The Ocean Grove Memorial Home is a closely held, family owned, privately operated local funeral home. We are not part of a large national or statewide corporation.
The Ocean Grove Memorial Home is operated as a trade name business by a corporation (registered with the State of New Jersey as the Farry Memorial Home, Inc.).
Another funeral business entity under a second trade name, Farry Memorial Home was also operated by the FMH, Inc. corporation until December of 2003. Between 1997 and 2003, both funeral "businesses" operated at the 118 Main Avenue address in Ocean Grove...one location, but officially, two businesses, each registered individually with the New Jersey State Board of Mortuary Science.
"Farry Memorial Home" was the name of the "parent" funeral home in Asbury Park at the time that the Ocean Grove Memorial Home "branch" was established. A little confusing, isn't it. Nevertheless, that's how the names were registered with the New Jersey State Board of Mortuary Science.
The sole owner of the stock of the Farry Memorial Home, Inc. (the corporation that owns the trade name business, Ocean Grove Memorial Home) is Thomas J. Saragusa. The Waltons sold all their holdings in the corporation and the funeral business to Tom Saragusa in May of 2005. (Although widely believed to have been an owner, Don Newman, a former employee, never held any ownership interest in the Ocean Grove Memorial Home...the only individuals who ever owned interest in the Ocean Grove Memorial Home were William P. Walton, Jr, his wife, Mildred, William P. Walton, III, his wife, Heather, and now Tom Saragusa.
For legal reasons, a limited liability corporation, OGMH Properties, LLC owns the OGMH building...the real estate (the land) is, of course, owned by the Ocean Grove Campmeeting Association which leases the land to OGMH Properties. Tom Saragusa is the sole owner of OGMH Properties.
Separately from the Ocean Grove Memorial Home, Tom, owns and operates a funeral home in Long Branch, The Flock Funeral Home, Inc. Both Tom and his father, Jim, at one time worked for the Reilly Funeral Home in Belmar but neither owned any of that business. In addition to his duties at the Ocean Grove Memorial Home, Tom professionally assists several other funeral homes in the local area.
Regardless of the confusion noted in these paragraphs, the funeral home and it's facilities are a closely and privately held operation. The funeral home is NOT owned in any part by either another corporation nor a funeral conglomerate as many funeral homes are today. The Ocean Grove Memorial Home is independently and family owned.
We don't answer to stockholders . . . we answer to you!