Old Bridge Kiwanis Club Names David Hernandez Jr. 2016 Business Leader of the Year

Old Bridge, NJ, May 13, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​When the Old Bridge Kiwanis Club decided to award their inaugural Business Leader of the Year Award, they didn’t have to go very far.  Their first recipient is David Hernandez Jr., owner of Old Bridge Funeral Home, and a fellow member of the Kiwanis Club.

“David owns and operates one of the town’s leading businesses and he’s been a wonderful supporter of our club,” says Old Bridge Kiwanis Club President Mary Spina.  “We know first hand about his contributions to the community and his business acumen.”

"David is a true example of a business leader that looks beyond his own interests and constantly gives back. He is a worthy recipient of this award and a wonderful example of what it means to be a Kiwanis Club member."

Mary Spina, President, Old Bridge Kiwanis Club

David, known to many as “David Lee,” began his career in funeral service at the age of 12, traveling to work with his mother in a cemetery to chase geese off of the grounds. After his internship at Waitt Funeral Home, he became a licensed funeral director and began his career in the area. He and his family ultimately purchased Waitt Funeral Home in Morganville and Old Bridge Funeral Home.

He has since expanded his family’s business into a company called Jersey Memorial Group, which owns and operates several funeral homes throughout the state.  In addition to Old Bridge, they include Oceanside Memorial Home in Lake Como, Waitt Funeral Home in Morganville and Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home in Pennsauken.

“I am truly humbled and grateful to receive this award from my peers,” says Hernandez, Jr. “The members of the Kiwanis Club are community-minded businesspeople who constantly work to give back to our local charitable organizations.  It’s an honor to count myself one of them and to be recognized with this new award.”

Spina notes that the Old Bridge Kiwanis Club is comprised of the best and brightest business leaders in the area and focuses on numerous civic and charitable projects in the community, especially with local schools. These projects strive to teach children, at an early age, how to give back to their community. 

“David is a true example of a business leader that looks beyond his own interests and constantly gives back,” notes Spina.  “He is a worthy recipient of this award and a wonderful example of what it means to be a Kiwanis Club member.”

David is active in each community the funeral homes serve; he is Charter Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Manalapan, member of the Old Bridge- Sayreville- South Amboy Chamber of Commerce, Matawan Aberdeen Chamber and Greater Spring Lake Chamber, and PMAC-Pennsauken. He has served as on officer in Middlesex Sommerset Funeral Directors Association and is also a member of New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, and National Funeral Directors Association. He attends Calvary Chapel Old Bridge. In addition to being a licensed funeral director in New Jersey, he also holds funeral director and embalmers licenses in Pennsylvania and Connecticut as well as a New Jersey Life Insurance Producers License. He is also a Notary, a service he provides free to the community.

About Jersey Memorial Group:

Jersey Memorial Group is family-owned and operated by the Hernandez family and offers state-of-the-art facilities, products and services to families saying a final farewell to their loved one. Since 1965, they have been dedicated to helping families create memorable testimonies to the lives of their loved ones while guiding them through the bereavement process.  For more information, please visit http://www.jerseymemorial.com.

Source: Jersey Memorial Group