Our History

Making a difference through family and community is more than just a statement it is our promise. We stand behind our reputation and will continue to serve our community with the utmost value and respect because we live here too.

The name and location of our funeral home has changed over the years. Our funeral home started in the early 1950s by Frank and his wife Geraldine Halpin. Frank and Geraldine served the community as licensed funeral directors and were very well known.  Their son Frank Halpin Jr. also became a licensed funeral director in the mid 1970s and he joined his parents in the family business. Twenty years later after the death of his father he took over as the manager. Frank Jr. and his mother continued to work together side by side until her death. Frank Jr. was well respected for serving the community until his death in 2012.

In 2014 Frank Jr’s children decided to devote all of their time towards their own separate careers passing along the funeral home to Daniel and Joan Bitecola, along with their sons, Clifford Bitecola and our current manager Daniel Bitecola III.  While Clifford is not active in the funeral home operations, you will continue to see him from time to time.   

Since the Bitecola family has owned the funeral home, they have become a fixture in the Bloomfield community. Immersing themselves in the community through involvement in various churches in the area, assisting with several charities and sponsoring fundraisers and events from both police and fire departments their service reaches beyond the funeral industry. Renovations began to update the facilities with more modern amenities while keeping the home like setting. A few more team members have joined our team. Daniel Bitecola III’s wife Melanie started working on a part-time basis in 2015. She found her passion for assisting families and became a licensed funeral director in 2019. In 2018 Annalyse Juarez began part-time while completing her funeral director internship. In 2019 Annalyse became a first-generation licensed funeral director. Currently Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral and Cremation Service has an intern, Cassara Marion, who is on pace to become licensed funeral directors in 2024.

With a tradition for service, in 2017 Halpin-Bitecola Brookdale Funeral Home won their first of four, National Funeral Directors Association’s prestigious Pursuit of Excellence Awards. In 2019 Daniel and Melanie won the Spotlight Award from the Suburban Essex Chamber of Commerce, for their community involvement. Daniel is the 2022 Businessman of the year with the Bloomfield Policeman Benevolent Association. Halpin-Bitecola was invited to become a member of the Selected Independent Funeral Homes Association in 2022.

Everyone is always welcome to stop in to visit our home and meet our family and team