funeral director, Taylor Funeral Home, Chicago, Illinois, died April 9, 2022, at age 92. Taylor is survived by her husband, funeral director and owner Charles B. Taylor, and children Nicholas and Margo, both licensed funeral directors at Taylor Funeral Home.

funeral director and owner, Nadworny Funeral Home, Lynn, Massachusetts, died October 17, 2021, at age 90. Nadworny was a Korean War-era veteran, having served aboard submarines for more than six and a half years. Upon military discharge, he continued his education at New England Institute of Funeral Directing and Embalming. Nadworny worked for the former T.W. Rhodes Funeral Home prior to starting his own business, resulting in more than 65 years of service.

In earlier years, Nadworny served as a member of the Park Commission for six years and on the Pine Grove Cemetery Commission for 12 years. He was also a retired cooperator of Eastern Bank for 30 years.

Nadworny was a life member of the Polish Legion of American Veterans and instrumental in reorganizing the post in 1955. He was a member of the Franco-American Veterans and Amvets, American Legion, life member of VFW, life member of DAV Chapter 64 and honorary member of the Knights of Columbus. Nadworny was honored as Polish Man of the Year by St. Michael’s Polish National Alliance, and Veteran of the Year by the Polish Legion of American Veterans.

He is survived by sons William and Richard Jr., daughters Maura and Paula, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

funeral director and owner, Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services, Milford and Friend, Nebraska, died March 17, 2022, at age 59, along with his wife, Christy, and their daughter, Regan.

Lauber graduated with a degree in mortuary science from the University of Minnesota. In addition, he completed certifications for funeral service practitioner and crematory operator. In January 1992, he purchased Moore’s Funeral Home (Friend, Milford and Beaver Crossing). Lauber was elected president of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association (2002-03) and represented the State of Nebraska as an NFDA Policy Board member. He also served a five-year term on the Board of Examiners, Funeral Directors and Embalmers for the Nebraska State Department of Health.

Lauber served as chairman of the NeFDA Legislative Committee and was instrumental in various legislative bill passages. He drafted legislation that increases irrevocable amounts for families purchasing prearranged funerals, spearheaded legislation introducing limited lines of preneed insurance with the Nebraska Department of Insurance, successfully introduced the Rights of Disposition Bill that updated the Nebraska probate code and provisions regarding dispositions and was head draftsman for developing language in Nebraska’s new cremation legislation, passed in 2003. ­Lauber testified in numerous hearings for bills that affected funeral home establishments and the families they serve.

Lauber was past president of Milford Chamber of Commerce; and member of the Kiwanis Club (Milford); the Friend, Milford and Beaver Crossing chambers of commerce; Friend and Milford Masonic Lodges; the Shrine Scottish Rite; and Order of the Eastern Star.

He is survived by children Whitney, Michael and Madison; two grandchildren; brothers Jerry, Brad and Bryan; and mother and father-in-law James and Elenore Merritt.

retired funeral director and president, Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Home, Galesburg, Illinois, died February 24, 2022, at age 75.

Peterson was a graduate of Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in 1968. He was co-owner of the funeral home from 1988-2017, with Dave Pearson and Wayne Hull. After 50 years of funeral service, he retired as president of Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Home in 2017.

Peterson was a past member and served as president of the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce and was a past member of the Knox County YMCA Board of Directors, the Prairieland Hospice-Community Hospices of America Board of Directors and Knox County Heart Association. He was a past member of the Galesburg Public School Foundation Board of Trustees, past member and chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Galesburg Cottage Hospital, and he also served on the board of F&M Bank. He chaired the Strategic Plan for Economic Development for the City of Galesburg and served on the Galesburg Community Foundation board until his death.

Peterson also volunteered his time and worked with the United Way of Knox County and Galesburg Salvation Army. He officiated for the Illinois High School Association for basketball and baseball for many years. 

He is survived by wife Diane; children Erick, Erin, Craig and Christy; and six grandchildren.

retired funeral director, Berlin & Gorham Funeral Home and Fleury-Patry Funeral Home, Berlin, New Hampshire, died March 14, 2022, at age 65.

Patry was a Vietnam-era veteran, serving from 1974-77. He graduated valedictorian/summa cum laude from New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences. From 1981-2006, Patry served the community at Fleury-Patry Funeral Home as a funeral director alongside his father. Until his retirement last June, he had been employed at Lyme Home and Hardware, and prior to that, he worked at Dartmouth Medical School as a lab technician (2006-12).

Patry was a former member of Berlin Kiwanis Club and the New Hampshire Funeral Directors Association.

He is survived by wife Darlene, sons Brent and Brad, stepson Shawn, two grandchildren, parents Raymond and Caroline, two brothers and a sister.

certified funeral apprentice and daughter of funeral director C. Keith Edison, both of Edison Funeral Home, Independence, Wisconsin, died March 3, 2022, at age 54.

Edison studied child care services at Chippewa Valley Technical College and for 20 years worked as a nanny and a teacher/director. In 2008, she and her husband moved to Independence, where she started working at the funeral home and completed her Wisconsin Funeral Director’s Apprentice Certification.

Edison also volunteered as a high school volleyball coach and loved watching University of Wisconsin Madison Badgers volleyball and attending Independence School District sporting events.

She is survived by husband Matt, parents Keith and Nancy, brothers Craig and Kevin, and her mother- and father-in-law.

retired funeral director and president, N.J. Hogenkamp Sons, Minster, Ohio, died February 19, 2022, at age 89.

Hogenkamp attended the University of Dayton until he was drafted into the Army, where he held the rank of corporal and served as a tank commander in the Korean War. Upon returning, he completed his studies and graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, then joined his father at N.J. Hogenkamp Sons, becoming the fourth generation in the family business.

He took over the business upon his father’s death and served as president for 37 years, staying involved part time for many years following. During his tenure, the business grew to include three funeral homes and served Auglaize, Mercer and Shelby counties and beyond.

Hogenkamp served on the Minster Volunteer Fire Department and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Civic Association and Knights of Columbus.

Hogenkamp is survived by wife Thelma; children Jayne, Nicholas C. (also of N.J. Hogenkamp Sons), Thomas, Julia and Helen; 13 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; brothers Dale and B. Jay (also of N.J. Hogenkamp Sons); and sister Ann.

funeral director and president, Coyle Funeral Home, Toledo, Ohio, died March 7, 2022, at age 77.

A high school all-city football player, he graduated from Xavier University and lead the school to an 8-2 record. Coyle was recruited for the NFL by the Dallas Cowboys, but as an ROTC graduate, he was committed to serving his country as a U.S. Army artillery lieutenant.

Coyle graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and joined the family business as the fourth generation. He was a founding member of Trust 100 in Ohio, a preplanning organization. He became president of Coyle Funeral Home and was recently awarded his 50-year honor at the Ohio Funeral Directors Convention. His daughter, Megan, carries on the family business as the fifth generation.

Coyle was a member of Maumee Rotary and served as president and a foundation board member, receiving two Paul Harris awards. While president of the Bowsher High School PTO, he earned the Silver Slate Award from the Toledo Board of Education.

He was president of the Northwest Ohio Funeral Directors Association and Toledo Alumni of Xavier University; a trustee with the Medical College of Ohio Foundation and Hospice of NW Ohio; and board chairman of the Elizabeth Zepf Center. Coyle also served on the board of the University of Toledo Family Business Center and the Dove Fund, which provides humanitarian and development assistance to areas in Vietnam.

He is survived by wife Bonnie; children Megan, Katie and Jeremiah; three grandchildren; brothers John and Ned; and sister Kitty.

retired funeral director and owner, Brooks Funeral Homes, Mount Pleasant and Connellsville, Pennsylvania, died January 24, 2022, at age 91.

Brooks graduated from Eckles School of Embalming in Philadelphia. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during the Korean War (1952-54). Following his service, he joined his father and sister in the family funeral business as a fourth-generation funeral director.

Brooks was a member of King Solomon’s Lodge 346 Free and Accepted Masons, Valley of Uniontown Scottish Rite Freemasons, Royal Arch Chapter 282, St. Omer’s Commandry, the Syria Shrine and the Odd Fellows.

He was a past member and past president of Connellsville Rotary Club, past member of Indian Creek Valley Lions Club, life member of BPO Elks 503 of Connellsville and a continuing member of the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce. He also belonged to the Connellsville Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

Brooks had a role in the establishment of the very first Prearranged Burial Trust in Pennsylvania through Microdata Systems Inc., a company he co-founded and that is still in operation today. He was a member of the Southwestern Funeral Directors Association, Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and NFDA. For many years, his firms were the only local members of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Brooks was also a part-owner of Green Ridge Memorial Park in Connellsville.

He is survived by children Lisa, David, Richard, Mark, Rebecca, Amy, Melissa and Susan; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

retired funeral director and manager, Snyder Funeral Homes, Sunbury, Ohio, died January 14, 2022, at age 68. Miller earned degrees from The Ohio State University and Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, where he also served as an embalming laboratory assistant. His first position was with Stofcheck Funeral Home in LaRue, where he also drove an ambulance and was a volunteer member of the Richwood Fire Department. Later, he worked at Snyder Funeral Homes in Marion and Hughes-Kubach-Miller Funeral Home for several years.

After working at Abbott & Company in Marion, Miller and his family moved to Sunbury, where he worked at DeVore-Snyder Funeral Homes. His career with Snyder Funeral Homes totaled 28 years; Miller retired in 2016.

He is survived by wife Pat; daughters Susan, also a funeral director with Snyder Funeral Homes, and Heather; and three grandchildren.