John J. Sperling IV, a Monmouth and Ocean Funeral Directors Association member, died on January 31, 2026. He was 62.

Born in East Orange and raised in Morganville, Jackie was a long-serving funeral director at Laurel Funeral Home in Hazlet, where he worked with his father, John J. Sperling III.

Jackie was fond of the outdoors and could be found hunting, shooting, cooking or just enjoying time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; his children, Nicole and Jack; his father, John J. Sperling III; and his sister, Bonnie Cummings.

Union County is considering merging its medical examiner’s office with the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Newark.

The NRMEO currently serves Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Somerset counties. In 2024, Hudson and Passaic counties were considering leaving the NRMEO by executing a shared services agreement with the Bergen County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The NRMEO recently underwent extensive renovations to fix faulty refrigeration units and other infrastructure issues.

Funeral homes wishing to provide opinions on the Union County merger should contact:

Ed Oatman, County Manager
Union County Administration Building
10 Elizabethtown Plaza
Elizabeth NJ 07207
Telephone: 908.527.4200
Fax: 908.289.0180

The information contained in this column is a report of the actions taken by the board members who were present during the open public session portion of the meeting only. It is not a transcript of the official board minutes or an official record of attendance. It does not address board member attendance or actions taken during the executive session that typically follows the open session and is closed to the public.

February 3, 2026

Members Present

Charles F. Bechtold, CFSP, President; Bruce Van Tassel, Secretary; Rita Alvarez; Gregory Aseltta; Garrett C. Jones; Aladar Komjathy; Eleanor Rudolph.

Executive Staff Present

Quin Archer, Executive Director; Dan Roman, Deputy Attorney General; Nytanio Romulu, Regulatory Analyst.

Public

George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, Samantha L. Link, Jonathan R. Bender, New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, and eight members of the public were present.

Executive Director’s Report

The Board received seven complaints in January for a total of seven complaints received in 2026.

A total of 20 candidates registered for the February 20, 2026 Jurisprudence Examination.

Wall certificates were issued to 33 licensees who were licensed from March 7, 2025 to December 19, 2025.

Applications

There were no applications for the month of January.

Approved Internships

• Charles Chiango III, Egizi Funeral Home
• Jonathan Field, Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home
• Jessica Ferrazzano, Flynn and Sons Funeral Home
• Angelyna Scheck, Scanlan’s Funeral Home

New Licensees

By Application

• Yazen Abdallah
• Michael Bennett
• Dana M. Testa

Licensed by Application for 2026: 3
Licensed by Credentials for 2026: 0

New Funeral Home Registrations

There were no registrations approved in January.

Continuing Education Report

The Board approved the courses listed on the meeting agenda, with several exceptions, and will post the approved courses on the Board’s website under the licensee tab.

Correspondence

• Adam Guziejewski, representing SCI/Dignity Memorial, provided the Board with Assembly Bill 6308, which was introduced on January 2, 2026 by Assemblywoman Ellen Park and co-sponsored Assemblyman Singh. This Act requires the Attorney General to create certain model policies protecting personal freedoms and supplementing Titled 52 of the Revised Statutes. The bill was signed into law on January 20, 2026.
• Dalene Paull, executive director of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, provided a copy of their 2026 budget that was approved by their Board of Directors on December 23, 2025.
• Marc Giorgiantonio, lead Trust administrator, informed the Board that notification letters were prepared for preneed purchasers of record regarding the change of management for the Leonardis Memorial Home. David Chiacchio intends to execute and mail notification letters.
• Marc Giorgiantonio, lead Trust administrator, informed the Board that notification letters were prepared for preneed purchasers of record regarding the change of management for Evergreen Memorial Home. Eugene Santomauro intends to execute and mail notification letters.
• Marc Giorgiantonio, lead Trust administrator, informed the Board that notification letters were prepared for preneed purchasers of record regarding the sale of the Mark C. Tilghman Funeral Home. Mark Tilghman intends to execute and mail notification letters.

Disciplinary Actions

• Vincent Delle Grotti and Joseph Pula have accepted settlement offers by the Board for violation of N.J.A.C. 13:36-10.3 by failing to complete the required 10 continuing education credits for the 2021-2023 licensing period. Mr. Delle Grotti and Mr. Pula have agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $100 per incomplete credit and make up the missing credits within two months of the settlement.

Items for Discussion

Regulatory Analyst Nytanio Romulus was in attendance to discuss the re-adoption of Chapter 36, the mortuary regulations. He advised that while he was aware that the legislative committee of the Board is working on amendments pertaining to the new licensing and natural organic reduction laws, it is important to re-adopt the regulations “as is” and then submit the regulatory changes to accommodate the new laws to prevent any lapse in the regulations.

Mr. Romulus further advised the Board that Governor Mikie Sherrill has placed a 90-day pause on the introduction of any new rules and regulations; however, the readoption of regulations in their existing form would be exempt from the freeze. The Board voted to re-adopt the regulations as is, with one vote in the negative by Eleanor Rudolph.

Public Comment

Al Komjathy noted for the record that former Governor Richard Codey recently died. Komjathy called Governor Codey the last of the old-time politician funeral directors and that he will be missed.

Next Board Meeting

The Board moved into Executive Session at 9:46 a.m. and noted that the next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.

The legislature in Utah is considering the legalization of natural organic reduction, adding another state to the growing number that have either approved the method or are contemplating it.

The measure, S.B. 49, establishes the parameters under which natural organic reduction, often called human composting, could be offered in the state. Like New Jersey, which legalized NOR in 2025, the process would be provided and overseen by a licensed funeral director. The bill is sponsored by Senator Jen Plumb, a Democrat and licensed physician.

Under the Utah proposal, recordkeeping requirements for funeral directors would be updated to include NOR and regulations concerning accepting and using the remains from natural organic reduction would be implemented.

Natural organic reduction is the process of controlled supervised decomposition of a human body resulting in the conversion of human remains into a soil-like product.

The Utah bill passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in January 2026. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

A shooting at a funeral home in Missouri leaves six people injured. Legislators are seeking to establish a new national veterans cemetery in Hawaii. And if you’re looking to have your cremated remains blasted into space, your options are beginning to expand. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Shooting at Missouri Funeral Home Injures Six People
By KY3
Six people were injured when gunshots were fired inside and outside a Ferguson, MO, funeral home as hundreds attended a service for a 19-year-old who was killed while celebrating his birthday. Three people were shot and had non-life-threatening injuries during the incident at Cotten Branch Mortuary, police said. Three others were hurt as mourners scrambled to escape. Read more here.

Hirono, Case, Tokuda Introduce Legislation to Establish New National Veterans Cemetery in Hawaii
By Rafu Shimpo
Three Hawaiian members Congress have introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a new national veterans cemetery in Hawaii. Read more here.

Two Charged in Theft of Nearly 200 Bronze Vases from North Carolina Gravesites
By Goldsboro Daily News
Two North Carolina residents have been charged following an extensive investigation into the theft of bronze vases from gravesites. Between November 2025 and January 2026, approximately 200 bronze vases were reported stolen from graves throughout the cemetery, police said. Read more here.

Bourbon Funeral Home Faces Lawsuit over Handling of Decedent, Alleged $150k Theft
By Annie Kate (ABC 57)
Staff at Indiana funeral home are now defendants in a lawsuit with two major allegations. The first is that a deceased loved one's body was improperly cared for, and the other is that a funeral home employee coerced the plaintiff into letting her control, and ultimately steal, her financial assets. Read more here.

Inside the University of South Florida’s Forensic Anthropology “Buried Bodies” Workshops
By Dakota Galvin (University of South Florida)
At a University of South Florida site in Gainesville, FL, the unmistakable scent of decay lingered in the woods. But it was not a cause for alarm, it was part of a learning experience. The Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science hosted two intensive workshops last December designed for medicolegal professionals, drawing detectives, crime scene personnel, medical examiners, coroners, forensic anthropologists and archaeologists from across the country to the state. Read more here.

What Are Cosmic Burials? New Company Offers Memorial Spaceflights
By Eric Lagatta (USA Today)
Can you send a loved one's remains to space? For those whose final wishes don't include plans for a traditional burial, a cosmic memorial may be the way to go. And if that's a route you or a close friend or relative are considering, your options are steadily expanding. Read more here.

Louisiana Deputy Killed in Crash During Funeral Procession
By Athina Morris (WWL)
A Louisiana sheriff’s deputy was killed in a motorcycle crash while escorting a funeral procession, according to police in New Orleans. Read more here.

TRENDS

Approximately 80 Percent of Americans May Opt for Cremation by 2045
By Andrew Paul (Popular Science)
The casket industry may soon require life support in the United States. According to analysis from the National Funeral Directors Association, cremation is by far the more popular option compared to the traditional burial method. The NFDA estimates around 63 percent of all funerary requests were for cremation in 2025, compared to about 31 percent for casket burials. There’s no indication that the shift will level off anytime soon, either. By 2045, as many as 80 percent of bodies in the United States will be cremated instead of interred in the ground. Read more here.

How End-of-Life Choices Are Reshaping the Deathcare Industry  
By Ronnie Lovler (Main Street Daily News)
When Carolyn Kinnard Ziffer died last March at the age of 93, there was no question about how she wanted her family to handle her death–with a home funeral and natural burial. She had made her wishes known to her family years earlier, and when the time came, her family followed through. Read more here.

Priola

Our sincerest condolences to Morris County Funeral Directors Association member Stephen J. Priola on the death of his mother, Angela M. Priola, who died on January 30, 2026.