Our legacy
About Us
The J. J. Duffy Funeral Home began with modest beginnings on Broad Street in Cumberland. As a store-front facility, James J. Duffy began serving the community in 1911, primarily hosting funeral services in the homes of the family as traditions dictated. As funeral customs changed, people began desiring services to be held in a funeral home.
Our Story
The J. J. Duffy Funeral Home began with modest beginnings on Broad Street in Cumberland. As a store-front facility, James J. Duffy began serving the community in 1911, primarily hosting funeral services in the homes of the family as traditions dictated. As funeral customs changed, people began desiring services to be held in a funeral home.
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1954
Mr. Duffy moved his business directly across from St. Patrick Church. Francis J. Smith worked many years for Mr. Duffy and succeeded him as the owner in 1954. Francis was dedicated to the families he was called to serve, offering compassionate care to those families through the years. In 1978, Dennis Bernardo, the son-in-law of Francis, continued serving the community. The business saw great growth during these years, and the need for a new facility became evident. Dennis moved the funeral home to the current facility on 757 Mendon Road, realizing the need for a facility to host services, rather than a converted home.
1983
In 1983, the new establishment opened and provided the community with a large place to gather, with no stairs, and ample off-street parking. Under his direction, he saw that families were growing distressed by the rising costs of obituaries and desired personalized and meaningful tributes. So, Dennis led the charge as J. J. Duffy was the first funeral home to offer a website with current obituaries and guestbooks (1998), memorial tribute videos (2000), live funeral webcasting (2007), and Life Celebration® services (2017) to better serve the community.
Along with his two sons, Jeffrey, and Brian Bernardo, they became the only Certified Life Celebration® funeral directors in the State of Rhode Island, allowing the J. J. Duffy Funeral Home to provide elite-level personalization and premier-level service to the community. In 2020, Dennis passed the torch to his two sons, who currently own and operate the funeral home. Jeffrey and Brian work tirelessly to help families and bear the family legacy of caring passed down by their father and grandfather as 3rd Generation funeral professionals with great pride. They are also proud to have the most five-star reviews on Google and be honored as RI’s Best Funeral Home and Crematory in 2023 by the Providence Journal. They strive to provide the highest quality of service and care to their clients and their families.
