OLD BRIDGE – The Old Bridge Kiwanis Club has named the owner of the Old Bridge Funeral Home as its 2016 Business Leader of the Year.
David Hernandez Jr., who is also known as David Lee, began his career in funeral service at the age of 12, traveling to work with his mother in a cemetery to chase geese off of the grounds, according to information provided by the Kiwanis Club. After his internship at Waitt Funeral Home, he became a licensed funeral director and began his career in the area. He and his family ultimately purchased Waitt Funeral Home in Morganville and Old Bridge Funeral Home.
Hernandez has since expanded his family’s business into a company called Jersey Memorial Group, which owns and operates several funeral homes throughout the state. In addition to Old Bridge, they include Oceanside Memorial Home in Lake Como, Waitt Funeral Home in Morganville and Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home in Pennsauken.
“David owns and operates one of the town’s leading businesses and he’s been a wonderful supporter of our club,” Old Bridge Kiwanis Club President Mary Spina said. “We know first hand about his contributions to the community and his business acumen.”
Hernadez is a charter past president of the Kiwanis Club of Manalapan; and a member of the Old Bridge-Sayreville-South Amboy Chamber of Commerce, Matawan Aberdeen Chamber, Greater Spring Lake Chamber and PMAC-Pennsauken.
He has served as an officer in the Middlesex-Somerset Funeral Directors Association and is also a member of New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association.
In addition to being a licensed funeral director in New Jersey, he also holds funeral director and embalmers licenses in Pennsylvania and Connecticut as well as a New Jersey Life Insurance Producers License.
Hernandez is also a member of the Kiwanis Club, as well as a notary.
“I am truly humbled and grateful to receive this award from my peers,” Hernandez said. “The members of the Kiwanis Club are community-minded businesspeople who constantly work to give back to our local charitable organizations. It’s an honor to count myself one of them and to be recognized with this new award.”
Spina noted that the Old Bridge Kiwanis Club is comprised of the best business leaders in the area and focuses on numerous civic and charitable projects in the community, especially with local schools. These projects strive to teach children, at an early age, how to give back to their community.
“David is a true example of a business leader that looks beyond his own interests and constantly gives back,” Spina said. “He is a worthy recipient of this award and a wonderful example of what it means to be a Kiwanis Club member.”