Staff

Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.

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Thomas M. Keiser, Jr. Owner, NJ Lic. No. 3844

Thomas M. Keiser, Jr. is the owner of Memorial Funeral Home in Fanwood. The firm was founded in Plainfield by his grandfather, Thomas C. Keiser. A lifelong resident of Scotch Plains, Tom is a graduate of Scotch Plains Fanwood High School. After attending Gettysburg College, he earned his BS in Mortuary Science from Xavier University and is a graduate of Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

Tom is an active member and past president of the Fanwood Scotch Plains Rotary Club; participates in numerous professional organizations, and has volunteered for many community events for which he has been recognized. He has participated in Century for the Cure, biking 100 miles in a single day to raise money for the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. He has raised over $10,000 for cancer research.

Tom enjoys biking in Somerset County, triathlons in Delaware, golf at Plainfield Country Club in Edison and traveling with his family in his free time. He resides in Scotch Plains with his wife, Jenifer, and his daughters, Melissa and Katherine.

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Laura E. Mann Executive Director, NJ Lic. No. 4947

Laura, a longtime resident of Plainfield, has lived in Colonia since 2015. She attended the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison and graduated from Mount St. Mary Academy in Watchung in 2006. She graduated with honors from Loyola College in Maryland with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2010 and graduated from Mortuary School in New York City in 2011.

Laura volunteers with Imagine, a grief support organization in Mountainside for children, teens, and their families, where she is a group facilitator in grief recovery. She is also an active member at Crescent Ave. Presbyterian Church in Plainfield where she served as Deacon, and is currently serving as an Elder.

Laura enjoys playing golf and tennis in her free time, and loves dogs, especially Leila!

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Thomas C. Kenny Director, NJ Lic. No. 4500

Tommy was born and raised in Brooklyn and served in the US Coast Guard during the Vietnam War. He has been a licensed funeral director for close to 45 years and managed his family funeral home, Joseph G. Duffy Funeral Home and MJ Smith Funeral Home in Brooklyn, before moving to Westfield 35 years ago.

He is an active member of St. Helen’s R.C. Church in Westfield and the Knights of Columbus.

He resides in Westfield with his wife, Jeannine and enjoys golf and spending time with his grandchildren in the Poconos.

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Frank P. Lettera Director, NJ Lic. No. 5077

Frank, a longtime resident and community volunteer in Scotch Plains, has been in funeral service for over 35 years. He began his career at the Casey Funeral Home in Staten Island and then accepted a position at Riverside Chapel, Frank E. Campbell and Walter B. Cooke in Manhattan. For the past 26 years, he has managed Hanley Funeral Home in Staten Island. He received his license to practice in New Jersey in 2015 and is happy to join the Memorial Funeral Home family.

He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church in Scotch Plains and is very active in coordinating youth programs in the parish. He was a cofounder of the Patrick P. Allocca 5k run to benefit youth programs in the community and is on the Board of Directors for the 2016 Scotch Plains Downtown Race to Summer 5k to raise money for local charity. He enjoys playing golf in his free time and has been involved in many charity golf events. He was a longtime member of the Board of Directors at Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains, the Board of Directors at the American Cancer Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Children’s Network for Hope in New Providence. He was honored and received The Father Hudson/ Peggy Colony Award from Center for Hope in 2012. He has also been awarded for his volunteer efforts with the American Cancer Society, The Epilepsy Association, The Edger Foundation of Staten Island, Chrissy and Friends, was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary International and received The Dr. Theodore Atlas Community Service Award.

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Ryan C. Tombs Director, NJ Lic. No. 5212

Ryan is a lifelong resident of Garwood. Ryan graduated from the Union County Academy for Information Technology in Scotch Plains, then earned a degree in industrial diesel mechanics from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. When he decided he wanted to follow in his father's foot steps he attended The American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City. He began his internship in 2016 and became a licensed funeral director in 2018. Ryan's family has strong roots in Garwood, dating back to the early 1900's. He joined the Garwood Fire Department in April of 2020. In his free time he enjoys drag racing, off-shore fishing, and skiing.

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Leila Care Companion

Leila is the newest addition to the Memorial Funeral Home family. Leila is a Labrador Retriever with aspirations of being a care companion. She has completed Basic and Advanced Training courses at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison. Her training is ongoing, and is available upon request at the funeral home as a Care Companion. In her free time, Leila enjoys going for long walks, playing in the yard, and a good game of tug of war. She also loves a good nap and the occasional belly rub.

Thomas M. Keiser, Jr.

Owner, NJ Lic. No. 3844
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Thomas M. Keiser, Jr. is the owner of Memorial Funeral Home in Fanwood. The firm was founded in Plainfield by his grandfather, Thomas C. Keiser. A lifelong resident of Scotch Plains, Tom is a graduate of Scotch Plains Fanwood High School. After attending Gettysburg College, he earned his BS in Mortuary Science from Xavier University and is a graduate of Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

Tom is an active member and past president of the Fanwood Scotch Plains Rotary Club; participates in numerous professional organizations, and has volunteered for many community events for which he has been recognized. He has participated in Century for the Cure, biking 100 miles in a single day to raise money for the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. He has raised over $10,000 for cancer research.

Tom enjoys biking in Somerset County, triathlons in Delaware, golf at Plainfield Country Club in Edison and traveling with his family in his free time. He resides in Scotch Plains with his wife, Jenifer, and his daughters, Melissa and Katherine.

Laura E. Mann

Executive Director, NJ Lic. No. 4947
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Laura, a longtime resident of Plainfield, has lived in Colonia since 2015. She attended the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison and graduated from Mount St. Mary Academy in Watchung in 2006. She graduated with honors from Loyola College in Maryland with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2010 and graduated from Mortuary School in New York City in 2011.

Laura volunteers with Imagine, a grief support organization in Mountainside for children, teens, and their families, where she is a group facilitator in grief recovery. She is also an active member at Crescent Ave. Presbyterian Church in Plainfield where she served as Deacon, and is currently serving as an Elder.

Laura enjoys playing golf and tennis in her free time, and loves dogs, especially Leila!

Thomas C. Kenny

Director, NJ Lic. No. 4500
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Tommy was born and raised in Brooklyn and served in the US Coast Guard during the Vietnam War. He has been a licensed funeral director for close to 45 years and managed his family funeral home, Joseph G. Duffy Funeral Home and MJ Smith Funeral Home in Brooklyn, before moving to Westfield 35 years ago.

He is an active member of St. Helen’s R.C. Church in Westfield and the Knights of Columbus.

He resides in Westfield with his wife, Jeannine and enjoys golf and spending time with his grandchildren in the Poconos.

Frank P. Lettera

Director, NJ Lic. No. 5077
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Frank, a longtime resident and community volunteer in Scotch Plains, has been in funeral service for over 35 years. He began his career at the Casey Funeral Home in Staten Island and then accepted a position at Riverside Chapel, Frank E. Campbell and Walter B. Cooke in Manhattan. For the past 26 years, he has managed Hanley Funeral Home in Staten Island. He received his license to practice in New Jersey in 2015 and is happy to join the Memorial Funeral Home family.

He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church in Scotch Plains and is very active in coordinating youth programs in the parish. He was a cofounder of the Patrick P. Allocca 5k run to benefit youth programs in the community and is on the Board of Directors for the 2016 Scotch Plains Downtown Race to Summer 5k to raise money for local charity. He enjoys playing golf in his free time and has been involved in many charity golf events. He was a longtime member of the Board of Directors at Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains, the Board of Directors at the American Cancer Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Children’s Network for Hope in New Providence. He was honored and received The Father Hudson/ Peggy Colony Award from Center for Hope in 2012. He has also been awarded for his volunteer efforts with the American Cancer Society, The Epilepsy Association, The Edger Foundation of Staten Island, Chrissy and Friends, was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary International and received The Dr. Theodore Atlas Community Service Award.

Ryan C. Tombs

Director, NJ Lic. No. 5212
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Ryan is a lifelong resident of Garwood. Ryan graduated from the Union County Academy for Information Technology in Scotch Plains, then earned a degree in industrial diesel mechanics from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. When he decided he wanted to follow in his father's foot steps he attended The American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City. He began his internship in 2016 and became a licensed funeral director in 2018. Ryan's family has strong roots in Garwood, dating back to the early 1900's. He joined the Garwood Fire Department in April of 2020. In his free time he enjoys drag racing, off-shore fishing, and skiing.

Leila

Care Companion
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Leila is the newest addition to the Memorial Funeral Home family. Leila is a Labrador Retriever with aspirations of being a care companion. She has completed Basic and Advanced Training courses at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison. Her training is ongoing, and is available upon request at the funeral home as a Care Companion. In her free time, Leila enjoys going for long walks, playing in the yard, and a good game of tug of war. She also loves a good nap and the occasional belly rub.