Meet Our Staff - Ridgewood, NJ

Michele Dischler De Bellis

Manager, NJ Lic. No. 5195

After a career in the life sciences and clinical research, I began searching for a more meaningful profession where I could employ my love of helping others.  This exploration led me to the field of Funeral Service, where I have been proud to serve families in our community ever since.

I have been with Feeney Funeral Home since 2016.  I earned my Funeral Service degree in 2017 from Eastwick College.  I graduated as Valedictorian and was awarded the “Excellence in an Applied Science Degree for Funeral Service”.  Shortly thereafter I became a Licensed Funeral Director.

When a family comes to me in their time of need, I am always ready to help them create a funeral service that will not only serve to honor and remember their loved one, but will also assist them in transitioning to the process of grieving.  The quality of care and compassion that a family receives at this most difficult period can have a profound effect on their lives moving forward, and it is my personal mission to make this time as dignified and memorable as possible.

In my free time I like to read, learn new culinary techniques and recipes, host family gatherings, and spend time with my husband and children.

Mr. David B. Feeney CFSP, CPC

Senior Funeral Director, NJ Lic. No. 3482

Having grown up in the funeral business, I knew from an early age that compassion was, and is, the key to being with families who are in what probably is the worst time of their lives: the death of a loved one. Beginning in 1921, when my grandfather, John J. Feeney started this business, compassion was the foundation on which this business was built.

I believe that funeral director should give back to the community they live in. To help my community in any capacity is a way to say "thank you" for the faith that community members have placed in me. Being involved in community affairs brings me into frequent contact with many people I have served.

I am currently a member of the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club and the Ridgewood Stablehands and a parishioner of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel RC Church, Ridgewood.

I learned from my father and uncle that compassion begins at the initial contact with the family and continues long after the funeral has ended. The service we extend after the funeral is one of the reasons we have received the National Funeral Directors Pursuit of Excellence Award each year since 1994 and were inducted into the National Funeral Directors Association 'Hall of Excellence' in 2006. The Hall of Excellence is a great honor. The greatest honor bestowed on us, however, is serving families in their time of need with the compassion that has been our hallmark since 1921.

Ariya Scala

Trainee

Ariya is a lifelong Ridgewood resident. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ariya felt a strong urge to begin her journey towards a career in the funeral service industry. She is a recent graduate of Mid-America College of Funeral Service and is on her way to obtaining her license.

In her free time Ariya enjoys singing, making art, watching movies, baking, spending time with her dog, and being a part-time dog walker.

Lynne Feeney

Ambassador

Since Dave and I were married in 1983, I have been working and associated with Feeney’s. For many years, I kept our name in the public eye; chairing numerous charity events, belonging to various social clubs, and being very active in the school activities. I am an active parishioner at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church in Ridgewood. I also ran our G.R.O.W. (Grief Recovery Outreach Workshops) in the 1990’s, and, 2003, I received the Jacob Van Dyke service award from the Ridgewood YMCA for my years of conducting G.R.O.W. groups in their facility. Since 2004, I have been a Biology Teacher at Ridgewood High School, teaching both general Biology and AP biology. Dave still comes home after making arrangements and tells me that the family asked him if he was “Mrs. Feeney’s husband”. 

Billy Flynn

Ambassador

I have been a long time acquaintance of Dave and the Feeney Funeral Home. I was previously employed by a casket manufacturing company. I presently reside with my wife in the Village of Ridgewood.

Rosemary Ginger Peters

Ambassador

Ginger has been a resident of Fair Lawn for the past 40 years.  She worked in Human Resources at Panasonic in Secaucus for 24 years before leaving to work at a local insurance company.  Ginger enjoys working with Where Angels Play, an organization that erects playgrounds to honor those in very unfortunate circumstances. In addition she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two grandchildren.

Steve Nuiver

Ambassador

Steve is a lifelong resident of neighboring Hawthorne. He worked as a newspaper sports editor/reporter for over 40 years, including 31 as the Local Sports Editor at The Star-Ledger. Steve has been married for 38 years and has two children.

Bill Reade

Ambassador

After working with people for over 50 years and loving it, it was time to slow down. With the time I now had I needed to find something to do that would be rewarding and help people. The question is what can I do to help in times of need. Having felt the sadness of close ones passing at a very early age, I lost both parents by my 25th birthday, finding the area of work I would pursue took me longer than I thought.  A good friend of mine lost her mother after a long battle with cancer. I was very impressed with how the Feeney staff took care of everything to make this sad time less stressful.  A little more than a year later she lost her Dad and again the Feeney staff showed a professionalism I'd not seen at other Funeral homes. I knew that I wanted to be part of their team. I spoke with Mr. Feeney and now I feel my work makes a difference.

Mary Roth

Ambassador

Mary was born in the Bronx and raised in the Bronx. In 1984 she moved to Ridgewood with her husband, Jim, where they raised their three children. They have been married for 42 years. Once they became empty nesters, they moved to Midland Park, which has now been their home for the past nine years.

Mary worked as a nursery school teacher for twelve years, while raising her children. When the children left home base, she switched over to the medical field, where she worked for neurosurgeons for fifteen years. She retired from full time work in December of 2019.

When she became a grandmother in March of 2020 she became part of the Feeney Funeral Home staff. She loves the people she works with, and she loves what she is doing…connecting, comforting and helping people cope in their darkest hours. She feels privileged to be able to do this and considers her job a ministry.

Mike Dougherty

Ambassador

I am a long time resident of Ridgewood and graduate of Ridgewood High School.  Except for a ten year hiatus living in Hoboken, I have been very involved with the Village of Ridgewood.   Coaching youth sports and volunteering for local charities have enabled me to be part of a vibrant community.

Having experienced personal loss of loved ones, my family has always used the services of Feeney Funeral Home. The loss of loved ones is never easy The friendly compassionate manner in which the Feeney team treats the bereaved makes a bad time better.  

After working for 30 plus years in the financial industry I now work as an Ambassador.  This allows me to help those who are grieving know that their loved ones are being treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

Patrick Donahue

Ambassador

After 25 years with Delta Air Lines, I took early retirement to become a stay at home Dad to raise our three children. My wife and I are originally from Long Island, moved to Atlanta in 1996 and currently reside in Allendale since 2004. During that time, I volunteered in our local churches and was very active in our children’s schools. In 2006 I became a certified NJ Emergency Medical Technician. I currently ride with the Upper Saddle River Ambulance Corps and also volunteer for the Allendale Ambulance Corps.

I have been an Ambassador with Feeney Funeral Home since 2018. I consider it an honor to be a part of any funeral service. We strive to assist the families with whatever they need and to exceed expectations. Dignified, personal service is my motto.

I enjoy travel within the United States, both by airplane and train. I also enjoy catching up on classic literature and adding to my never-ending LEGO collection.

Rich Ambrose

In Loving Memory

~ Our dear co-worker and friend passed away on July 7, 2021 ~

Rich was a resident of Bridgewater. He worked in a heath & welfare space for 40 years, and was the Employee Benefits Practice Leader for a leading NJ insurance broker before joining Feeney Funeral Home. Rich was married to his wife Sharon and together they had a daughter, Kristen. Rich, Dave Feeney and Steve Nuiver  were lifelong friends and shared fond memories of their time together on their softball team, The Wizards.