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Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home provides funeral and memorial services based on each family's needs and preferences, including traditional funerals, memorial services, burial arrangements, cremation services, military funeral services, and services accommodating a variety of religious traditions.

Our team can help families understand their options and create arrangements that reflect their wishes.

Funeral costs depend on the services and arrangements you choose. Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home offers a range of options designed to accommodate different needs and budgets while providing families with comfortable, well-maintained facilities.

Our team can explain available options and costs clearly before arrangements are made.

If a death occurs outside New Jersey, contact Vander May Funeral Home as soon as possible. We can help coordinate with funeral homes and other providers in the United States and abroad and guide your family through the next steps.

Our team is available by phone 24 hours a day at 973-696-2900.

Pre-planning allows you to document your wishes before they are needed, reducing the number of difficult decisions your family may have to make during a time of grief.

Vander May Funeral Home can help you consider preferences for funeral services, burial or cremation, visitation, religious services, and other arrangements so your family has clear guidance.

Ready to get started?
• Complete the Pre-Planning Form to begin gathering the personal information and preferences that will help guide your arrangements.
• Call 973-696-2900 to speak with Vander May Funeral Home about pre-planning.
• Email info@vandermay.com with questions or to request additional guidance.

Yes. New Jersey allows individuals to set aside funds for future funeral expenses through a funeral trust. Vander May Funeral Home can help you review your current wishes and estimated costs so you can determine an appropriate amount to set aside.

Pre-planning consultations are available at no cost, and we can explain how the funding process works and what happens if your plans or location change.

It can be helpful to document important digital accounts and instructions, including email, social media, banking, investments, insurance, subscriptions, cloud storage, devices, photographs, business accounts, and other online services.

Vander May's Digital Footprint & Password Checklist provides a structured way to identify these accounts and record what you would like to happen to them.

Sensitive passwords should not be stored in an unsecured document or easily accessible location.

Vander May's Digital Footprint & Password Checklist recommends keeping account information securely stored and making sure a trusted person knows where to find it when needed.

A Funeral and Disposition Agent is a person formally appointed to control funeral arrangements and the final disposition of someone's remains after death. New Jersey provides a specific form for making this appointment under N.J.S.A. 45:27-22.

New Jersey's Appointment of Agent to Control the Funeral and Disposition of Remains form allows an adult to designate a Funeral and Disposition Agent.

The completed form must be signed in the presence of two witnesses and a notary. Copies should then be given to the appointed agent and other appropriate individuals or organizations.

If no appointed agent is able to act, New Jersey law establishes an order of priority for who may control funeral arrangements and the disposition of remains. The general order includes a surviving spouse, followed by adult children, parents, siblings, and other next of kin.

New Jersey law establishes who has the authority to control funeral arrangements and the disposition of remains. A person may also formally appoint a Funeral and Disposition Agent to make these decisions. Without a valid appointment, authority generally follows the order established under New Jersey law. A Power of Attorney does not necessarily determine who controls funeral arrangements after death.

A common misconception is that someone who holds Power of Attorney will automatically have authority over funeral arrangements. However, a Power of Attorney generally ends at the time of death, so that authority does not automatically carry over to funeral decisions. Without a valid Funeral and Disposition Agent appointment, authority generally follows the order established under New Jersey law.

If you have questions about who would have authority in your specific situation, contact Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home at 973-696-2900 or info@vandermay.com for guidance.

Vander May Funeral Home provides a step-by-step obituary-writing guide to help families tell a loved one's life story. An obituary can include their name, age, hometown, family history, education, career, military service, personality, hobbies, relationships, funeral arrangements, and memorial donation information.

Once the obituary is complete, it can be emailed to info@vandermay.com along with a photograph to accompany the obituary. Vander May recommends contacting the funeral home if the obituary has not appeared on the website within 24 hours.

No. Vander May Funeral Home does not charge families to post a Life Story or obituary on vandermay.com.

Families are encouraged to include as much meaningful information as possible so the obituary can serve as a lasting record for future generations.

No. An obituary is not required to be published in a newspaper. Families may choose to publish an obituary online instead.

Vander May Funeral Home posts Life Stories and obituaries on vandermay.com at no cost, allowing family and friends to access and share service information online.