50 Year Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following individuals who, according to records from the State of Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, will celebrate their 50th anniversary of obtaining and maintaining their professional licenses in 2025. In recognition of this extraordinary milestone, the Ohio Funeral Directors Association (OFDA) will honor these individuals during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in the Regent Ballroom at the OFDA 145th Convention and Exhibition.

Please note: Licensees reaching their 25-year milestone in 2025 will be recognized during the general session with a special acknowledgment. Those celebrating 25 and 10 years of licensure in 2025 are invited to visit the OFDA exhibit booth to receive their commemorative service lapel pin.

50-Year Award Recipient

City

50-Year Award Recipient

City

Larry D. Anderson

Seaman

Larry R. Madasz

Prescott, AZ

Thomas Weir Arend

Westerville

Gregory A. Meyer

Cincinnati

Bruce L. Barnes

Eaton

Ray M. Milburn

Barnesville

Roger A. Bartley

Minerva

David S. Murphy

Lyndhurst

Jeffrey L. Brant

Portsmouth

Lemoyne B. Nesbitt, Sr.

Shaker Heights

William C. Brickman

Willoughby

Daniel E. Reinke

Elyria

Marc H. Burr

Chardon

Marcia N. Ripley

Rockford

Kenneth A. Cahall, CFSP

Georgetown

Charles E. Robinson

Columbus

Dr. Michael E. Carlson

Garrettsville

Michael W. Roessner

Annapolis, MD

Don Catchen

Elsmere, KY

Michael J. Scharfenberger

Cincinnati

Lester Alan Dodds, CFSP

Carrollton

Timothy R. Schmidt

Sharonville

Dennis M. Dunn

Munroe Falls

Mark A. Schneider

Crestline

Rush W. Eichholtz

Bellefontaine

Robert L. Smith

Sugarcreek

Dick J. Eley

Wapakoneta

J. Paul Snyder

Mansfield

Donald B. Ferfolia

Broadview Heights

Marco Sommerville

Akron

DonnaMarie Fioritto-Tamburro

Lyndhurst

William S. Stranges

Columbus

Craig L. Flury

Akron

Steven W. Thompson

Hillsboro

Jeffrey E. Foster

Toronto

Ricky D. Tidd

Hilliard

William L. Given

Coshocton

Michael A. Tomon, posthumously

Cleveland

Larry A. Hall

Marion

Brian C. Waite

Painesville

John W. Den Herder

Paulding

Carl R. Weaver

Canton

John C. Hopko

Parma

W. Thomas Wiseman

Defiance

James Jackson

Dayton

Dean A. Woodyard

Columbus

Donald F. Lepore

Canfield

Gary Lynn Drake Woodyard

Grove City

Lysle Lindloff

West Alexandria

 

 
 

NOTE: The 50-year anniversary is undoubtedly a milestone to celebrate. However, achieving this milestone is not an exemption for continuing education. Please read below for clarification and further information if you are considering applying for the CE Exemption Waiver.

Licensees who attain 50 years of licensure do not automatically receive the “50 Years of Licensure Exemption from Continuing Education” from the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (OBEFD). Individuals must apply for the exemption at funeral.ohio.gov. Should you have any specific questions regarding the exemption, we encourage you to contact OBEFD directly.

Exemption Requirements:

  •  Licensees must wait until their full 50-year anniversary date before applying.
  • If a licensee holds both an embalmer and funeral director license, they will become eligible for the exemption on the anniversary of their most recently issued license.
  • Licensees are not permitted to serve as a funeral director actually in charge (AIC) of and ultimately responsible for a funeral home or an embalming facility.
  • Licensees must continue to pay renewal fees.