Our Staff

Jeffrey Bernardo

Life Celebration Counselor, President

Jeff or "Jefe" as he is affectionately known by his family, is a third-generation funeral director who has dedicated his life to serving the families in need. His warm, compassionate, professional nature is a needed asset to those families as they enter into the process of planning a meaningful and personal funeral. Jeffrey was a Cumberland High School, Class of 1995 graduate and was a member of the Football, Golf, and Yearbook programs. He went on to attend the Community College of Rhode Island and later transferred to Lynn University in 1997 where he received an Associate Degree in Funeral Service and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from the Lynn School of Business.


Jeff has become an innovator in the profession, developing J. J. Duffy Funeral Home's web presence which is noted as Rhode Island's FIRST funeral home on the internet in April of 1998. This website was the first to host personal online obituary pages, as well as directions, preplanning information and led the charge against the overcharging of obituaries by area newspapers. As of today, our website receives over 10,000 hits daily and has become the local hub to find out information about local funeral services.


Jeff married his wife Samantha (Larivee) Benardo in 2017, has two children and one step-son. He is a dedicated husband, father and spends all of his free time with them. His interests include boating, local sports, and traveling.

Brian Bernardo

Life Celebration Counselor, Vice President

Brian is a graduate of Cumberland High School and Mt. Ida College. He received his Associate Degree in Funeral Service and is a third generation funeral director. Brian is a 20 year member of the Cumberland Fire Department and serves as the Cumberland Fire Department Union President. He is a compassionate and caring member of our staff and his attention to the details is one of his greatest assets.

Brian is married to his wife, Jennifer (Hooper) Bernardo who is a RN at Rhode Island Hospital. They have two wonderful children, Brandon and Kassidy. Brian enjoys time with his wife, children and friends and can be seen enjoying a fine cigar from time to time.

His compassion and concern for the families he serves is what people remember most.

Leo Dube

Advanced Planning - Life Celebration Counselor

Leo joined our staff in 2009 as an EXPERT in all matters dealing with Advance Planning, Elder Law and Estate Planning. His vast experience in funeral directing and advance planning is a tremendous resource to our community and the families we serve. Leo is a kind heart, a great listener, and a valued asset to our team. As a trained Life Celebration Counselor coupled with his intimate knowledge in Estate Planning and Elder Law, Leo provides interested families with a wealth of information so they can make the best decision for their own personal situation. Leo is available at your convenience and at any location to meet with families and those interested in Advanced Planning. As always, we encourage those interested in finding more about advance planning to contact Leo at the funeral home, or begin today by filling out our advance planning form.

Dennis Bernardo

Funeral Director, Emeritus

Member of the National Funeral Directors Association (www.nfda.org)

Member of the Rhode Island Funeral Directors Association (www.rifda.org)

Michael Boutiette

Funeral Director Assistant

John MacQueen

Life Celebration Certified Assistant

Michael Day

Life Celebration Certified Assistant

John Martin

Life Celebration Certified Assistant

Paul Roy

Life Celebration Counselor

Paul T. Roy, before entering the funeral service in 2007, worked as a jailer for the Warwick Police Department and in the Warwick Fire Department Communications Division. After 27 years, he retired from the City of Warwick in 2013. Graduating from the Funeral Institution of New England, Paul worked for several other funeral homes in RI prior to joining J. J. Duffy Funeral Home in 2026.

Paul and his wife Cindy, who are lifelong residents of Warwick have two sons: Paul (PJ), and Michael. Paul and Cindy are the proud grandparents of 4 grandchildren.

In his time off, Paul enjoys golfing, woodworking, and spending time with his family and friends.

Kiara Rodrigues

Funeral Director / Care Center Coordinator