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.

December 16, 2025

Members Present

Charles F. Bechtold, CFSP, President; Bruce Van Tassel, Secretary; Rita Alvarez; Gregory Aseltta; Peter Chubenko; Garrett C. Jones; Aladar Komjathy; Curtis Macysyn; Eleanor Rudolph; Kara Whigham.

Executive Staff Present

Quin Archer, Executive Director; Dan Roman, Deputy Attorney General; Dan Hewitt, Deputy Attorney General.

Public

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

Executive Director’s Report

The Board received 11 complaints in October/November for a total of 52 complaints received in 2025.

A total of 14 candidates passed and eight failed the October 17, 2025 Jurisprudence Examination.

Applications

• Tiffany Wood – Credential Application: This application was approved by the Board.
• Isabelle Morris – Credential Application: President Bechtold advised the Board that Ms. Morris has yet to complete the educational requirements for licensure and has sent a letter to Ms. Morris advising her that she must complete the remaining educational credits prior to submitting her application.
• Jessica Ferranzo – Intern Application: This application was approved by the Board.

Approved Internships

• Aldo Alonso, Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral & Cremation Service, LLC
• Ryan Ayars, Cheega Funeral Home
• Kaleigh Bird, Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home
• Londina Bobodowns, Anderson Funeral Service
• Matthew Cardoso, O’Boyle Funeral Home
• Breanna Daly, Ocean County Cremation Service
• Xochitl Estrada, Rowe Funeral Home
• Colton Hoffman, Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home
• Will Lavarin Jr., Lavarin’s Funeral Home Inc.
• Alexis Lyde, Woody Home for Services
• Ramez Malak, Ruby Memorial Funeral & Cremation Services
• Jessica Malangone, Bailey Funeral Home
• Scottie Feng, Aloia Funeral Home Inc.

New Licensees

By Application

• Stephanie Feliciano
• Anthony Thomas

By Credentials

• Ezra Ashkenazie
• Gabrielle Carrea
• Antonio Cefalo
• Joel Schumacher

Licensed by Application for 2025: 20
Licensed by Credentials for 2025: 9

New Funeral Home Registrations

There were no registrations approved in October or November.

The Board has registered no mortuaries in October and November and 23 mortuaries in 2025.

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

In receipt of the pre-filed introduction of Senate Bill No. 1597, which is sponsored by Senator Andrew Zwicker (D-16) and would allow health care professionals located outside of New Jersey to provide services using telemedicine and telehealth to New Jersey patients. The Board voted to take no position on this legislation.

In receipt of the pre-filed introduction of Senate Bill No. 2269, which is sponsored by Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-22) and requires stipends for certain members of boards, commissions, committees, and other public entities. The Board voted to support this legislation.

In receipt of Senate Bill No. 3700, which was introduced on September 30, 2024, by Senator Joseph Vitale (D-19) and establishes act of disseminating misinformation as professional misconduct for healthcare professionals. The Board voted to take no position on this legislation.

In receipt of the First Reprint of Senate Bill No. 3882, which was initially introduced on November 18, 2024, by Senator Joseph Cryan (D-20) and Robert Singer (R-30), which would require retention of funds collected by Department of Banking and Insurance and certain professional boards. Deputy Attorney General Dan Roman explained that the bill would keep funds raised by the Board within the Board. The Board voted to support this legislation.

American Board of Funeral Service Education Executive Director, Robert Smith III, informed the Board that on October 24 and 25, 2025 committee members of the ABFSE acted against numerous funeral services and mortuary science education programs.

The Board was also in receipt of a handout regarding the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association open nomination for seats on its Board of Directors.

Disciplinary Actions

The following licensees accepted Settlement Offers for violations of N.J.A.C.13:36-10.3, failure to complete the minimum requirement of 10 continuing education credits for the 2021-2023 licensing period. Each licensee was ordered to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $100 per incomplete credit, up to $1,000, and make up the missing credits within two months of the settlement offer: Krystal Lynn DeMasse, Christopher Hoffman, Rayna Hewitt, Randy Goldy, Robert Jablonski, Brian Munczinski, Frank Lettera, Michelle Primo, Edgar Peppler Jr., Charles Musso, Theodore Oszczakiewicz Jr., Marla Russo, Jodie Santangelo, Stephen Szczubelek, Edward Simmonds, Elizabeth Perry-Moore Tisdale, Phillip Vessa, George H. Wimberg Jr., Meghan Spezzi and Steven Letso.

A Settlement Offer with John K. Baltz, manager of Godfrey Funeral Home of Palermo, was filed with the Board on September 11, 2025, for the violation of N.J.A.C.13:36-1.9. The violation occurred when a funeral home employee failed to supply the decedent’s family with the Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected. Baltz, as manager, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $250 for the firm’s violation.

A Settlement Offer with Robert Brown Jr., Manager of Chapels of Eden Funeral Home, was filed with the Board on September 17, 2025, for the violation of N.J.A.C.13:36-4.6A (a) and (b). The violation occurred when the funeral home failed to timely renew the certificate of registration for the Chapels of Eden Funeral Home for the 2023-2025 registration period and continued to perform services. Manager Robert Brown Jr. agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $750 for this violation. Additionally, the Board reviewed a funeral file which failed to include a cremation authorization form which violates N.J.A.C. 13:36-1.9 for failing to maintain full and accurate records. Brown will pay an additional civil penalty in the amount of $500 for this violation.

A Final Order of Discipline for Rudolph Kindel was filed with the Board on September 25, 2025, for the violation of N.J.S.A..45:7-72.1, N.J.A.C..13:36-10.3(a) and N.J.C.A. 13:36-10.10 (b). Kindel answered “No” to the question regarding completing the required ten continuing education credits for the 2019-2021 licensing period. When the Board requested an explanation as to why he did not complete the credits, Kindel failed to respond to the Board. Kindel then responded “Yes” to completing the credits for the 2021-2023 licensing period, but when the Board requested documentation of those credits, Kindel failed to respond.

The Board found that Kindel is in violation of N.J.S.A. 45:7-72.1, N.J.A.C. 13:36-10.3(a) and 13:36-10.10(b) and is subject to disciplinary action. Kindel’s license to practice mortuary science in New Jersey has been suspended until further order of the Board. He has been reprimanded for misrepresenting the continuing education information on his 2023 license renewal application and has been assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $500 for failing to cooperate with the Board’s investigation.

A Settlement Offer with Han Ik Son, manager of Blessing Funeral Home, was filed with the Board on September 26, 2025, for the violation of N.J.A.C.13:36-4.6A (b). The violation occurred when Son failed to renew his practitioner’s license for the 2023-2025 licensing period triggering an automatic suspension of the certificate of registration for the funeral home and continued to perform seven funerals prior to the registration being reinstated. Son has agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $1,750 for the violation.

Public Comment

Board member Al Komjathy questioned what regulation N.J.A.C. 13:36-10.3 was regarding given the many disciplinary actions reported out at the meeting specific to that one regulation. President Bechtold and Executive Director Archer advised that these violations were uncovered during the audit of licensees continuing education credits for the 2021-2023 licensing period.

Rudolph Luisi II recently passed his National Board Exam but his internship expired in 2021. Board staff has informed him that he must restart his entire internship due to the amount of lapsed time since expiration. Mr. Luisi passed the National Board Exam and asked if he could just take the practical or participate in some form of a partial internship as it is his last step towards licensure. President Bechtold informed him that the Board would need to take the matter into Executive Session for advice of counsel. Garrett C. Jones recommended that Mr. Luisi submit a letter to the Board outlining all details of his internship so they can have a greater understanding of the matter to decide what steps are necessary for licensure.

Jones reminded the public that there are only a few weeks left to renew their funeral home registrations.

President Bechtold asked NJSFDA Executive Director and CEO George R. Kelder Jr., CFSP, about Senate Bill No. 3022, which would allow for the tracking of unclaimed veterans cremains to ensure they are buried with dignity after 13 months of remaining unclaimed. Kelder advised that the bill, which has been circulating for many years, is gaining traction and that the NJSFDA was able to amend the bill to automate this process through EDRS alleviating any additional manual burden on the funeral directors and the State.

Rita Alvarez asked Kelder with the State moving away from its EDRS migration to VERI-NJ, if there is there a plan in place to make any upgrades to the existing EDRS system. Kelder advised that the State is undergoing a process to migrate EDRS to the Lexis Nexis platform, utilized by other states, and that upon implementation should incorporate many of the upgrades that were planned for the VERI transition.

Next Board Meeting

The Board moved into Executive Session at 10:10 a.m. and noted that the next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.

New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association members are reminded that their mortuary Certificate of Registration must be renewed, and the $700 fee received, by the state no later than December 31, 2025 for the 2025-2027 licensing period.

Failure to renew mortuary registrations in a timely fashion will result in automatic suspension of the registration on January 1, 2026. If a funeral home continues to engage in the practice of mortuary science or continues to offer services to the public with a suspended certificate of registration, the manager will be considered by the State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey to be engaging in the unauthorized practice of mortuary science and subject to additional fines and penalties.

All funeral homes should have received correspondence from the state approximately three to four weeks ago reminding licensees to renew their mortuary registration online by the end of the year.

Funeral homes that may not have received notification or have misplaced their instructions should immediately contact the Mortuary Board via email at MortuaryScience@dca.njoag.gov.

A man with autism is suing a Bergen County church, claiming he was heckled at his father’s funeral and denied reasonable accommodations. Two British funeral directors are facing jail time after being convicted of fraud and failing to organize a proper burial for a decedent. And what are the seven words you shouldn’t say to a grieving family member? A columnist discusses them. These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

I Was Heckled at My Dad’s Funeral, NJ Man with Autism Says in Lawsuit
By Anthony G. Attrino (NJ Advance Media)
A man with autism filed a discrimination lawsuit against a church in Bergen County, claiming he was barred from his father’s funeral, then heckled over his disability when he showed up. Read more here.

California Mortuary Accused of Mistakenly Giving Man His Son’s Brain in Bag
By Amy Larson (KRON)
A San Jose, CA, mortuary business and funeral director have been accused of giving a grieving father a bag with his son’s brain erroneously placed in it, according to a newly filed lawsuit. The family is suing Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel in San Jose, Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, and a licensed funeral director for allegedly mishandling human remains. Read more here.

Mom, 54, Found Alive in Morgue After Being Pronounced Dead Following Seizure
By Gabrielle Rockson (People)
A mother from England was reportedly found alive in a morgue after she was incorrectly thought to be dead. Olive Martin, 54, collapsed in her kitchen in Darlington, Yorkshire, after she made toast and suffered from a seizure, according to United Kingdom newspapers. Instead of being taken to the emergency room, Martin was transported to Darlington Hospital Mortuary, where she was discovered to still be alive. The incident, which happened in 2023, is now the subject of court proceedings. Read more here.

Mortuary Demolished over Organ Harvesting Suspicions
By MSN
A state government in Nigeria demolished a hospital Mortuary following the discovery of some mutilated and unidentified corpses at the facility during an inspection recently. Read more here.

Funeral Directors Told They Face Jail after Decomposing Bodies Found in Mortuary
By William Hallowell (Metro)
Two funeral directors in the United Kingdom have been convicted of preventing the decent burial of a body and fraud offences. Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, could face jail time after a decomposing body was found in their mortuary room. Read more here.

OPINION

I Lost My Dad. These Are the Seven Words I Wish I'd Never Been Told at His Funeral
By Carly Midgley (Yahoo!)
The people who surrounded me seemed as helpless as I was, uncertain how to proceed regardless of whether they’d known him. Sometimes, their attempts at comfort made a difference: A walk around the funeral home with a friend who let me talk as long as I wanted, or a family friend sharing what they remembered of my father’s youth, helped pull me to the surface of my grief just long enough to breathe. Other times, however, the people I spoke to were so filled with awkwardness about death, or with eagerness to fix it for me, that the exchanges turned prescriptive (“It’ll take two years before you feel normal again,” a co-worker told me with absurd confidence) or unbearably presumptuous. Read more here.

The administration of President Donald J. Trump is reversing course on a 2024 assessment that could have paved the way to severe restrictions on the use of formaldehyde in various industries.

The revisions to the federal Environmental Protection Agency Draft Risk Assessment, released during the waning days of the administration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr., assumes that there are safe levels of formaldehyde exposure and that “sensory irritation” is the main danger from the chemical.

The revised assessment does not change the conclusion that formaldehyde presents an “unreasonable risk of injury” from exposure, but it does argue that the risk of cumulative danger from prolonged exposure is not as great as previously assessed.

“Managing risks from acute sensory irritation will be protective against other health effects, including cancer,” a synopsis of the revised assessment states.

While funeral homes use formaldehyde during embalming, neither the Biden assessment nor the Trump assessment extended their concerns about the chemical to the use of it in the funeral industry. Funeral directors, under federal and New Jersey regulations, must wear personal protective equipment and work in ventilated preparation rooms when embalming.

The EPA assessment also has no bearing on federal Occupational and Safety Health Administration rules concerning working with formaldehyde. Funeral directors still must comply with OSHA standards and communicate with employees concerning chemical exposure risks. An overview of OSHA rules for funeral home employees can be found here.

Formaldehyde, a naturally occurring substance, is used in the production of petroleum, plastics, paints, adhesives and sealants, among other items. But it is listed as a cancer-causing agent, a fact not disputed by the new assessment.

The revised assessment was applauded by advocates within the chemical industry. The American Chemistry Council complained that the original Biden-era document did not “fully align with statutory requirements for scientific quality, peer review or engagement with public and interagency comments.”

But other scientists disagreed and said the latest risk assessment underplays the dangers of formaldehyde exposure.

“Within the scientific community, the idea that there is a safe threshold for carcinogenic exposures is not widely accepted,” David Michaels, a professor in epidemiology at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University and the former head of OSHA under President Barack Obama, told The New York Times.

A study released in 2022 said that prolonged exposure to formaldehyde also could lead to cognitive impairment, according to a story in The Washington Post.

The EPA will be accepting public comment on the revised assessment until February 2, 2026.

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.

December 11, 2025

Members Present

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

Executive Staff Present

Quin Archer, Executive Director; Deputy Attorney General Dan Roman.

Public

Samantha L. Link, New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, and eight other members of the public were present.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

The Board approved the minutes of the November 13, 2025 meeting.

Total number of complaints received in November: 1

Total number of complaints received in 2025: 50

Old Business

There was no old business discussed. 

New Business

Mount Prospect Cemetery Company (CA#128) submitted a request for appeal. This item was moved to Executive Session for advice of counsel.

Greenwood Cemetery Association (CA#028) to Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Hamilton Township (46 plots). The cemetery has satisfied all requirements, and the Board approved the bulk sale.

The following bulk sales were moved to Executive Session for advice of counsel:

• Greenwood Cemetery Association (CA#028) to Institute of Islamic Studies (1,000 plots).
• Greenwood Cemetery Association (CA#028) to Muslim Center of Greater Princeton (500 plots).

Public Comment

There were no public comments.

There being no further public business, the Board adjourned its Public Session at 9:38 a.m. and entered Executive Session. The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

In observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association office will be closed on the following days:

• Thursday, December 25, 2025
• Friday, December 26, 2025
• Thursday, January 1, 2026

The NJSFDA office will reopen at 9:00 a.m. Monday, December 29, 2025 after the Christmas holiday and at 9:00 a.m. Friday, January 2, 2026 after the New Year’s holiday.

Trust Closing for Year-End Processing

The Trust will be closed for transactional processing on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, for its annual year-end preparations. During this time, Trust administrators will be available to answer your questions by telephone at 800.286.3628 or by email at choices@njsfda.org.

Online account creation, online claims and paper forms received by 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 30, 2025 will be processed that day. Forms and claims submitted after that time will be processed on Friday, January 2, 2026.

New Jersey Prepaid Funeral Trust Fund participants can access account information online at www.njsfda.org/picklist while the office is closed. Intermittent website outages may occur during year-end processing.

The NJSFDA officers, management and staff wish you a safe and healthy holiday season. We appreciate all your hard work throughout the year.