2014 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Awards: Funeral Homes Honored for Excellence in Service to Families and Communities

Funeral Industry News Funeral Industry Press Releases August 25, 2014
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2014 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Awards: Funeral Homes Honored for Excellence in Service to Families and Communities

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that 151 funeral homes have earned the 2014 Pursuit of Excellence Award. The Award is presented by NFDAannually 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.

 

“The funeral homes that have earned the Pursuit of Excellence Award represent the very best in of our profession and are committed to exceeding expectations every day,” said Robert L. “Robby” Bates, CFSP, CCP, president of NFDA. “We offer our heartiest congratulations to this year’s award recipients; we are proud to count them as members of NFDA.”

 

To earn an NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a funeral home must demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, such as compliance with state and federal regulations; providing ongoing education and professional development opportunities for staff; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement in the community; participating and actively serving in 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 formally honor the 2014 Pursuit of Excellence Award Recipients on October 13 during the All-Star Recognition Ceremony during the 2014 NFDA International Convention & Expo. The 2014 NFDA Convention will take place October 13-15 in Nashville, Tenn.

 

Information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence program can be found by visiting www.nfda.org/pursuitofexcellence. Registration and application materials for 2015 will be available in October 2014.

 

Best of the Best Award Recipients

In addition to receiving the 2014 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, four funeral homes earned the Best of the Best Award, which recognizes the development and execution of an innovative program or service that had a positive impact on the families and communities they serve.

  • Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe, La.
  • Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Traverse City, Mich.
  • Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, Tenn.
  • Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn.

 

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 will be inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence in 2014.

  • Cozine Memorial Group, Wichita, Kan.
  • Glende-Nilson Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Fergus Falls, Minn.
  • Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, Little Rock, Ark.
  • Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, Conway, Ark.

2014 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award Recipients

*Previously inducted into the NFDA Hall of Excellence

**First-time award recipients

  • A.H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.*
  • A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, Troy, Mich.*
  • A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, Decatur, Ga.*
  • Abels & French Hand Funeral Homes, Grundy Center, Iowa
  • Adair Funeral Homes, Tucson, Ariz.*
  • Anderson-Burris Funeral Home & Crematory, Enid, Okla.
  • Arlington Memorial Chapels Inc., Quezon City, Philippines
  • Arnett & Steele Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Pineville, Ky.*
  • Arrington Funeral Directors, Jackson, Tenn.
  •  Baird Funeral Home, Troy, Ohio*
  • Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services, White Plains, N.Y.
  • Baskerville Funeral Home, Coal City, Ill.
  • Bass Funeral Home Inc., Gordonsville, Tenn.
  • Bates Family Funeral Home, De Kalb, Texas
  • Bayliff & Son Funeral Home Inc., Cridersville, Ohio
  • Branch Funeral Home Inc., Smithtown, N.Y.
  • Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, Hammond, LA.
  • Brunswick Memorial Home, East Brunswick, N.J.
  • Burritt Hill Funeral Home, New Britain, Conn.
  • Butler Funeral Home, Bolivar, Mo.**
  • Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home Inc., Covington, Ga.
  • Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, McDonough, Ga.
  • Carlson Funeral Service Inc., Rhinelander, Wisc.*
  • Carmon Community Funeral Homes, Windsor, Conn.*
  • Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral and Cremation Service Inc., Alliance, Ohio*
  • Chancellor Funeral Home, Florence, Miss.**
  • Copeland Funeral Service, Beaufort, S.C.**
  • Coston Funeral Homes Inc., Pittsburgh, Penn.
  • Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory, Farmington, Mo.*
  • Cozine Memorial Group, Wichita, Kan.
  • David C. Brown Funeral Home, Belleville, Mich.*
  • Davis Funeral Home, Nashua, N.H.*
  • Deiters Funeral Home & Crematory, Washington, Ill.
  • DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, Columbia City, Ind.*
  • Deseret Memorial Mortuary, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, East Hartford, Conn.*
  • D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield. Conn.*
  • Dobratz-Hantge Chapel, Hutchinson, Minn.*
  • Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Homes, Pickerington, Ohio*
  • E. Blake Collins Funeral Home, Wilkes Barre, Penn.
  • Eggers Funeral Home and Crematory, Chesnee, S.C.*
  • Evergreen Mortuary, Cemetery & Crematory, Tucson, Ariz.*
  • Falco, Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home, Pennsauken, N.J.
  • Feeney Funeral Home, Ridgewood, N.J.*
  • Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, Md.*
  • French Funeral Home, Brazil, Ind.*
  •  Funeraria San Vicente S.A., Medellin, Colombia
  • Gamble Funeral Service, Savannah, Ga.
  • Gardinier Funeral Home Inc., Franklin, Penn.
  • Garnand Funeral Home Inc., Garden City, Kan.*
  • Geisen-Carlisle Funeral and Cremation Services, Michigan City, Ind.
  • Glende-Nilson Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Fergus Falls, Minn.
  • Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing, Mich.*
  • Gunerson Funeral & Cremation Care, Madison, Wisc.*
  • Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland, Fla.
  • Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory, Pekin, Ill.*
  • Heritage Funeral & Cremation Services – Indian Trail Chapel, Indian Trail, N.C.
  • Heritage Funeral & Cremation Services – Weddington Chapel, Matthews, N.C.
  • Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Spokane, Wash.*
  • Heritage Funeral Home, Nipawin, SK, Canada
  • Herman-Taylor Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.**
  • Holladay Cottonwood Mortuary, Holladay, Utah
  • Holman-Howe Funeral Home, Lebanon, Mo.
  • Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, Conn.
  • Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home, Pennsauken, N.J.**
  • Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home, Litchfield, Minn.
  • Jones & Son Funeral Home, Richton, Miss.
  • Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Douglasville, Ga.
  • Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Villa Rica, Ga.*
  • Joseph Vertin & Sons Funeral Home, Breckenridge, Minn.*
  • Kerrville Funeral Home Inc., Kerrville, Texas *
  • Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe, La.*
  • Kimble Funeral Home Inc., Junction, Texas
  • Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Hamburg, N.Y.
  • Lentz Funeral Home, Algona, Iowa
  • Limestone Chapel Funeral Home, Athens, Ala.**
  • Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, Athens, Ga.
  • Lyons Funeral Home, Danvers, Mass.
  • Marrocco Memorial Chapel, Clifton, N.J.
  • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services (Fairgrove), Mount Morris, Mich.*
  • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services, Vassar, Mich.*
  • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services, Mount Morris, Mich.*
  • Memorial Funeral Home, Edinburg, Texas*
  • Memorial Funeral Home, San Juan, Texas*
  • Mercer-Adams Funeral Service, Bethany, Okla.**
  • Merkle Funeral Service Inc., Monroe, Mich.
  • Michaelson Funeral Home, Owatonna, Minn.**
  • Milward Funeral Directors, Lexington, Ky.*
  • Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, Madison, Ind.**
  • Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chesterfield, Va.
  • Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick, N.J.**
  • Murray Memorial Mortuary, Salt Lake City, Utah*
  • Myers Mortuary – Brigham City, Brigham City, Utah *
  • Myers Mortuary – Ogden, Ogden, Utah *
  • Myers Mortuary of Layton, Layton, Utah *
  • Myers Roy Mortuary, Roy, Utah *
  • Newington Memorial Funeral Home, Newington, Utah *
  • North Little Rock Funeral Home, a Smith Funeral Home, North Little Rock, Ark.**
  • O’Brien Funeral Home, Brick, N.J.
  • O’Brien Funeral Home, Wall Township, N.J.
  • O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Homes, Kearney, Neb.
  • Oceanside Memorial Home, Lake Como, N.J.**
  • Ochiltree Funeral Service & Aftercare, Winterset, Iowa*
  • O’Guinn Family Funeral Homes, Clio, Mich.*
  • Old Bridge Funeral Home, Old Bridge, N.J.
  • Oliverie Funeral Home, Manchester, N.J.**
  • Olson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Sheboygan, Wisc.
  • Panebaker Funeral Home Inc, Hanover, Penn.
  • Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home, East Pittsburgh, Penn.*
  • Pixley Funeral Home – Rochester, Rochester, Mich.*
  • Pray Funeral Home Inc., Charlotte, Mich.*
  • Radney’s 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.*
  • Robertaccio Funeral Home Inc., Patchogue, N.Y.*
  • Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, Little Rock, Ark.
  • Roller-Crouch Funeral Home, Batesville, Ark.
  • Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy, Ark.
  • Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, Conway, Ark.
  • Roller-Owens Funeral Home, North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Routsong Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Kettering, Ohio*
  • Sanderson Funeral Homes Inc., Carthage, Tenn.*
  • Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home Inc., Munhall, Penn.
  • Sharer-Stirling-Skivolocke Funeral Home, Alliance, Ohio
  • Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, Fairfield, Conn.
  • Smith Family Mortuary, Derby, Kan.
  • Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, Tenn.*
  • Spencer Family Funeral Home, Athens, Mich.*
  • St. Peter Chapels, Manila, Philippines
  • Staab Polk Memorial Home/Cremation Services of Central Illinois, Chatham, Ill.*
  • Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton, Tenn.
  • Thomas McAfee Funeral Home Northwest, Greenville, S.C.
  • Thomas McAfee Funeral Home Southeast, Simpsonville, S.C.**
  • Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes , Greenville, S.C.
  • Tom M. Wages Funeral Service LLC – Lawrenceville Chapel, Lawrenceville, Ga.
  • Tom M. Wages Funeral Service LLC – Snellville Chapel, Snellville, Ga.
  • Twiford Memorial Chapel, Elizabeth City, N.C.*
  • Waid Funeral Home, Merrill, Wisc.
  • Waitt Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Morganville, N.J.
  • Wappner Funeral Directors, Mansfield, Ohio*
  • Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Weeks’ Enumclaw Funeral Home, Enumclaw, Wash.
  • Weeks’ Funeral Home, Buckley, Wash.
  • Wieting Family Funeral Home, Chilton, Wisc.
  • Williamson Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Franklin, Tenn.**
  • Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, Mich.*
  • Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Utica, Utica, Mich.*
  • Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home and Crematory, Fremont, Ohio
  • Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn.

 

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 19,700 individual members who represent more than 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and 39 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.