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D
uring careers and work lives, folks can become proud
and thankful for the people that share a workplace. At
Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory we are
grateful for coworkers who have helped each other in
the quest to serve people at possibly the worst moments of their
lives. In 2019, we are especially appreciative of our coworkers, and
so are folks not from our funeral home.
The National Funeral Directors Association is one such
appreciative group. The NFDA administers an achievement
program called the Pursuit of Excellence. It is open to all 11,000 or
so member funeral homes, nationally and internationally. In 2018,
Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory earned the Pursuit
of Excellence award, along with only 159 other funeral homes. The
year 2018 marks the 16th consecutive year, since 2003, that our
funeral home has earned this prestigious award. But there was
even bigger news in 2018.
Each year the Pursuit of Excellence program selects “The Best of
the Best” from those firms that achieved the award. In 2018, there
were three firms selected. One was from Singapore, one was from
Colombia, South America, and one was from the Woodland Hills
area. That funeral home is the Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and
Crematory of East Pittsburgh and Turtle Creek.
We have been highly honored, and overwhelmingly humbled,
for being named the only “Best of the Best” funeral home in the
United States.
Also, in 2018, we have been excited for one of our co-workers,
Stephanie Doriguzzi Despot, who was installed as the President
of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association. Stephanie is
a licensed funeral director who has been a valuable part of our
staff for 12 years and serves as the supervisor for our Turtle Creek/
Monroeville Chapel. A big congratulations to Stephanie and a
“thank you” for representing our profession in such a sacrificing,
consumer-oriented manner.
In the September issue of one of the leading periodicals in
funeral service, The American Funeral Director, an article was
published recognizing eight mortuary school graduates from
across the United States. They were deemed by the article as
“Ones to Watch.” One of those eight was Joseph Strednak who is
currently a Resident Intern with Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home
and Crematory. Joe will become a licensed funeral director at the
end of his one-year internship period.
And as much as we are so very pleased with these recognitions
and awards, we are also proud of our other professional staff
folks. Paul Borgony, who hails from North Braddock, has been a
licensed funeral director for 35 years and our coworker for the
past nine years. Nick Ricci, a Woodland Hills graduate and Forest
Hills resident, has been a coworker since he was in high school
and a licensed funeral director for over two years. Nick also is an
instructor at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
We are all honored to serve the families of the Woodland Hills
area and beyond, as we strive to serve the living, while caring for
those who have died.
•Pre-Arrangements •Traditional
•Cremation •Green
Patrick T.
Lanigan
Funeral Director
Stephanie L.
Doriguzzi
Funeral Director
Paul J.
Borgony
Funeral Director
Nicholas A.
Ricci
Funeral Director
Joseph
Strednak
Funeral Intern /
Certified Crematory
Operator (CCO)
Patrick T. Lanigan, Funeral Director/Owner. Pat is a 1972 graduate of Indiana University
of PA and a 1973 graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He became a
licensed funeral director in 1975 and has owned and operated the Lanigan Funeral Home
since 1975. He has served as president of both the Allegheny County Funeral Directors
Association and the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association. He was a member of
the Executive Board of the National Funeral Directors Association from 2005 – 2007. Pat
has also served as president of the Forest Hills Lions Club and the Westinghouse Valley
Chamber of Commerce. He is a member and volunteer of St. Maurice Church in Forest Hills,
as well as a member of the board of the Caring Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, which
sponsors the Caring Place, a center for grieving children.
WOODLAND HILLS
❘
SPRING 2019
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