral Directors have further grown this idea by adapting PoseyCares Spotlight for a local television program “CrossTalk TV.” During the “CrossTalk Blessings” segment, funeral home staff travel to a local nonprofit to showcase the organization’s work and surprise staff with a $1,000 donation.
Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Traverse City, Mich. – The funeral home is housed in the Perry Hannah House, the retirement home of the founder of Traverse City, Mich. To commemorate the 125^th anniversary of the house, funeral home staff organized a special celebration featuring two key events. Funeral home staff welcomed more than 3,100 people for an open house during which 45 docents who were stationed throughout the Perry Hannah House and gardens; they explained the history of the house and how each room was used when Mr. Hannah resided there. Attendees were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the open house, which were donated to a local food pantry. The funeral home also organized a scholarship contest, Perry Hannah: Leadership Lessons Learned, for local high school students. The winners of the scholarship contest were announced during the open house event.
St. Peter Chapels, Quezon City, Philippines – Undas is the Philippino term for All Saints and All Souls Days. It is a special time during which families spend time in cemeteries visiting loved ones’ graves. It is customary for families to spend the night at the cemetery paying tribute to departed relatives. As a result, cemeteries and the surrounding streets become overcrowded with cars and other vehicles. To help alleviate traffic in the cemeteries and make things easier for families visiting the graves of loved ones, St. Peter Chapels organized a fleet of pink motorized vehicles offering free transportation to families.

As they reviewed the essays to select the Best of the Best honorees, the Pursuit of Excellence Task Force noted a number of programs and services that were very well-executed and yielded positive results for the community served by the funeral home. The Task Force recognizes these funeral homes with a special Certificate of Honorable Mention:

NFDA Hall of Excellence Inductees

NFDA-member funeral homes are inducted into the Hall of Excellence upon receiving their 10th Pursuit of Excellence Award. In recognition of their consistent display of professional and ethical excellence, seven funeral homes will be inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence in 2019:

Anderson & Sons Inc., American Fork, Utah
Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory, Washington, Ill.
E. Blake Collins Funeral Home, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Gardinier Funeral Home Inc., Franklin, Pa.
Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Lebanon, Mo.
Ransford Collon Funeral Home, Caro, Mich.
Waitt Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Morganville, N.J.

2019 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award Recipients

Previously inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence #

First-time Award Recipient *

A.H. Peters Funeral Home, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. #
A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, Troy, Mich. #
Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes Inc., Naugatuck, Conn.
Anderson & Sons Inc., American Fork, Utah
Anderson Funeral and Cremation Services, Belvidere, Ill.
Anderson Funeral Home, Alexandria, Minn.
Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Arlington Memorial Chapels Inc., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Arnett & Steele Funeral Home Inc., Pineville, Ky. #
Baird Funeral Home, Troy, Ohio #
Baskerville Funeral Home, Wilmington, Ill.
B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, Wallingford, Conn.
Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, Hammond, La.
Brown Funeral Home, Grand Blanc, Mich. *
Brunswick Memorial Home, East Brunswick, N.J.
Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, Covington, Ga. #
Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, McDonough, Ga. #
Carpino Funeral Home, Southbury, Conn. *
Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral and Cremation Services, Alliance, Ohio #
Chambers & James Funeral, Pet & Cremation Services, Wellsburg, W.Va.
Christopher Mitchell Funeral Home, Albion, N.Y.
Copeland Funeral Service, Beaufort, S.C.
Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory, Farmington, Mo. #
C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors, Danvers, MA
David C. Brown Funeral Home, Belleville, Mich. #
Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory, Washington, Ill.
D'Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, East Hartford, Conn. #
D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield, Conn. #
Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel, Hutchinson, Minn. #
Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Burritt Hill, New Britain, Conn. #
Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial, Newington, Conn. #
Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, Canal Winchester, Ohio #
Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, Pickerington, Ohio #
E. Blake Collins Funeral Home, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel, Kent, Wash. *
Elton Black & Son Funeral Home, White Lake, Mich. *
Falco Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home, Camden, N.J.
Falco Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home, Pennsauken, N.J.
Finch & Finch Funeral & Cremation Service, Altavista, Va.
Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel, New York, N.Y.
Freitas-Rupracht Funeral Home, Yerington, Nev.
Funeraria Del Hogar De Christo Ltda., Independencia, Santiago, Chile *
Funeraria San Vicente, Medellin, Colombia
Funeraria y Camposanto Santa Ana, Cuenca, Ecuador *
Gamble Funeral Service, Savannah, Ga. #
Gardinier Funeral Home Inc., Franklin, Pa.
Geisen-Carlisle Funeral and Cremation Services, Michigan City, Ind.
Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Reception Centre, Crown Point, Ind.
G.H. Herrmann Funeral Homes, Indianapolis, Ind.
Gorsline-Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing, Mich.
Granby's Funeral Service Inc., Bronx, N.Y. *
Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care, Madison, Wis. #
Halbritter Wickens Funeral Services, Niles, Mich. *
Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral Home, Bloomfield, N.J.
Haskell Funeral & Cremation Services, Princeville, Ill. *
Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland, Fla.
Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory, Pekin, Ill. #
Heritage Funeral Home, Nipawin, SK, Canada #
Hightower Family Funeral Homes, Carrollton, Ga.
Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Lebanon, Mo.
Holmes Coffey Murray Funeral Home, Durant, Okla. *
Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, Conn.
Hughes Family Tribute Center, Dallas, Texas
Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home, Pennsauken, N.J.
J. Garcia Lopez Casa Iztapalpa, Mexico City, Mexico
James Funeral Home & Northlake Memorial Gardens, Huntersville, N.C.
James H. Cole Home for Funerals Inc., Detroit, Mich.
Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services Inc., Clarks Summit, Pa.
Johnson-Hagglund Funeral and Cremation Service, Litchfield, Minn. #
Johnson-McBride Funeral Chapel, Glencoe, Minn.
Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Douglasville, Ga. #
Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Villa Rica, Ga. #
Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home, Breckenridge, Minn. #
Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home, Port Huron, Mich.
Kemp Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Southfield, Mich.
Kerrville Funeral Home, Kerrville, Texas #
Kilpatrick Funeral Homes, West Monroe, La. #
Kimble Funeral Home, Junction, Texas
Krestridge Funeral Home, Levelland, Texas
Lakeshore Memorial Services, Holland, Mich.
Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home Inc., Hamburg, N.Y.
Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home Inc., West Seneca, N.Y.
Langley Funeral Home, Camp Hill, Ala.
Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, Stamford, Conn.
Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, Athens, Ga.
Macz Funeral Home, Centralia, Ill.
Martin Funeral Cremation & Tribute Services - Fairgrove, Fairgrove, Mich. #
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc, Mich.
Martin Funeral, Cremation and Tribute Services - Mt. Morris, Mount Morris, Mich. #
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Vassar, Vassar, Mich. #
Memorial Funeral Home, Edinburg, Texas #
Memorial Funeral Home, San Juan, Texas #
Memorial Vera Cruz, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil *
Mercer-Adams Funeral Service, Bethany, Okla.
Meredith-Clark Funeral Home, Cremation & Personalization Center, Morgantown, Ind.
Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Waipahu, Hawaii
Milward Funeral Directors, Lexington, Ky. #
Molden Funeral Chapel, Bristol, Pa.
Moments Funeral Home, Lucedale, Miss. *
Morada da Paz, Paulista, PE, Brazil
Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, Madison, Ind.
Morris-Baker Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Johnson City, Tenn.
Morrison Funeral Homes, Tuscumbia, Ala.
Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chesterfield, Va.
Myers Mortuary - Brigham City, Brigham City, Utah #
Myers Mortuary - Layton, Layton, Utah #
Myers Mortuary - Ogden, Ogden, Utah #
Myers Mortuary of Roy, Roy, Utah #
Nie Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Oakey’s Funeral Service & Crematory – South Chapel, Roanoke, Va. *
Oakey's Funeral Service & Crematory, Roanoke, Va. *
Oakley-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Bristol, Tenn.
Old Bridge Funeral Home, Old Bridge, N.J.
Oliverie Funeral Home, Manchester, N.J.
Olson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Sheboygan, Wis. #
Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home, East Pittsburgh, Pa. #
Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service, Morris, Minn. #
Pixley Funeral Home, Rochester, Mich. #
Posey Funeral Directors, North Augusta, S.C.
Prasser-Kleczka Funeral Homes, Milwaukee, Wis. *
Prater-Lampton-Mills & Coffey, Hugo, Okla. *
Pray Funeral Home Inc., Charlotte, Mich. #
Radney Funeral Home, Alexander City, Ala.
Ransford Collon Funeral Home, Caro, Mich.
Reeves Funeral Home, Coal City, Ill. #
Reichmuth Funeral Home, Elkhorn, Neb.
Resurrection Funeral Home, Clinton Township, Mich.
Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Traverse City, Mich. #
Robinson Funeral Home - Downtown, Easley, S.C. *
Roller Funeral Home - Paris, Paris, Ark.
Roller-Alcoa Funeral Home, Benton, Ark. *
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, Little Rock, Ark. #
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home - West Memphis, West Memphis, Ark. *
Roller-Cox Funeral Home, Clarksville, Ark.
Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy, Ark. #
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home - Clinton, Clinton, Ark.
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, Conway, Ark. #
Roller-Owens Funeral Home, North Little Rock, Ark. #
Seaver-Brown Funeral Service & Crematory, Marion, Va.
Sharer-Stirling-Skivolocke Funeral Home, Alliance, Ohio #
Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., Tunkhannock, Pa. *
Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory, New Castle, DE
St. Peter Chapels, Quezon City, Philippines
Tetrick Funeral Services, Johnson City, Tenn.
Thomas McAfee Funeral Home - Downtown, Greenville, S.C. #
Thomas McAfee Funeral Home - Northwest, Greenville, S.C. #
Thomas McAfee Funeral Home - Southeast, Simpsonville, S.C.
Twiford Funeral Homes LLC, Elizabeth City, N.C. #
Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home, West Valley City, Utah
Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton, N.D. *
Waid Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Merrill, Wis.
Waitt Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Morganville, N.J.
Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary, Salt Lake City, Utah
Watson-Thomas Funeral Home, Galesburg, Ill.
Weeks' Dryer Mortuary, Tacoma, Wash.
Weeks' Enumclaw Funeral Home, Enumclaw, Wash. #
Weeks' Funeral Home, Buckley, Wash. #
Wieting Family Funeral Home, Chilton, Wis.
Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Utica, Mich. #
Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn. #

NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

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Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org

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