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.

October 16, 2025

Members Present

Paul Desbiens, Chair; Debbie Santangelo, Vice Chair; Linda McGloin; Jeffrey Kasko; Rabbi Jay Kornsgold; Anthony Menafro.

Staff Present

Quin Archer, Executive Director; Wendy Faulk, Deputy Attorney General, Nicole Parelli, Regulatory Analyst.

Public

George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, Samantha L. Link and Jonathan R. Bender, New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, and 15 other members of the public were present.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

The Board approved the minutes of the August 21, 2025 meeting with a technical amendment to the FYI section.

Total number of complaints received in August/September: 11

Total number of complaints received in 2025: 47

The Board is not scheduled to meet in November; however, Executive Director Quin Archer requested that members consider meeting on November 13, 2025 due to recent extensive agendas. The Board voted to schedule an additional meeting for November 13.

Old Business

St. Stephens Episcopal Cemetery (CA#228) requested to have its name changed to St. Stephens Cemetery or St. Stephens Cemetery and Mausoleum on its Certificate of Authority. They are an all-faith cemetery and wish to amend the previously registered name as they believe it will help their business. The Board voted to permit the name change to “St. Stephens Cemetery and Mausoleum” and to maintain the cemetery’s Certificate of Authority as CA#228. They will also be advised to retitle the M&P fund to reflect the approved name change.

Mercer Cemetery at Trenton (CA#266) wants to form a separate nonprofit entitled, “Friends of Mercer Cemetery” to raise money for the cemetery. In compliance with the law, the Board rejected the use of the word “cemetery” in the title of the nonprofit entity and advised them to develop a new name that does not include the word cemetery.

Assembly bill 4085 was enacted on September 11, 2025. Regulatory Analyst Nicole Parelli advised the Board that its responsibility in the bill is to develop and maintain a list of cemeteries willing to accept the product of natural organic reduction. Executive Director Archer requested that the Board put together a committee to discuss possible regulations surrounding the bill.

All six bulk sales were moved to Executive Session.

• Mount Prospect Cemetery Company (CA#128) to Al-Amin Jame Masjid and Islamic Center, Inc. (250 plots)
• Mount Prospect Cemetery Company (CA#128) to Mymensingh Abroad USA, Inc. (50 plots)
• Mount Prospect Cemetery Company (CA#128) to Sandwip Society USA, Inc. (304 plots)
• Mount Prospect Cemetery Company (CA#128) to Sandwip Society USA, Inc. (500 plots)
• Restland Memorial Park t/d/b/a Eternal Sunset Memorial Park and Cemetery (CA#117) to Albanian American Cultural Center (295 plots)
• Restland Memorial Park t/d/b/a Eternal Sunset Memorial Park and Cemetery (CA#117) to National Islamic Association Inc (57 plots)
  

New Business

• Laurel Grove Cemetery Company (CA#030) wishes to transfer M&P trust funds to another cemetery under its corporate ownership due to a bulk sale organization desiring to purchase in a different cemetery. DAG Wendy Faulk advised that given Laurel Grove Cemetery and Eternal Sunset Cemetery have two separate Certificates of Authority and two separate M&P funds the Board could not approve the transfer. Chairman Desbiens  suggested that both cemeteries consider handling this as a repurchase of graves by Laurel Grove and a new bulk purchase in Eternal Sunset and to provide the Board with a different more acceptable solution than simply transferring M&P funds.
• Fair View Cemetery (CA#075) applied for a municipal site plan approval to construct a new entrance and expand the cemetery on wooded land currently within the cemetery’s boundaries. With the Board having involved itself in the initial zoning process, Fair View has requested a letter of approval or a letter of no interest from the Board so that Middletown Township can issue final permits. The Board voted to send a letter of the Board’s affirmative support of the development of the cemetery property.
• Old Tennent Church Cemetery (CA#201) requests to change its name to Old Tennent Cemetery. The Board voted to approve the request. The Board voted to permit the name change to “Old Tennent Cemetery,” and to maintain the cemetery’s Certificate of Authority as CA#201. They will also be advised to re-title the M&P fund to reflect the approved name change.
• Senate Bill 4497 would set standards and penalties for use or publication of expunged records. Regulatory Analyst Parelli requested the Board’s position on the bill. After discussion of the matter, the Board voted to remain neutral on the bill.
• Bulk Sale: Greenwood Cemetery Association (CA#028) requesting an addendum to contract the bulk sale to Brooklyn on Fun Association USA, Inc. (500 plots). This item was moved to Executive Session.

Public Comment

Larry Dworkin asked if it is incumbent upon the Board to ensure that Beth Israel Cemetery has the proper funds and personnel to maintain the graves for which they sold perpetual care maintenance. The Board indicated that they were in receipt of the correspondence from Mr. Dworkin and would respond when the investigation was complete.

Michael Baratta from Mount Prospect Cemetery asked why bulk sales are being moved to Executive Session and delayed, in many instances for more than two years. Chairman Desbiens stated they were moved to Executive Session for advice of counsel.

Harvy Billinger also inquired about bulk sales being moved to Executive Session and asked if the Board will return with the outcome of any decisions made today. Chairman Desbiens advised that they would not be returning to public session today and would advise them of any decisions via a letter.

Mike Elliott, counsel for Park Lawn, stated that they have submitted everything the Board has asked for and are still awaiting a decision from the Board on its request for bulk sales. Board member Linda McGloin stated that there are procedures that they need to abide by and that process can take time.

Samantha L. Link offered the Board the support of the NJSFDA in answering any questions pertaining to the newly signed natural organic reduction law as they promulgate their regulations.

There being no further public business, the Board adjourned at 10:40 a.m. its Public Session until November 13, 2025 and entered Executive Session.

Increasing numbers of funeral directors are having issues with medical certifiers who are either refusing to sign or delaying signing death certificates.

To help its members, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, with the help of the State Board of Medical Examiners, is providing a helpful guide to dealing with a reluctant medical certifier.

Depending on where the decedent died, there are different procedures, so please read this information carefully and print it out for reference.

Should a funeral director experience significant delays/issues with a medical certifier signing a death certificate and the decedent died in a long-term care facility, contact 609.376.9471.

Please be advised, the Board of Medical Examiners does not maintain a public contact name for this office.

The following are considered long-term care facilities:

• Alternate family care
• Nursing home
• Residential facility
• Sub-acute care facility
• Assisted living program
• Assisted living or comprehensive personal care home
• Intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disability
• Adult/pediatric day health services

Should a funeral director experience significant delays/issues with a medical certifier signing a death certificate and the decedent died in an Acute Care Facility, please contact:

Julie Trott RN 609.292.9900
Health Care Services Evaluator/Nurse
Department of Health
120 S. Stockton Street, Lower Level
Trenton, NJ 08611

The following are considered acute care facilities:

• Hospital (general acute care as well as psychiatric, specialized and rehabilitation hospitals) and long-term acute care
• Ambulatory care facility
• Home health agency
• End-stage renal disease facility (dialysis center)
• Hospice

In the event you are unsuccessful in securing them via these phone numbers, please contact the Department of Health Hotline at 800.792.9770.

Should a death occur not at one of these types of facilities and the medical certifier is delaying/refusing to sign the death certificate, you should contact the BME.

Prior to reaching out to the BME, Funeral Directors MUST submit a State Board of Medical Examiners Complaint Form to bmecomplaint@dca.njoag.gov. Calls will not be made to physicians without the submission of this form. Please ensure that the EDRS number; name of the physician; the deceased name and date of birth are included in the complaint.

You may contact the BME Call Center Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at 609.826.7100 and speak with a representative who will immediately forward the information to the Complaints Unit.

All matters received after 3:00 p.m. will be addressed on the next business day. Prior to contacting the BME, all efforts must be made to resolve the matter before filing a complaint. For emergent issues, you may contact Sha’Ron Williams at 609.954.4743.

Funeral directors are advised to fill out the BME complaint form for all cases where a medical certifier has either refused to sign or delayed the signing of a death certificate.

The owners of a damaged Texas mortuary have been charged with multiple counts of abuse of corpse following an investigation that found more than a dozen decomposing bodies in the closed facility.

State officials had inspected Richardson Mortuary in Houston in April 2025 following complaints about the conditions there and found 13 bodies there, one of which was “largely liquified,” according to a KTRK article. Michael Richardson and Gayle Bell, who formerly were married and still own the facility, were charged recently with the felonies.

Richardson’s attorney said his client, who had been hospitalized, was “devastated” by the case, according to a KHOU article. The attorney said someone else had been operating the mortuary, which had been damaged during Hurricane Beryl in 2024. The building had no air conditioning and the corpse there had been left to the elements, law enforcement officials said.

Officials are currently seeking to identify the remains and contact all the families involved. In addition to the 13 bodies, approximately 70 sets of cremated remains were found as well.

The case in Texas is the third recent incident where bodies were found stashed in funeral homes in western states. In August, a Las Vegas, NV, funeral home was ordered to cease operations after an investigation found several bodies that the owner had failed to cremate in a timely manner.

Also in August, approximately 20 bodies were found behind a hidden door in a Pueblo, CO, funeral home. Those bodies were also awaiting cremation, and authorities said the owner admitted giving fake cremated remains to the next of kin. Colorado, which still operates under lax regulations, has been plagued by several high-profile cases of egregious offenses by funeral home owners.

New measures requiring licensing of funeral directors and more rigorous oversight of funeral homes have been signed into law, but those laws will not take effect until 2027.

The Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office has established new hours for the transfer of remains into the custody of funeral homes.

Effective Monday, October 13, 2025 the office will handle transfers between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Funeral directors wishing to make transfers from the Morris County office must have a signed release in their possession. That release can be found here.

The Morris County medical examiner handles cases in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties.

A coffin made of seaweed? One woman built one in order to get over her fear of death. A funeral in Nigeria can be expensive, but not for the reasons you would expect. And a priest delivering funeral rites in Ghana scolds a mourner who told him to speed it up. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

Catholic Ministries That Inter Abandoned Cremated Remains Are about “Honoring the Dead”
By Peter Finney Jr. (OSV News)
 A funeral urn filled with ashes was found abandoned in 2022 on a park bench in Tennessee, more than 1,000 miles east of Minneapolis, MN. As Jamie Moloney, director of pastoral outreach for the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, recalls the family odyssey her staff helped resolve, she realizes the spiritual and emotional significance of the archdiocese’s “Bringing Them Home” initiative that provides a proper Catholic burial for cremains that long have been forgotten on a mantel, inside a dark closet or tucked away in a storage unit. Or, in this case, plopped on a park bench. Read more here.

This Woman Created Her Own “Cocoon Coffin” Made of Seaweed
By Good Good Good
Leksi Kostur addressed social media viewers with a bold statement: “I created my own coffin to get over my fear of death.” While most might have their own existential concerns about the unknown, Kostur wanted to face her feelings head on and through her work as a biodesigner. Read more here.

I Hosted My Own “Living Funeral”
By Business Insider
When my mom and I saw the silver gown in the store window, I knew I had to buy it. I hadn't gotten married in a fancy white dress. And I'd missed my high school prom. But I was about to attend the most important party of my life, and I wanted to look as glamorous as possible. It might sound morbid, but I was determined to make a statement at my living funeral. Read more here.

Long Island, NY, Highway Officer Seriously Injured During Funeral Procession
By Carolyn Gusoff (CBS News New York)
A Long Island, NY, highway officer was seriously injured in an accident during a funeral procession. One of the Nassau County officers leading the motorcade was struck by a pickup truck moments after pulling out of the church in Lindenhurst. Read more here.

Rewilding Death: Interest Grows in Green Burial Options
By Tim Rowland (Adirondack Explorer)
The Spirit Sanctuary burial grounds in the town of Essex, NY, is proof there is life after death. Located in a secluded patch of old farmland on a back road where two cars might pass in an hour, it is lonely only in human terms. Read more here.

A Funeral in Nigeria Celebrates Life and Grapples with Some Ugly Realities
By NPR
In many parts of Nigeria, funerals are often huge celebrations of life, but they can also involve some painful and unwelcome demands. Listen to the report here.

Petition for Burial in Shroud to the National Assembly in Quebec, Canada
By the Canadian Press
A political party in Quebec, Canada, is sponsoring a petition for the right to be buried in a shroud, a method traditionally favored by Muslims and Jews and considered more environmentally friendly. In Quebec, it is illegal to bury a body in a shroud. Indeed, the Regulations for the Funeral Activities Act stipulate that “for any burial, the body must be placed in a coffin in such a way as to prevent leakage and allow for safe handling of the body.” Read more here.

Pastor Blasts Mourner for Telling Him to Speed up the Burial Service
By Emmanuel Jacob Amissah (Modern Ghana)
A solemn funeral service turned dramatic when a Ghanian pastor lost his temper after a mourner interrupted proceedings during the burial of a church member. In a video circulating on social media, a sympathizer was heard urging the pastor to hasten the church’s final rites so that others could perform their own ceremonies before leaving the cemetery. Read more here.

Glenn Albert “Skip” DeBow Jr., a member of the Monmouth and Ocean Funeral Directors Association, died on October 9, 2025. He was 94.

A lifelong Ocean County resident, Skip was a graduate of the American Academy of Funeral Service in New York City, earning his mortuary license there. He opened the Glenn A. DeBow Funeral Home in 1966 and the DeBow Brookwood Memorial Home in 1970. Both funeral homes were located in Jackson. He and his wife, Dee, operated the funeral homes until their retirement in 1992.

He was a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.

A U.S. Army veteran, Skip also belonged to a large number of civic organizations in Ocean County, often serving in leadership roles. He was a past president of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and was a longtime member of the Lakewood Elks Lodge. Skip was honored by several organizations for his philanthropic efforts over the years.

Those wishing to make a donation in Skip's memory may do so to the American Red Cross, PO Box 7101, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702.