Our Staff

John-Michael “J.M.” Jones has been a funeral director and manager with Gray Funeral Directors of Westfield and Cranford, since 2010. J.M. began his career in funeral service in 1979 as a high school junior growing up in Punta Gorda, FL, where he worked for a classmate’s family funeral home. He graduated with a BA degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville in 1984, then enrolled in mortuary science school in Miami, graduating cum laude with an AS degree in Funeral Service Education in 1986 from Miami-Dade College.

J.M. began a 20 year career with the Kraeer Funeral Home group, based in Pompano Beach, FL, where he managed the firm’s Coral Springs, FL and Boca Raton, FL locations. In 1991, he earned an MBA degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, while working his way up to General Manager of the firm’s 13 funeral homes. In 2000 he was appointed regional manager of the Southeast Florida Market of The Loewen Group, Inc, which was the firm’s parent company. J.M. oversaw the firm’s 24 funeral home, cemetery, and crematory properties and operations from Jupiter, FL down to Key West, FL. In 2003, he helped transition the market into the newly reorganized company, which became the Alderwoods Group, based in Toronto, CN. J.M. was elected District Director for the Florida Funeral Directors Association, representing the Fort Lauderdale area. He was later nominated to the Executive Committee, and served as the association’s Secretary/Treasurer. J.M. was appointed to the association’s Legislative Committee, which wrote a proposal to amend the State of Florida statutes to combine both the state’s Board of Funeral Directing and the Board of Cemeteries, into one regulatory board. This was mandated by then Governor Jeb Bush, in an effort to streamline state government. The proposal was later enacted into legislation and became law. He taught mortuary law and business management at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. And also taught high school history, economics, and government.

J.M. has been a funeral director and manager with Gray's since February 1, 2010. He is married to the lovely Jennifer Ann (nee Torres), who grew up in Westfield and Mountainside, where they live. They are members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, where they teach CCD classes. Jennifer is the President of the Promo Café, a promotional marketing firm. J.M. is a Lector, and member of the Brothers in Christ Men's Ministry at their church. He currently serves as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Msgr. Henry J. Watterson Council #1711, Westfield, and is the Captain of the Knights of Columbus Watchung Assembly 4th Degree. J.M. is the President and a Charter Member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westfield. Daughter Christina Jones Frieman is a psychiatric nurse practitioner studying at Columbia University in New York. Her husband Jamie an Accounting professor from Rutgers University, will soon be joining the faculty of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. They have a son: Wyatt. J.M.'s son, Matthew is a Cadet, completing his sophomore year at The Citadel Military College in Charleston, SC. J.M.'s youngest son, Mark is a junior and ice hockey player at Governor Livingston High School, in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Dale Schoustra has been with Gray Funeral Homes since June of 1988 as a funeral director and became Manager of Gray Memorial in 1993.

Dale started his interest in funeral service at age seventeen while in Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, New Jersey. He started out as a parking attendant at a local funeral home in Bergen County. As he got involved in other aspects of the business, he was encouraged by his employer and his parents to look at a career in funeral service. Following his calling for his life work, he followed that path by going to Bergen Community College, and then on to the American Academy Mc Allister Institute Of Funeral Service in New York City.

Growing up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, he served his apprenticeship at C.C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home in the same town. He came to Westfield, and Cranford and met Christine M. Barber. She is a lifelong resident of Cranford, and a true Jersey Girl (Bruce Springsteen fan). They got married in 1994. They have two children, Jonathan, and Kelly. Jon works as a parking lot attendant and tends door here at Gray’s. Kelly is a student at Clemson University (Go Tigers) in South Carolina with a major in pre-business.

Dale came to love Cranford, Westfield, Garwood and the surrounding communities to which he serves. He is a member and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Cranford, and the Cranford Elks, and the Azure Masada Lodge. When he is not working, he enjoys his family first and foremost, and also enjoys golf and watching a good football game.

Along with William Doyle, and J.M. Jones; Dale runs the Gray Funeral Homes as if they were his own. As he likes to put it,“ it is his old school upbringing” that trickles down to the families he serves, and their loved ones. Treating everyone with the utmost dignity and respect, is important to him. With our path of Life Celebration, we can bring out a life that is and was well lived. Dale likes to think that he went into funeral service for the right reasons, and that is to help people through a most difficult time.

The late William A. Doyle was a funeral director and manager with Gray Funeral Homes for more than 55 years of service. Sadly, Bill passed away on November 4, 2019, a little more than a month shy of his 90th birthday.

With more than 65 years of experience, young William decided he wanted to be a funeral director since his formative years as a 7th grader. While visiting a friend’s house for lunch, Bill heard his friend’s father, who was a funeral director, remark on how nice the checks were that they had received that week “for three days work.” That set in motion what would later become his life’s vocation. He would soon find out that it wasn’t just ”three days work”, but 365 days work, and being available 24/7 including weekends, and holidays.

Born in Newark on December 8th, 1929, to the late James and Elizabeth Fox Doyle, Bill has a sister, Claire Doyle Smith, and a brother, the late James Doyle. He was raised in Newark, where he attended Blessed Sacrament School, St. Joseph’s School, and St. Benedict’s Prep School. Upon graduation, in 1947, he began a three year internship with the James F. Caffrey & Son Funeral Home in Newark. It was during this time that a funeral director friend, Andy Flood, set him up on a blind date, with the lovely Alice Vermilyea. Soon after, world events changed Bill’s plans. The Korean War broke out, and mortuary science school would have to wait, as Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was sent to the Naval Hospital Corps. School in Bainbridge, MD, where he was trained as a medic. Before he was sent overseas to Japan and Korea, he and Alice, his soul mate, were married, on February 2, 1952, in Saint Mary’s Abby Church, Newark. Medics were in high demand on the ground, so the Navy transferred Bill to the US Marines, 1st Division in Korea. He would remain there for a year and a half. After his tour there, he was transferred to the Naval Hospital in Japan. He agreed to an overseas extension in Japan, where he was later joined by his young bride, Alice and their first child, Carol, with their second child Bill Jr. “on the way.” They lived in Japan until Bill’s duty ended in December 1955.

With the war over, and Bill’s service to his country has ended, it was time to get back to his life’s work i.e. having lots of kids, and working long hours as a funeral director. Bill completed his studies at the McAllister School of Mortuary Science, New York City and passed his state board exams to become a licensed funeral director and embalmer in New Jersey. He was eventually able to find a full time position with the former Weatherhead Funeral Home in Orange. He later worked at Arthur K. Brown, in Montclair, and Haeberle & Barth in Irvington and Union. In 1958, Bill learned that Mr. Fred H.Gray Sr. was looking for a funeral director for his Westfield and Cranford funeral homes. He accepted what was then a generous offer, and never looked back. In 1966 Gray’s would become part of the Crabiel group of funeral homes. David B. Crabiel, founder, and president would later name Bill to the positions of manager, and executive director of Gray’s. Bill has served his community and profession well over his many years of service. Having been active with many civic groups such as the Lions, the Knights of Columbus, and the board of the Westfield Senior Housing, Bill also served in various committees and positions with the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, and the Union County Funeral Directors Association.

He was a committed supporter of religious mission work and US military veterans groups. He and Alice’s love for each other produced eight children: Carol Ann Dinsmore (Robert), William A. Jr. (Claudia), James K. (Linda), Kathleen Dinsmore, Timothy, Thomas (Rose), Patrick, and Mark (Veronica). There are now 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Where it stops no one knows!