877661-milestone-partners

Market Director Promotions

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:09:00 GMT

Congratulations to our Market Directors!

We are excited to share wonderful news and celebrate the continued growth of our leadership team, here at Milestone. Please join us in congratulating Alfredo Camargo, Vinny Iocovozzi, Austin Perrin, and Marty Ciaccia on their promotions to Market Director.

Each of these leaders exemplifies a deep commitment to service, strong operational excellence, and heartfelt dedication to the teams and communities they serve. Their individual journeys are a testament to their hard work and to Milestone’s commitment to recognizing talent and growing leaders from within.

In this key role, our Market Directors will provide leadership and strategic oversight of operations within their designated regions. This role supports our Market Leaders, Location Managers and Funeral Director by ensuring exceptional service standards, operational excellence, and alignment with Milestone’s core values and goals. Serving as a key link between individual locations and Milestone as a whole, our Market Directors will help strengthen our teams, maintain a high level of performance, and foster meaningful connections across the region.

Please join me in congratulating Alfredo, Austin, Vinny and Marty and wishing them continued success!

Congratulations to Milestone's Future of Funeral Service Scholarship Winner!

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:31:25 GMT

Congratulations to Milestone's

Future of Funeral Service Scholarship Winner!

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

2025 Year in Review

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:29:27 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners - 2025 Year in Review

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

A Warm Welcome to the Guare & Sons Team

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:38:33 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Guare & Sons to the Team!

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Milestone Welcomes Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home of Plaistow, NH

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:48:39 GMT

Welcoming Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home - Plaistow, NH

We are pleased to welcome our newest partners, �� & �� to the �� family.

Established in 1994, Brookside is located in Plaistow, New Hampshire, proudly serving families throughout Southern New Hampshire and the Greater Haverhill, Massachusetts area. Led by Funeral Director �� . ��, ��., and supported by an experienced and compassionate team, Brookside is deeply committed to providing the kind of thoughtful, personalized care that we at Milestone so warmly admire.

We are honored to welcome Francis and the entire Brookside staff to the Milestone team and look forward to working together in support of families and communities for years to come.

Our Urn Store™ Launches Nationally With J.J. Duffy Funeral Home, Lombardo and 60+ Milestone Funeral Partners Rooftops

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 23:00:43 GMT

New Gloucester, Maine — Mainely Urns, Inc., through its UrnSpiration™ division, has announced that J.J. Duffy Funeral Home of Rhode Island, and Lombardo Funeral Homes, the largest funeral provider in Western New York serving approximately 2,000 families annually, are the first in the country to launch its groundbreaking digital platform, Our Urn Store™ — a white-label cremation urn and memorial store designed exclusively for funeral homes.

Developed from the ground up, Our Urn Store™ empowers funeral homes to offer families a seamless, branded online experience that mirrors their in-person service. Each store features the funeral home’s branding alongside UrnSpiration’s curated digital and physical touch-points. The platform integrates UrnSpiration™ Lookbooks and Galleries, giving families an inspiring, Pinterest-style way to explore and personalize memorials. The Galleries create a pay-it-forward experience, where families draw inspiration from others, and can move naturally through all three touch-points based on how they prefer to shop.

“Our Urn Store™ is the third touch-point in the UrnSpiration™ program, and it gives families the freedom to explore urns naturally, wherever they are. Directors consistently tell us it just makes sense—they can see how families move between the lookbooks, galleries, and Our Urn Store™ in the way that feels most comfortable to them.”
— Michael Madore, CEO Mainely Urns, Inc. & UrnSpiration™

The initiative is named Our Urn Store™ to give funeral directors an immediate, intuitive connection to the platform, one that begins the moment they tell families they can explore urns and memorials in three ways; through our Lookbooks, our inspirational Galleries, and Our Urn Store™.

“What you’re turning on isn’t just an urn store. It’s the full UrnSpiration™ experience. The response has been fantastic across the board: the products, the personalization, the ease of use. Michael’s team really understands the funeral director world and it shows.”

— Jeff Bernardo, Owner & Funeral Director, J.J. Duffy Funeral Home

Built to fit funeral homes’ existing processes, margins, and service philosophies, the platform offers three flexible pricing tiers that protect revenue and build trust. Families get clear choices and the freedom to shop with their funeral director or online.

With J.J. Duffy, Lombardo, and Milestone Funeral Partners all leading the rollout, more than 60 funeral homes within the Milestone network will be added before the end of the year, positioning these firms at the forefront of a rapidly growing movement toward digital urn personalization and e-commerce integration.

“UrnSpiration has brought real consistency and clarity across all our locations. The modern tools and digital assets give our directors what they need to support families in the way people actually make decisions today — and it truly elevates the experience for every family we serve. The addition of Our Urn Store™ is a natural evolution that brings everything together in one cohesive system.”
— Mike Martel, CEO, Milestone Funeral Partners

Integration information can also be found on TukiosPartners.com , the partner resource hub from Tukios, one of the funeral profession’s leading providers of websites and tribute video software. Tukios supports thousands of funeral homes across North America, and its inclusion of Our Urn Store™ reflects the growing industry-wide momentum toward modern, simplified, family-friendly digital tools.

About UrnSpiration™ and Our Urn Store™

UrnSpiration™ is a division of Mainely Urns, Inc., a Maine-based urn manufacturing company redefining how families discover, personalize, and purchase memorials. Mainely Urns and its family of brands have served over 500,000 families directly since 2003, and also operates CremationUrns.com and PetCremationUrns.com, two leading online destinations for trade professionals. Through its Lookbooks, Digital Galleries, and Our Urn Store™ platform, UrnSpiration™ blends creativity, compassion, and modern e-commerce to inspire families and empower funeral homes nationwide.

About Milestone Funeral Partners

Milestone Funeral Partners is one of the nation’s fastest-growing funeral home groups, serving families across multiple states with a commitment to compassion, integrity, and community-focused care. With more than 60 partner locations, Milestone provides its funeral directors with innovative tools, professional support, and industry-leading resources that enhance the experience families receive at every touchpoint.

Media Contacts

Michael Madore
Founder & CEO, Mainely Urns / UrnSpiration™

Heather Rauch
Marketing Support Lead, Milestone Funeral Partners

Milestone welcomes the Dolby, Blais & Segee Funeral Home Group

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:17:43 GMT

�� Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes the Dolby, Blais & Segee Funeral Home Group to Our Family

Milestone Funeral Partners is proud to officially welcome the Dolby, Blais & Segee funeral home group—one of Maine’s most respected and trusted providers of funeral and cremation care, to the Milestone Family.

This new partnership includes five locations across southern Maine:

• A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home – Portland

• Maine Cremation Care – Portland

• Dolby, Blais & Segee – Westbrook

• Dolby, Blais & Segee – Gorham

• Dolby, Blais & Segee – Windham

This officially launches our funeral home network in Maine. These firms care for more families than nearly any other provider in the region, and we are honored to support their continued legacy of compassion and service.

We are especially pleased to welcome owner, Eric Segee, his directors, and his entire team. This marks an exciting next chapter for both Milestone and the communities these firms so faithfully serve. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and look forward to supporting continued growth, connection, and care throughout Maine.

Please join us in giving a warm Milestone welcome to Eric and the entire Dolby, Blais & Segee team!

Cheshire Family Funeral Home and Crematory Receives the Delivery of a New Retort

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:08:42 GMT

It has been an exciting week in New Hampshire!

This week, the Cheshire Family Funeral Home and Crematory in New Hampshire received the delivery of a brand-new retort, marking the next step in our continued commitment to providing families with dignified, state-of-the-art cremation services.

We take pride in investing in our partner locations to ensure they have the latest technology and resources to best serve their communities.

Check out this short video capturing the delivery — a behind-the-scenes look at how progress and care come together to support families during life’s most meaningful moments.

#MilestoneFuneralPartners #FuneralProfession #CremationCare #InnovationInService #TeamMilestone

New Life for Funeral Homes

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:54:03 GMT

MaineBiz.com - Milestone & Mainely Urns

An Excerpt from MaineBiz.com Please Follow the link for the full article.

Photo / Tim Greenway

Ownership by acquisition

Not all funeral home owners come into the business through family succession. Take Michael Martel and Timothy “TJ” Smart, two longtime funeral directors who founded Milestone Funeral Partners in 2021.

The Auburn-based business owns 78 funeral homes across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. It’s also about to expand in its own backyard with the acquisition of five locations in Maine due to be finalized later this month.

Through a separate business called Milestone Cemetery and Crematory LLC, they own Brooklawn Memorial Park & Crematory near the Portland International Jetport and Auburn’s Gracelawn Memorial Park — which established Maine’s first crematory in 1950 and its first mausoleum a decade later.

Martel, who grew up in Lewiston, started in the profession doing part-time janitorial work as a teenager at a local church helping clean up after funerals before taking a job at a local French Catholic funeral home.

“They bought me my first suit and taught me the ways of working with people,” Martel recalls. “By the time I graduated from high school, that’s what I wanted to do.”

Michael Martel is CEO of Milestone Funeral Partners LLC , an Auburn-based owner of 78 funeral homes in six states. It aims to finalize the acquisition of five in Maine this month.

He and his business partner, who grew up in Old Town, both worked for Service Corporation International, a large national strategic acquirer based in Houston, before starting on their own. Today, Milestone Funeral Partners has 39 equity owners, including more than 30 licensed funeral directors across seven states and two private equity backers – Bender Equity of Ridgewood, N.J., and Dallas-based Rosewood Private Investors.

When Milestone makes an acquisition, it leaves the running of the business to the sellers.

“We always have majority ownership, but the sellers have the opportunity to roll some of their equity into the Milestone organization, so they can in fact be partners,” Martel explains. “We never want our professionals to look back and say, ‘I hate the fact that I’m only a manager.’”

Touting its decentralized, low-overhead approach, Milestone underscores that hometown relationships are the real “brand” that matters. In most cases, those in the market to sell find Milestone rather than the other way around, according to Martel.

“We’re not for everyone,” he says, “but the owners who choose to partner with us have a pa ositive experience and usually refer their colleagues to call on us as well.”

Local alliance and regional growth

Seeking to expand its range of services, Milestone recently joined forces with Mainely Urns, a New Gloucester-based manufacture of cremation urns and memorial products.

Mainely Urns in New Gloucester manufactures urns and memorial products sold under the “Urnspiration” brand.

The partnership cements a longstanding relationship between the two companies, by shifting the focus from selling merchandise to helping bereaved families create tributes via Mainely Urns’ “Urnspiration” brand of personalized urns, printed Lookbooks and QR code-linked galleries.

“It’s an alliance of like-minded Maine death-care business operators, focused on unique personalization opportunities for bereaved families,” Martel says.

As for Milestone’s long-term plans, Martel says that the goal is to keep growing in this part of the country and build on existing clusters.

“That probably means acquiring 10 to 15 firms a year,” he says. “We could comfortably do that for a really long time and build a nice strong business here in the Northeast.”

Brooklawn Memorial Park & Crematory GOES LIVE with first-of-its-kind website, offering cemetery property sales entirely online!

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 18:12:40 GMT

Patented platform goes live with Milestone Funeral Partners, marking a major step forward in the digital transformation of the deathcare profession

New Paragraph

Maine Funeral Directors Association Annual Meeting - 2025

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:27:11 GMT

The Milestone Team had the pleasure of participating in the Maine Funeral Directors Association Annual Meeting, where they celebrated the Association's 100th anniversary.

Milestone Partner’s CEO Mike Martel had the unique honor of swearing in the incoming slate of officers for the association.

Also, TJ Smart, Brian Coffta, Julie Williams, along with Cole Weybright of Homesteaders had the opportunity to play 18 holes in the association’s annual Fall Fest Tournament.

✨ Celebrating Excellence in Massachusetts! ✨

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:10:56 GMT

Celebrating Excellence at MAFDA

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Welcoming the Sansone Funeral Home to the Team

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:07:58 GMT

Welcome Sansone Funeral Home of Bristol, RI

We are honored to officially welcome Sansone Funeral Home and their dedicated staff of Bristol, Rhode Island to the Milestone Funeral Partners Family!

The Sansone Funeral Home has been a trusted part of the Bristol community—providing compassionate care, support, and guidance to families during life’s most difficult moments. Their commitment to service and family values aligns beautifully with our mission at Milestone Funeral Partners.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the Sansone Team as we continue this journey together.

Milestone Welcomes Lombardo Funeral Home of Greater Buffalo, NY to the Family

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 17:17:10 GMT

Welcome Lombardo Team!

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Inspiration Meets UrnSpiration: A Maine Funeral Collaboration

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:17:52 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners Teams with Mainely Urns to Transform the Funeral Arrangement Experience

Auburn, Maine — Milestone Funeral Partners, known for building lasting partnerships and strengthening funeral home communities, has joined forces with Mainely Urns and its UrnSpiration brand to bridge the gap between traditional funeral services and the needs of today’s modern families. This collaboration equips Milestone’s directors with new tools and resources to better serve and inspire. By offering meaningful memorial options, they are shifting the focus from selling merchandise to guiding families in creating tributes that truly reflect the unique lives of their loved ones—further underscoring Milestone’s role as an innovator driving positive change within the funeral industry.

“This partnership is redefining how families experience the arrangement process,” said Mike Martel, CEO of Milestone Funeral Partners. “By teaming with UrnSpiration, we’re equipping our directors with resources that empower them to inspire families instead of feeling pressured to sell. That shift in mindset is better for families, better for directors, and ultimately strengthens the value we deliver as a company.”

Through this partnership, Mainely Urns has been able to work hand-in-hand with Milestone’s funeral directors, gaining valuable insight into their day-to-day needs and shaping a program designed specifically for them. The response has been overwhelmingly positive—directors now feel equipped with something meaningful to share with families before they turn to online options. For many, this shift has been transformative, easing the pressure of sales and reframing the conversation around inspiration, choice, and truly personal remembrance.

At the heart of the UrnSpiration program are its three pillars: Segmentation, Simplification, and Personalization . Segmentation ensures that families see curated offerings tailored to their situation, whether adult, companion, military and first responder, infant and child, or pet memorials. Simplification provides directors with easy-to-navigate tools like printed Lookbooks and QR-linked Inspiration Galleries that present the most relevant choices without overwhelming families. And personalization brings it all together, with families inspired by real-life examples of memorial tributes. They are encouraged to create something unique and meaningful for their loved one.

“Our relationship with Milestone has been instrumental in shaping the UrnSpiration program,” said Michael Madore, CEO of Mainely Urns. “The access and collaboration we’ve had with Milestone directors have allowed us to refine our offerings to truly align with what families want today. Together, we’re proving that funeral homes can combine trusted personal guidance with the inspiration and convenience modern consumers expect.”

Madore added, “The funeral industry has changed, but it hasn’t adapted. Too many firms are still approaching families the way they did decades ago. By working with Milestone, we’ve been able to develop a model that actually meets today’s families where they are, bridging tradition with modern expectations in a way that works for everyone involved.”

This partnership underscores Milestone’s commitment to innovating within the funeral industry and delivering added value to the businesses it partners with. By introducing modern, consumer-friendly tools like UrnSpiration Lookbooks and Inspiration Galleries into the arrangement room, Milestone is positioning its partner firms to thrive in an evolving marketplace while keeping families at the heart of the experience.

About Milestone Funeral Partners

Milestone Funeral Partners is a leading funeral home acquisition and management company dedicated to strengthening the legacies of local funeral homes while bringing innovation and added value to the communities they serve. With a growing network of firms across the Northeast and beyond, Milestone combines operational excellence with forward-thinking strategies that enhance both the funeral director experience and the families they serve.

About Mainely Urns & the UrnSpiration Program

Founded in Maine, Mainely Urns has grown into a trusted provider of cremation urns and memorial products, serving both consumers and funeral professionals nationwide. Its signature UrnSpiration program —built on the pillars of Segmentation, Simplification, and Personalization—provides funeral directors with curated Lookbooks, Inspiration Galleries, and tailored tools that transform the arrangement room experience. By blending tradition with modern consumer expectations, Mainely Urns helps funeral professionals inspire families to create more meaningful, personalized memorials.

The Avery-Storti Team Joins Milestone Funeral Partners

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:00:12 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

We are so proud to welcome the Avery-Storti Funeral Home & Crematory of Wakefield, Rhode Island to the Milestone family.

For more than 160 years, Avery-Storti has been a trusted name in South County. First opened in 1863 as the Slocum Funeral Home during the era of horse-drawn hearses, the firm has grown through the dedication of the Ineson, Avery, Webster, and now Storti families. Today, under the leadership of Peter Storti and his son Joshua, the Avery-Storti team continues a long tradition of providing personal, compassionate, and professional service to their community.

From embracing traditional values to offering innovations such as the South County Cremation Care Center—the area’s only onsite crematory—their commitment to families has remained unwavering through generations.

We are honored to have Peter, Joshua, and their dedicated staff join the Milestone team as we work together to serve families with dignity, care, and compassion.

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes the Hooker and Whitcomb Team

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:38:08 GMT

Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, Barre, VT

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Welcome to the Team Donovan Funeral Home

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:47:01 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners welcomes Donovan Funeral Home

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Milestone Funeral Partners Promotes Dakota T. Mullen to Integration Specialist

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:40:52 GMT

Integration Specialist - Dakota T. Mullen

Springfield, MA — Milestone Funeral Partners is proud to announce the promotion of Dakota T. Mullen to the role of Integration Specialist , a position that reflects both his exceptional track record and his unwavering dedication to the funeral profession. Dakota is a Massachusetts Licensed Funeral Director, employed with Milestone’s partner firm, New England Funeral & Cremation Center in Springfield, MA.

"This promotion is both an honor and a responsibility," said Mullen. "Personally, it represents the culmination of years of hard work, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to serving families with compassion and dignity. Professionally, it affirms my passion for building bridges—between tradition and innovation, people and process, and legacy and growth."

With experience spanning finance, operations, and funeral service, Mullen brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to his new role. His background in strategic planning, compliance, training, and change management has positioned him to lead complex transitions with a blend of operational efficiency and emotional intelligence.

As Integration Specialist, Mullen will be working alongside Vincent G. Iocovozzi, Director of Integrations. The two will be at the forefront of welcoming new partner firms into the Milestone network—guiding teams through transition with empathy, structure, and a deep respect for their legacy.

"Helping to onboard new partners into the Milestone family means I get to witness the beginning of a new chapter for these firms—and ensure that transition is meaningful and respectful," said Mullen. "I’m especially excited about cultivating a culture where people feel supported and where we honor the uniqueness of each home while aligning with a shared vision."

For Mullen, the key to successful integration lies in storytelling, communication, and a people-first approach. “Every funeral home has a story—and those stories deserve to be told and preserved. Alignment doesn’t mean uniformity—it means unity of purpose.”

He defines a successful integration as one where “retention, satisfaction, and momentum” are evident. “If the team feels supported, the culture remains intact, the families notice no disruption in care, and operational goals are met or exceeded—then we’ve done our job.”

Looking to the future, Mullen is committed to building inclusive, high-performing partnerships across the Milestone network. “I hope to leave a legacy of seamless transitions, strengthened partnerships, and empowered people,” he said. “I want every team we onboard to feel heard, prepared, and excited about their future with Milestone.”

Mullen describes his leadership style as empathetic, transparent, and strategic. “I strive to be the kind of leader who not only provides direction but creates space for others to thrive.”

Milestone Funeral Partners congratulates Dakota T. Mullen on this well-earned advancement and looks forward to the positive impact he will continue to make in this critical role.

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Sara Collins as Director of Advance Planning

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:36:37 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners would like to warmly welcome Sara Collins, Funeral Director of Advance Planning in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Sara was born and raised in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, where she graduated from high school in 2001. She attended college courses at the Community College of Rhode Island and served for a period of time in the United States Coast Guard, prior to embarking on a long-called career in funeral service.

Licensed as a funeral director in Massachusetts, Sara is a 2006 graduate of Mount Ida College. Sara began her career as a Managing Director in the Boston area and more recently in Scituate, MA, for the past decade. She is an expert in Jewish funeral customs and has planned and conducted hundreds of funerals of all faiths in the greater Boston area. She recently joined the team at Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, located in North Attleboro, MA. She is passionate about integrating the funeral home organically into the community and in recent years has focused her efforts solely on community education and advance planning.

Sara lives in Scituate, MA with her husband Jimmy, their 3 children, and 2 dogs. She loves a good crossword puzzle and anything with a flamingo on it. She’s an avid reader and enjoys being near the ocean, taking trips to Disney and New Hampshire with her family and attempting to knit. She’s played piano since she was 7 years old and loves to play in her spare time.

Colonial Memorial Chapels Welcomes New Manager of Operations

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:02:45 GMT

Colonial Memorial Chapels Welcomes New Manager of Operations

Lackawanna, NY — Colonial Memorial Chapels in Lackawanna, NY extends a warm welcome to John Biddlecom who is taking on the role of Manager of Operations.

John is a 1991 graduate of Frontier High School in Hamburg, NY. His passion for caring for others was realized while attending Erie 1 BOCES’ Nursing Program in the early 1990’s. He continued his education at SUNY Canton, attending their Mortuary Science Program, where he graduated with the class of 1996. Gaining vast experience in all aspects of the industry, John served a funeral firm in Western New York for nearly three decades. His last 15 years were spent in the role of licensed manager of their Buffalo location. He also operated a trade company, assisting local funeral firms with their operations.

John is involved with various groups in the Buffalo area which promote putting an end to violence, and assisting families with stillborn and infant deaths. In his spare moments, he enjoys spending time with his 11-year-old daughter, Aviana and his rescue dog, Gemma. He is also an avid sports fan, most notably, the Buffalo Bills, the Bandits and the Sabres.

Having joined the team at Colonial Memorial Chapels in Lackawanna in December of 2024, John is pleased to take on the role of Manager, following his cousin, Matthew Pasnik, to oversee the day-to-day operations and to serve the families of Lackawanna and surrounding communities.

Dyer-Lake Funeral Home Welcomes Funeral Director and Manager, Tom Paquette

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:02:45 GMT

Dyer-Lake Funeral Home Welcomes Funeral Director and Manager, Tom Paquette

North Attleboro, MA – Dyer-Lake Funeral Home proudly welcomes Tom Paquette, a highly respected and experienced Funeral Director, to its dedicated team.

Licensed in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Tom brings nearly two decades of compassionate service to families in their times of need. A 1997 graduate of Cumberland High School and a 2004 graduate of FINE Mortuary College, Tom began his career in Warwick, RI at the Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Home, where he completed his apprenticeship. He then spent 18 years with A.A. Mariani & Son Funeral Home, ultimately serving as Managing Partner of the Providence-based funeral home.

Tom is known for his genuine passion for helping others and his ability to provide personalized guidance and support to families during their most vulnerable moments. His commitment to excellence and compassionate service has earned him a reputation as a trusted professional in the funeral industry.

Throughout his career, Tom has been actively involved in the funeral industry and his community. He has served on the Board of Governors for the Rhode Island Funeral Directors Association and the Board of Directors of the Woodlawn-North Purchase Cemeteries Association. Additionally, he has been Treasurer of the DaVinci Center for Community Progress in Providence, RI, and remains a member of both the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Funeral Directors Associations.

Beyond his professional life, Tom is a devoted husband to Sarah-Anne Paquette, a certified public accountant, and a proud father to their two children, Kendal and Camden. He is an active member of Transfiguration of the Lord Parish in North Attleboro, MA, and enjoys volunteering, coaching youth sports, and supporting his children’s athletic endeavors, including Cumberland Flag Football.

In addition to his funeral service career, Tom has a unique background as a former Golden Gloves and Junior Olympic Champion. He is also a member of the Italo American Club in Providence, RI.

Dyer-Lake Funeral Home is proud to have a dedicated and compassionate team, including Tim Nay (Type 6 Director), Sara Collins (Director of Advance Planning), Bonnie Cook, Susan Farquharson and her husband Bob, Ernie Gravel, Shirley Nolin, Sandra Spencer, and Tish Conca. Each member of the Dyer-Lake staff plays a vital role in providing meaningful, personalized services that honor the lives of those entrusted to their care. The funeral home is honored to have Tom as part of its team, where his expertise, dedication, and compassion will continue to serve families with the highest level of care and professionalism.

Constructed in the first quarter of the 19th century, the funeral home can be easily distinguished by its flush board siding, wide frieze board, and pilasters. It was designed to create the character of the stone structure of a Greek temple. The most unique element, is its roof line, with an enclosed glass belvedere, commonly known as a cupola. A beautiful setting, paired with kind and compassionate staff, the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home is proud to serve North Attleboro and surrounding communities.

Milestone Recap of 2024

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:02:44 GMT

Reflecting on the past year, we at Milestone Funeral Partners are grateful for each new partnership and the momentous strides made in 2024.

Milestone Funeral Partners joined forces with six new firms in January, beginning with the Baker-Gagne Funeral Homes in West Ossipee and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The firm’s legacy dates back more than a century. Originally owned and operated by a local cabinetmaker, the Baker-Gagne Funeral Home is the oldest and longest-established in Wolfeboro. Milestone also partnered with the Cheshire Family Funeral Homes in West Swanzey and Keene, New Hampshire and the Tri-State Crematory in Troy. We wrapped up the month of January with the addition of the Colonial Memorial Chapel in Lackawanna, located just south of the City of Buffalo, New York.

The month of April brought along an additional five partnerships across New Hampshire and New York. Joining us in Rochester, NH is the team at R.M. Edgerly & Son, New Hampshire’s oldest Funeral Home. Originally owned and operated by a local carriage maker, R.M. Edgerly & Son was established in 1839. The firm’s legacy proudly dates back more than 180 years. The Colonial Family Funeral Homes, with locations in Woodbourne, Liberty, Kauneonga Lake and Livingston Manor, New York also make wonderful additions to our team. Their primary location in Woorbourne is situated within a Colonial Farmhouse, built in the 1830’s. The facility was handcrafted using stones from the nearby Neversink River. Their kind and compassionate staff provide remarkable service to the local community.

Milestone partnered with two additional firms in May, both located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. The Whiter-Hendrix Funeral Home has served the residents of the Mohawk Valley and surrounding communities since 1893 and is presently the longest-operating business in Ilion, NY. They recently celebrated their 130th anniversary of dedicated service. Mohawk Valley Funerals and Cremations in Little Falls, NY, founded in 2013, also joined our team, providing excellence in service to families in their time of need, while combining affordability.

Varnum and Charbonneau Funeral Homes in West Brookfield and Warre, Massachusetts proudly joined Milestone Funeral Partners in August of this year. Their knowledgeable staff joins our team, providing service to the families of Central Massachusetts.

The Barry Funeral Home partnered with us at the start of November. Serving the families of Rome, New York and surrounding communities since 1974, their funeral directors and staff have built a reputation of honor and compassion. Also joining us in November are the William W. Tripp Funeral Home and Cheetham Funeral Home of Pawtucket, RI, marking a new state venture for Milestone Funeral Partners. Located in the Lumb Mansion, the William W. Tripp Funeral Home is an English Tudor Style, red tapestry brick mansion, meticulously constructed from 1917 until its completion in 1919. The funeral home has been in operation within the Lumb Mansion since 1957.

We closed out a wonderful year by partnering with five firms in December. This marks another new state venture for Milestone, adding the beautiful state of Connecticut. With locations in Manchester, West Hartford, and Willimantic, we are pleased to welcome the Blumenstein Funeral Home, Holmes-Watkins Funeral Home, Manchester Funeral Home, Affordable Tributes, and Potter Funeral Home.

The Milestone family is proud to have grown by 23 locations in 2024, bringing our total number of partners to over 60 firms across all six New England States and New York. Each of our distinguished firms has a rich history in their respective communities. We look forward to cultivating these new relationships and continuing our mission to grow in 2025.

For more information about Milestone Funeral Partners and each of our funeral homes, please visit www.milestonefuneralpartners.com

Media Contact:

Heather A. Rauch

Marketing Support Lead

Milestone Funeral Partners, LLC

(315)894-3781

marketing@milestonefuneralpartners.com

Julie Williams Promoted to Director of Advance Planning

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:02:43 GMT

Julie Williams Promoted to Director of Advance Planning by Milestone Funeral Partners

Auburn, ME — Milestone Funeral Partners, LLC has announced the promotion of Julie Williams to the position of Director of Advance Planning. In this new capacity, Williams will be acting as Milestone’s preneed specialist. Some of her responsibilities include; creating a team that will assist with informational sessions and seminars, meet clergy

and their congregations, discuss burial benefits with Veteran communities and help with Medicaid spenddowns, to name a few.

Julie joined Milestone Funeral Partners in April of 2024, coming from a background that was not always in funeral service. She is a certified court stenographer, having worked in the court system for many years in her home City of Toronto, Ontario. It wasn’t until her children completed college that she found her calling in death care. In pursuit of a second career, Julie attended Humber College, receiving her funeral jurisprudence. She was quickly hired by a large cemetery and funeral home on the West Side of Toronto where she realized her love for helping the living to prepare themselves and their loved ones for the inevitable. Her passion is to provide a solution to a topic that is not always easy to discuss. She is a welcoming presence in a room often filled with dread and uncertainty. Julie remarked that the gratitude received for “making this so easy to do,” is worth every moment spent.

Julie emigrated to the United States in 2018. Her tenure in the funeral industry spans 12 years, having most recently managed a team of advanced planning funeral directors in 16 funeral homes across New England. Back in Toronto, she was employed as a cemetery director and funeral preplanning director, where she found her “professional niche.”

In her spare time, Julie volunteers at a local Hospice and is a Certified Celebrant. She maintains dual citizenship between the United States and Canada. She is happily married and is the very proud Mom of two sons who reside in Toronto (for now) as well as a bonus daughter and son.

Milestone Funeral Partners’ is founded, and led by funeral directors. With Julie’s extensive knowledge in preplanning and compassionate nature, she makes a great addition to the Milestone Team.

*Submitted to Massachusetts FDA 1/16 & ICCFA 1/24/25

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Christopher Sasso as Chief Development Officer

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:02:43 GMT

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Christopher Sasso as Chief Development Officer

Auburn, ME – Milestone Funeral Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Sasso as Chief Development Officer. With an extensive background in business development, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate strategy, Sasso brings a wealth of experience to the growing organization.

Chris began his career in 1994 with a large funeral corporation as Director of Business Development, overseeing funeral and cemetery acquisitions in the Northeast. In 1996, he transitioned to their U.K. division, where he played a key role in acquisitions before eventually leading M&A efforts across 12 European countries. After returning to the U.S. in 2001, Sasso took on the role of Regional President for the corporation’s Northeast Business Unit, managing domestic and international funeral and cemetery operations. In 2005, he relocated to Houston and assumed the position of AVP of Corporate Alliances, where he was responsible for the company’s B2B marketing partnerships.

Sasso holds a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from LeMoyne College and a Juris Doctor from Pace University. He is admitted to the bar in both New York and Connecticut. Currently residing in Houston with his wife, Sasso looks forward to leveraging his vast expertise to drive the continued expansion of Milestone Funeral Partners.

“We are excited to welcome Chris to our leadership team,” said Michael Martel, CEO of Milestone Funeral Partners. “His deep industry knowledge, strategic vision, and proven track record in business development will be instrumental in shaping our future growth and partnerships. Furthermore, he’s a good man who will operate in line with our core values.”

877661-milestone-partners

Market Director Promotions

Congratulations to our Market Directors!

Congratulations to Milestone's Future of Funeral Service Scholarship Winner!

Congratulations to Milestone's

﻿ Future of Funeral Service Scholarship Winner!

2025 Year in Review

Milestone Funeral Partners - 2025 Year in Review

A Warm Welcome to the Guare & Sons Team

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Guare & Sons to the Team!

Milestone Welcomes Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home of Plaistow, NH

Welcoming Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home - Plaistow, NH

Our Urn Store™ Launches Nationally With J.J. Duffy Funeral Home, Lombardo and 60+ Milestone Funeral Partners Rooftops

About UrnSpiration™ and Our Urn Store™

About Milestone Funeral Partners

Media Contacts

Milestone welcomes the Dolby, Blais & Segee Funeral Home Group

�� Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes the Dolby, Blais & Segee Funeral Home Group to Our Family

Cheshire Family Funeral Home and Crematory Receives the Delivery of a New Retort

It has been an exciting week in New Hampshire!

New Life for Funeral Homes

MaineBiz.com - Milestone & Mainely Urns

An Excerpt from MaineBiz.com Please Follow the link for the full article.

Ownership by acquisition

Local alliance and regional growth

Brooklawn Memorial Park & Crematory GOES LIVE with first-of-its-kind website, offering cemetery property sales entirely online!

Patented platform goes live with Milestone Funeral Partners, marking a major step forward in the digital transformation of the deathcare profession

Maine Funeral Directors Association Annual Meeting - 2025

The Milestone Team had the pleasure of participating in the Maine Funeral Directors Association Annual Meeting, where they celebrated the Association's 100th anniversary.

✨ Celebrating Excellence in Massachusetts! ✨

Celebrating Excellence at MAFDA

Welcoming the Sansone Funeral Home to the Team

Welcome Sansone Funeral Home of Bristol, RI

Milestone Welcomes Lombardo Funeral Home of Greater Buffalo, NY to the Family

Welcome Lombardo Team!

Inspiration Meets UrnSpiration: A Maine Funeral Collaboration

Milestone Funeral Partners Teams with Mainely Urns to Transform the Funeral Arrangement Experience

The Avery-Storti Team Joins Milestone Funeral Partners

This is a subtitle for your new post

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes the Hooker and Whitcomb Team

Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, Barre, VT

Welcome to the Team Donovan Funeral Home

Milestone Funeral Partners welcomes Donovan Funeral Home

Milestone Funeral Partners Promotes Dakota T. Mullen to Integration Specialist

Integration Specialist - Dakota T. Mullen

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Sara Collins as Director of Advance Planning

Colonial Memorial Chapels Welcomes New Manager of Operations

Colonial Memorial Chapels Welcomes New Manager of Operations

Dyer-Lake Funeral Home Welcomes Funeral Director and Manager, Tom Paquette

Dyer-Lake Funeral Home Welcomes Funeral Director and Manager, Tom Paquette

Milestone Recap of 2024

Julie Williams Promoted to Director of Advance Planning

Julie Williams Promoted to Director of Advance Planning by Milestone Funeral Partners

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Christopher Sasso as Chief Development Officer

Milestone Funeral Partners Welcomes Christopher Sasso as Chief Development Officer

Future of Funeral Service Scholarship Winner!