The Dancy Funeral Home story began in 1947 when George R. Dancy and his wife, Dorothy S. Dancy, opened a funeral home and furniture store on Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell. Ever enterprising, their furniture showroom sold the very first television set in Caldwell.
In 1950, the Dancys moved the funeral home to its current location at 9 Smull Avenue, where it has remained a trusted part of the community ever since. George and Dorothy remained dedicated to serving families in West Essex until their retirement in 1980, when their son, Matthew A. Dancy, assumed management. The Dancys were active participants in the life of the Caldwell community, building a reputation for care, dignity, and local connection.
In 2013, stewardship of the firm passed to the Ippolito family, a fourth-generation funeral service family with deep roots in North Jersey. The Ippolito legacy began in 1900 when Paul Ippolito, Sr. had come to this country and settled in Orange, NJ, where he established a tailor shop, as he was a tailor by trade. Eventually, with the encouragement of relatives in an established funeral business in Jersey City, he began an undertaking business, as it was referred to then.
Since the undertaking business had flourished, Paul Sr. decided to discontinue the tailoring business, and in 1917, Paul Ippolito Memorial Funeral Home was founded on Henry Street in Orange, where it remained until March 2015. Upon Paul Sr.’s passing in 1927, his wife Annie Ippolito carried on the family business, joined in the 1930s by their sons Paul Jr. and George, and eventually, in the 1970s, Paul Ippolito III and Anne Ippolito joined their father in the family business.
The family expanded their services by establishing new locations in Summit (1952) and Berkeley Heights (1957). In the 1990s, the fourth generation—Angela, Paul IV, Andrea, and Anthony Ippolito—joined their father, expanding their service to West Essex by acquiring Dancy Funeral Home and renaming it Paul Ippolito-Dancy Memorial in 2013. After closing their Orange location in 2015, the family focused their efforts in Caldwell, Summit, and Berkeley Heights. Angela and Paul later retired, and in 2025, the Ippolito family entrusted the Dancy Funeral Home to another fourth-generation funeral home family, the Prouts.
The Prout family has served the West Essex area for more than a century. In 1924, Michael C. Prout and his wife, Mary Reilly Prout, opened the first stand-alone funeral home in Verona—a significant step forward at a time when most funerals were conducted in private homes. Michael, originally a carpenter and postal worker in Montclair, had trained at the Renouard School for Embalmers in New York City, earning licensure in both New Jersey and New York. Together, Michael and Mary built a business rooted in compassion, professionalism, and innovation.
The original Prout Funeral Home was located at 595 Bloomfield Avenue in Verona before moving to its current location at 370 Bloomfield Avenue in 1952. Their son Frank and his wife, Jeanne, became the second generation to lead the firm, overseeing a major expansion in 1974.
The third generation, Bob and Meg Prout, modernized the business with a focus on sustainability, including installing solar panels in 2005. Now in its fourth generation under Julia R. Prout and Steven R. Prout, along with Julia’s husband Michael J. Schumell, the family has introduced advanced technology, digital planning tools, and continued their longstanding community engagement.
As the oldest continuously operating funeral home family in the West Essex area, the Prouts bring a deep respect for local tradition and a forward-thinking approach to funeral care. Their ties to Caldwell run deep—Bob Prout grew up in town, attended St. Aloysius School, and was active in the parish, scouting, and West Essex 4H. His father, Frank, and brother, Tom, also served the community with the West Essex First Aid Squad. Continuing this long streak of community connection, Julia R. Prout is a proud graduate of Mount Saint Dominic Academy.
Today, Dancy Funeral Home proudly continues its service to Caldwell and surrounding communities under the Prout family’s leadership. With a legacy of over 100 years in funeral service and a century of shared values, the Prout family honors the traditions established by the Dancys and Ippolitos, while guiding families with care, dignity, and heartfelt connection in every step of the journey.
