We are excited to announce the appointment of Bob Ekins as Vice President of Field Operations at Newcomer Funeral Service Group. In this role, Bob will work closely with our teams across the country, reporting directly to our Chief Operating Officer, Perry Hasselbeck. Bob brings with him nearly 30 years of experience in the funeral and cemetery profession, along with a strong record of leadership, innovation, and service. After earning his degree in Business Management from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, Bob began his career with Batesville Casket Company in 1996. He went on to hold leadership roles with Forethought Financial Services (now Global Atlantic), where he guided funeral home and cemetery owners in trust and pre-need solutions, and Trust 100, a leader in advance funeral planning. Most recently, Bob served at Johnson Consulting Group, one of the largest brokerage and business consulting firms in the industry, advancing to the role of Chief Revenue Officer. “Bob’s deep knowledge of our profession, coupled with his proven leadership and ability to build strong relationships, make him an excellent addition to our leadership team,” said Perry Hasselbeck, COO. “I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to strengthen our operations and serve families with care and compassion.” John Newcomer, President, added: “We are excited to welcome Bob to our organization. His extensive background and commitment to supporting funeral service professionals will be a tremendous asset as we carry forward our mission of providing high-quality, affordable care to the families we serve.” Bob and his wife Katie live in Cincinnati and are the proud parents of two children who are both in college. We are pleased to welcome Bob to the Newcomer team and look forward to the impact he will make for our associates, our profession, and most importantly, the families and communities we serve. September 16, 2025

Recognizing excellence in funeral service.

Newcomer’s long-time partner, National Guardian Life, recently announced that 27 preplanning associates from across our organization have qualified for the 2024 Producer Circle. The Circle recognizes top contributors for their production over the previous year. Last month, many of our qualifiers enjoyed a Royal Caribbean cruise to Labadee, Haiti in recognition of their efforts. We’ve always known that preneed sales are vital to secure the future of our company, and we continue to invest in training, technology and tools to help our sales team succeed. We appreciate our entire team’s efforts in helping families make advance arrangements, gaining security and peace of mind. Congratulations to all Producers Circle qualifiers! 

We are excited to announce that Grayson Funeral Homes in Charlestown and New Washington, Indiana have joined Newcomer Funeral Service Group. Grayson strengthens our presence in Southern Indiana and the Greater Louisville area.  President John Newcomer said, “We are pleased to welcome the Grayson Funeral Homes and their associates to our company and support them as they provide exceptional funeral and cremation services to Southern Indiana.” Speaking of the transition, Chris Grayson shared, “My family and our associates are honored to serve Charlestown and New Washington and care for families as if they were our own. We are comfortable joining the Newcomer family knowing they share our values of service and that Grayson Funeral Homes will continue to provide the best care possible to Southern Indiana.” Photos from left: Grayson Funeral Home in Charlestown, IN, Group photo, from left: Ren Newcomer, Chris Grayson and John Newcomer. Grayson Funeral Home in New Washington, IN.

We are pleased to announce that Cannon Funeral Home and Jones Funeral Home in Colonie, New York have joined Newcomer Funeral Service Group. The funeral homes will continue to be led by John H. Cannon, who has served thousands of Capital Region families throughout his 44-year career. This acquisition complements Newcomer’s existing presence in the area, where we serve families from locations in Colonie and Latham.  President John Newcomer said, “Our family has known John Cannon for many years, and we are pleased to welcome John and his associates to our company and support them as they provide exceptional funeral and cremation services to the Capital Region.” Speaking of the transition, John Cannon shared, “My team and I are honored to serve this community and care for families as if they were our own. By joining with the Newcomer family, I am confident that together with our superb staff, Cannon Funeral Home and Jones Funeral Home will continue to provide the best care possible to the Capital Region.” The funeral homes will continue to operate under the same name, with the same great team. Newcomer will provide additional support as needed to continue the Cannon and Jones tradition of excellence. Photos: Cannon Funeral Home, Colonie, NY. Group photo, from left: John Cannon, Glen Ward, Ren Newcomer and John Newcomer.

Our Advance Planning Specialists and Leadership Team recently attended an inspiring sales summit at the beautiful JAWACDAH Farm in Batesville. This event was all about deepening our commitment to provide the very best funeral preplanning support for our communities.  The team was excited to bring back fresh insights and approaches to better serve our families with confidence and care. We want to extend a big “thank you” to our Learning & Development team who facilitated the summit and to all our associates at our funeral homes and cemeteries for their extra efforts which allowed their colleagues to attend this important event.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2023 Warren J. Newcomer Awards! The awards were established 24 years ago in honor of third-generation funeral director Warren J. Newcomer to recognize outstanding associates who consistently deliver exceptional service. These awards celebrate deserving teams and associates in every role within our company who provide superior service to families and exemplify our Core Values of Excellence, Trust, Care and Growth.  Awards are given to the funeral home, funeral director, advanced planning specialist, administrator, care team associate, support staff associate, cemetery associate and home office associate of the year. Additionally, this year we inducted a tenured associate with a proven track record of excellence into our Masters Club. Congratulations to all honorees!

New Comer Cremations & Funerals, a trusted name in cremation and funeral service with established funeral homes in Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, New York, has acquired Melvin J. Sliwinski Funeral Home at 5090 Transit Road in Depew. This allows New Comer to offer high quality, affordable cremation and funeral services to the Buffalo community.  With a history of dedicated service and a commitment to offering low-cost services, New Comer brings its compassionate care to Buffalo along with the Sliwinski family legacy, which has been a trusted name in the community for generations. “As New Comer expands its presence to Buffalo, we are pleased to acquire Melvin J. Sliwinski Funeral Home and bring our longstanding tradition of compassion and affordability to the community,” said Ren Newcomer, Founder of New Comer Cremations & Funerals. “We understand the importance of providing exceptional funeral services at affordable prices, and we look forward to serving Buffalo with the same level of care that has made us a trusted name in upstate New York.” David Sliwinski, longtime owner and funeral director at Melvin J. Sliwinski Funeral Home, said “I have been going through personal health concerns in recent months and the time has come to consider the future for my funeral home. I am happy to have found a family-owned organization that shares my family’s values, compassion and interest in the community to carry on the legacy of the funeral home after my retirement.” The transition to New Comer has combined the strengths of both organizations, offering a wide range of cremation and funeral services tailored to meet the needs of Buffalo families.

Rochester, NY – Newcomer Funeral Service Group, a family-owned and operated funeral home and cremation service provider, is pleased to announce that we have acquired Rochester Cremation, strengthening Newcomer’s existing presence in Rochester and throughout upstate New York.  Rochester Cremation, founded by Scott and Pamela Meeson, has grown to become the leading provider of simple cremation services in the area. Rochester Cremation will continue to operate autonomously under the same name, with the same great team. Newcomer’s President and fifth-generation funeral director, John Newcomer, said, “The Meesons have been friends of our family for years and we’ve watched them and their team build Rochester Cremation into the highly successful and respected cremation service provider that it is today. We’re honored to welcome them to Newcomer.” Scott Meeson said, “My family and I have been honored to serve this community and we’re pleased to continue to do so with the support of the Newcomer family. I am confident that together with our superb staff, we will continue to provide the best care possible to our community.”

Earlier this month we gathered our funeral home and cemetery leaders together for a retreat at the always-lovely JAWACDAH Farm. Amidst the fun, games and laughter, the group considered the many hats worn by funeral home leaders.  At any given moment, a leader might need to play a coaching role, act as a problem-solver, respond to a crisis, coach a team member, evaluate location performance, act as a cheerleader, step in as a funeral director or mediate between individuals. Switching effectively between roles was discussed, as were the topics of team-building, coaching, and building a network of support. We expect our funeral home managers to support the associates on their team, and it is crucial for them to have a support network of their own for encouragement, ideas and inspiration. Events like our national meetings help our leaders to foster connections with their peers and other leaders. We want to extend a big “thank you” to our Learning & Development team who facilitated this wonderful event and to all our associates at our funeral homes and cemeteries for their extra efforts which allowed their managers to attend this important event

Newcomer Funeral Service Group is pleased to announce that it has acquired Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home & Crematory and Cheyenne Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Cheyenne, WY.  The Radomsky family has served Cheyenne and the Laramie County area for two generations, led most recently by Jon Radomsky and his wife, Bridgette. Jon is a second-generation funeral director who succeeded his father in the ownership of the business in 2007. Radomsky said, “My family and I have been honored to serve the Cheyenne community for decades and we’re pleased to continue to do so with the support of Newcomer Funeral Service Group. Newcomer is a family-owned company just like us, and I am confident that together with our superb staff, we will continue to provide excellent service to our community.” The Radomsky’s business complements Newcomer’s presence in Wyoming and Colorado, joining Newcomer’s existing funeral homes in Casper, WY and Denver, CO. Newcomer’s President and fifth-generation funeral director, John Newcomer, said, “The Radomskys and their team have earned a reputation for caring and professional service in the Cheyenne community. We’re honored to welcome them to Newcomer and further our commitment to serving families in Wyoming and along the Front Range.” Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes and Cheyenne Memorial Gardens Cemetery will continue to operate under the same name, with Jon and Bridgette Radomsky managing the business and serving families. Newcomer will provide administrative and managerial support as needed.