2022-23 Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Front row, left to right: Kathy Doran Boyle, Gary Toye, Barbara Kazmierczak, William Chapman, Jay Czelusniak. Back row, left to right: John Vincent, Stephen Gemelli, C.R. Lyons, Brian Folsom, Maggie McNally, John Bresnahan, Paul Hardy, Matthew Mulhane, Ricardo Jean-Charles, Yesenia Patrick, Margaret Nolan, Frederick Dello Russo (Not pictured: Timothy Roy) 

MFDA Welcomes New Board Members, Officers; Honors Individual and Business Milestones

The Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association installed new Officers and Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 28th at the Sheraton Needham hotel. 

John W. Bresnahan, of Devanny-Condron Funeral Home in Pittsfield, accepted the president’s gavel from Barbara Kazmierczak (pictured at right). The rest of the Executive Committee and board for 2022-2023 are:

First Vice President: Brian R. Folsom, Dedham

Second Vice President: Maggie McNally, Clinton

Secretary/Treasurer: Frederick N. Dello Russo Jr., Medford

Immediate Past President: Barbara A. Kazmierczak, Worcester

Past President: Clarence R. Lyons, Danvers

Board of Directors:

Northeast District: Yesenia M. Patrick, Methuen; Paul Hardy, Chelmsford; Kathleen Doran Boyle, Acton.

Eastern District: Ricardo Jean-Charles, Milton; Gary Toye, Brookline.

Worcester District: Stephen F. Gemelli, Worcester; Matthew Mulhane, Millbury.

Southeast District: William Chapman, Jr., Falmouth; John J. Vincent, Jr., Plymouth.

Western District: Jay Czelusniak, Northampton; Timothy Roy, Great Barrington.

MFDA Honors Individual, Business Milestones

The Annual Meeting was followed by MFDA’s Funeral Service Appreciation Night, during which individuals and establishments were recognized for their years of service in the funeral profession. Those honored are as follows:

INDIVIDUALS (years of licensure)

25 years – Todd M. Cheney, Dahlborg MacNevin Funeral Home, Lakeville

30 years – Dino C. Manca, J.S. Waterman Langone Chapel, Boston; Jeff T. Koopman, Hays Funeral Home, Northborough; Rebecca C. Ridley, Davis Funeral Home, Boston.

35 years – Thomas A. Pascucci, Nowak Funeral & Cremation Services, Ludlow; Shannon M. Henry, Britton Funeral Homes, Inc., Shrewsbury and Auburn; Kathleen F. Kane, Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy. 

40 years – John M. Kobuszewski, Cuffe-McGinn Funeral Home, Lynn; Roger T. Walsh, Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy.

50 years – Michael N. Pollard, Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, Methuen.

55 years – Edward J. Keohane, Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy.

59 years – Paul E. Marggraf, Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, Methuen.

60 years – W. Craig Dolan, Dolan Funeral Home, Milton.

BUSINESS MILESTONES

65 years – Nowak Funeral & Cremation Services, Ludlow (Nydia Gallagher)

69 years – Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, Methuen (Rob Chase and Michael Pollard)

75 years – Kraw-Kornack Funeral Home, Norwood (John Kornack)

90 years – Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy (Edward, Dennis & John Keohane)

150 years – Mulhane Home for Funerals, Millbury (Stuart and Matthew Mulhane)

One OSHA Session Left This Month Before Licensing Year Deadline

MFDA is offering one more OSHA Training Webinar this month to help you complete your OSHA requirement prior to the license renewal deadline of Oct. 31. The sessions take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25th.

OSHA training is required for all licensed funeral home staff and apprentices, as well as Massachusetts Registered Funeral Home Assistants. 

The cost for MFDA members is $125 per funeral establishment per session. There is no limit to how many staff from your funeral home participate in any given session.

Expand Your Embalming Skills and Expand Your Professional Network!  Join Us October 18th

MFDA will hold its 2022 Professional Embalmers Session on Tuesday, Oct. 18 in Waltham. The seminar will take place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Conference Center as the Massachusetts Medical Society in Waltham.

Whether you are early in your embalming career or a seasoned professional, this seminar offers something for you. Led by nationally renowned embalming educator Matt Smith, it provides a comprehensive review of the most common problems embalmers encounter every day. Smith will cover restoring natural contour, handling difficult cases, artery selection and choosing the right instruments.  Smith will cover restoring natural contour, handling difficult cases, artery selection and choosing the right instruments.

The Professional Embalmers Session is designed for those who want to meet one of the country’s leading funeral service professors, network with other embalming professionals, and learn from this talented community.

Advance registration is required and we anticipate this session will sell out. The program includes 4 CEUs and dinner.

Private Equity Investing in Funeral Industry

A small but growing percentage of the funeral home industry - and the broader death care market - is being gobbled up by private equity-backed firms attracted by high profit margins, predictable income, and the eventual deaths of tens of millions of baby boomers.