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

September 03, 2020

For Immediate Release: September 3, 2020

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that 141 funeral homes have earned a 2020 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.

“This has been a challenging year for funeral homes,” said NFDA Director of Public Relations Jessica Koth, who manages the Pursuit of Excellence Award program. “The Pursuit of Excellence Work Group was very impressed with the quality of this year’s entries and all that funeral homes have been able to accomplish during the pandemic. The funeral homes that NFDA is recognizing with the Pursuit of Excellence Award have truly earned it this year.”

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.

Information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence program can be found by visiting www.nfda.org/pursuitofexcellence. Registration and application materials for 2021 will be available in late-October 2020.

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 seven funeral homes to receive the Best of the Best Award:

Arlington Memorial Chapels, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Funeraria San Vicente S.A., Medellin, Colombia
Gardinier Funeral Home, Inc., Franklin, Penn.
Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., West Seneca, N.Y.
Macz Funeral Homes, Centralia, Ill.
Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chesterfield, Va.
Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn.

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 Certificate of Honorable Mention:

Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, McDonough, Ga.
Copeland Funeral Service, Beaufort, S.C.
Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., East Pittsburgh, Penn.
Pixley Funeral Home, Rochester, Mich.
Radney Funeral Home, Alexander City, Ala.
Reichmuth Funeral Home, Elkhorn, Neb.

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, four funeral homes have been inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence in 2020:

Arlington Memorial Chapels, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Baskerville Funeral Home, Wilmington, Ill.
Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, Hammond, La.
Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, Conn.

A number of funeral homes have achieved milestones in their participation in the Pursuit of Excellence Award program in 2020. NFDA salutes the following funeral homes for their ongoing commitment to excellence:

15^th Pursuit of Excellence Award
- Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, Inc., Covington, Ga.
- Gamble Funeral Service, Savannah, Ga.
- Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy, Ark.
- Weeks' Enumclaw Funeral Home, Enumclaw, Wash.
- Weeks' Funeral Home, Buckley, Wash.
20^th Pursuit of Excellence Award
- David C. Brown Funeral Home, Belleville, Mich.
- D'Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, East Hartford, Conn.
- D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield, Conn.
- Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care, Madison, Wisc.
- Memorial Funeral Home - San Juan, San Juan, Texas
25^th Pursuit of Excellence Award
- Arnett & Steele Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Pineville, Ky.
35^th Pursuit of Excellence Award
- Myers Mortuary - Brigham City, Brigham City, Utah
40^th Pursuit of Excellence Award
- Myers Mortuary - Ogden, Ogden, Utah
- Myers Mortuary - Roy, Roy, Utah

2020 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award Recipients

*First-time award recipient

**Previously inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence

A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, Troy, Mich.**
Anderson Funeral & Cremation Services, Belvidere, Ill.
Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory, Alexandria, Minn.
Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors, Singapore
Arlington Memorial Chapels, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Arnett & Steele Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Pineville, Ky.**
Arrington Funeral Directors, Jackson, Tenn.
Baird Funeral Home, Troy, Ohio**
Baskerville Funeral Home, Wilmington, Ill.
Bayliff & Son Funeral Home, Inc., Cridersville, Ohio
B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, Wallingford, Conn.
Belgroves Funeral Home Company, Ltd., San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago
Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, Hammond, La.
Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Niles, Mich.*
Brunswick Memorial Home, East Brunswick, N.J.
Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, Inc., Covington, Ga.**
Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, McDonough, Ga.**
Capillas Senoriales Casa de Homenajes, Guatemala*
Carmon Funeral Homes, Windsor, Conn.**
Carpino Funeral Home, Southbury, Conn.
Chambers and James Funeral, Pet & Cremation Services, LLC, Wellsburg, W.Va.
Christopher Mitchell Funeral Homes, Inc., Albion, N.Y.
Copeland Funeral Service, Beaufort, S.C.
Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory, Farmington, Mo.**
C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors, Danvers, Mass.
David C. Brown Funeral Home, Belleville, Mich.**
D'Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, East Hartford, Conn.**
D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield, Conn.**
Dieters Funeral home and Crematory, Ltd., Washington, Ill.**
Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel, Hutchinson, Minn.**
Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, Central, S.C.*
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**
Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel, Kent, Wash.
Falco Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home (Camden), Camden, N.J.
Falco Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home (Pennsauken), Pennsauken, N.J.
Feeney Funeral Home, Ridgewood, N.J.**
Finch & Finch Funeral & Cremation Service, Altavista, Va.
Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel, New York, N.Y.
Funeraria San Vicente S.A., Medellin, Colombia
Gamble Funeral Service, Savannah, Ga.**
Gardinier Funeral Home, Inc., Franklin, Penn.**
G.H. Hermann Funeral Homes, Indianapolis, Ind.
Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing, Mich.**
Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care, Madison, Wisc.**
Halbritter Wickens Funeral Service, Niles, Mich.
Haley McGinnis Funeral Home & Crematory, Owensboro, Ky.*
Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral Home, Bloomfield, N.J.
Heath Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Lakeland, Fla.
Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory, Pekin, Ill.**
Heritage Funeral Home, Nipawin, SK, Canada**
Hightower Family Funeral Homes, Carrollton, Ga.
Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, Conn.
Hughes Family Tribute Center, Dallas, Texas
Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home, Pennsauken, N.J.
James Funeral Home & Northlake Memorial Gardens, Huntersville, N.C.
Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services, Inc., Clarks Summit, Penn.
Johnson-Hagglund Funeral and Cremation Service, Litchfield, Minn.**
Johnson-McBride Funeral Chapel, Glencoe, Minn.
Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory, Villa Rica, Ga.**
Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory, Douglasville, Ga.**
Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home, Breckenridge, Minn.**
Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home, Port Huron, Mich.
Kaul Funeral Home, Clinton Township, Mich.**
Kemp Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Southfield, Mich.
Kerrville Funeral Home, Kerrville, Texas**
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 and Stephens Funeral Home, Athens, Ga.
Macz Funeral Homes, Centralia, Ill.
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Fairgrove, Fairgrove, Mich.**
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc, Mich.
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Mt. Morris, Mt. Morris, Mich.**
Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services - Vassar, Vassar, Mich.**
Memorial Funeral Home - Edinburg, Edinburg, Texas**
Memorial Funeral Home - San Juan, San Juan, Texas**
Mercer-Adams Funeral Service, Bethany, Okla.
Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Waipahu, Hawaii
Milward Funeral Directors, Lexington, Ky.**
Moments Funeral Home, Lucedale, Miss.
Morada Da Paz, Paulista, PE, Brazil
Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, Madison, Ind.
Morris-Baker Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Johnson City, Tenn.
Morrison Funeral Homes, Tuscumbia, Ala.
Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chesterfield, Va.
Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick, N.J.
Myers Mortuary - Brigham City, Brigham City, Utah**
Myers Mortuary - Layton, Layton, Utah**
Myers Mortuary - Ogden, Ogden, Utah**
Myers Mortuary - Roy, Roy, Utah**
Nie Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Oakley-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Bristol, Tenn.
Old Bridge Funeral Home, Old Bridge, N.J.
Oliverie Funeral Home, Manchester, N.J.
Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., East Pittsburgh, Penn.**
Pedersen Funeral Home, Morris, Minn.**
Pixley Funeral Home, Rochester, Mich.**
Posey Funeral Directors, North Augusta, S.C.
Pray Funeral Home, Inc., Charlotte, Mich.**
Radney Funeral Home, Alexander City, Ala.
Reeves Funeral Homes, Ltd., Coal City, Ill.**
Reichmuth Funeral Home, Elkhorn, Neb.
Resurrection Funeral Home, Clinton Township, Mich.
Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Traverse City, Mich.**
Robinson Funeral Home - Downtown, Easley, S.C.
Robinson Funeral Home - Powdersville Road, Easley, S.C.*
Roller-Alcoa Funeral Home, Benton, Ark.
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, Little Rock, Ark.**
Roller-Cox Funeral Home, Clarksville, Ark.
Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy, Ark.**
Roller Funeral Home - Paris, Paris, Ark.
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home - Clinton, Clinton, Ark.
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, Conway, Ark.**
Roller-Owens Funeral Home, North Little Rock, Ark.**
Roselawn Funeral Home, Princeton, W.Va.*
Seaver Brown Funeral Service & Crematory, Marion, Va.
Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home, Inc., Tunkhannock, Penn.
Smith-North Little Rock Funeral Home, North Little Rock, Ark.
Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory, New Castle, Del.
St. Peter Chapels, Quezon City, Philippines
Tetrick Funeral Services, Johnson City, Tenn.
Thomas McAfee Funeral Home - Downtown Chapel, Greenville, S.C.**
Thomas McAfee Funeral Home - Northwest Chapel, Greenville, S.C.**
Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes - Southeast Chapel, Simpsonville, S.C.
Twiford Funeral Home, Elizabeth City, N.C.**
Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home, West Valley City, Utah
Vertin-Munson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Wahpeton, N.D.
Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary, Salt Lake City, Utah
Weeks' Dryer Mortuary, Tacoma, Wash.
Weeks' Enumclaw Funeral Home, Enumclaw, Wash.**
Weeks' Funeral Home, Buckley, Wash.**
Wieting Family Funeral Home, Chilton, Wisc.
Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, Mich.**
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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