During a time of loss, you need the help of compassionate experts who can offer guidance and support throughout the planning process. At Manchester Memorial Funeral Home, we believe that every life deserves to be celebrated. Our mission is to assist families in creating personalized funeral experiences that honor the life of their loved ones.  

Over 40 Years with Your Family

Serving Our Community Since 1979

Manchester Memorial Funeral Home has been serving all walks of life since 1979. Our funeral planning team strives for excellence in each end-of-life program that we arrange. As a leader in the industry, we demonstrate the highest integrity as we work with each family. Our facility is like no other funeral home you have seen before. Our modern and beautiful venue is perfect for your family and friends to gather and honor the life of your loved one. Every community member is given the opportunity to share, learn, and remember at our funeral or memorial services. We intend to ease sorrows as we walk you through each decision as you plan your loved one's end-of-life service.

Our Manchester Memorial Funeral Home staff can help you arrange a funeral, cremation service, or life celebration. We can accommodate green burial options, military honors, veteran services, permanent memorialization, and grief resources regardless of the format you choose. Funerals can be traditional or customized, and some families choose to include a theme or video tribute. Cremation services can be budget-friendly when you choose a direct cremation without an accompanying service, or you can plan a formal gathering by selecting cremation with a memorial ceremony.

Manchester Memorial Funeral Home offers several funeral products for Whiting, Lakehurst, Manchester Township, Toms River, Lanoka Harbor, Bayville, Forked River, Barnegat, Manahawkin, and Waretown residents. Learn more about the caskets, urns, vaults, and memorials that are available for purchase.

If you're looking to plan ahead for funeral services, we can help you get your affairs in order. Contact Manchester Memorial Funeral Home, and we can help you record your wishes for your end-of-life services.

Our History

The Weatherhead family had a furniture store in Botkins, Ohio. The cabinet maker, Jacob Weatherhead, also became a casket maker and eventually evolved into the community undertaker as he began to perform the services of a funeral functionary. He served as proprietor of his furniture store and the undertaking business for many years.

Jacob's son, Elzy, wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. In 1883, he attempted to enroll in the Cincinnati School of Embalming. Professor Joseph H. Clark, who founded the school, refused to admit Elzy into the class of three students, saying that he was too young. Elzy studied at night under the direction of one of the embalming class members and was successful in his studies. He became the first embalmer in his area of Ohio. He soon left Ohio to find a more productive undertaking establishment.

In 1900, Elzy Weatherhead bought an interest in Peter Romer's business in Orange, NJ, which dated back to 1853. It became known as Romer Weatherhead Funeral Home. The business operated as a partnership until 1914 when Frederick Romer passed away.

Herbert Weatherhead, Elzy's son, obtained his mortuary license in 1912 and guided the family enterprise through years of growth in Essex County. In 1914, the Weatherhead family opened a funeral home in East Orange on what would become the site of the Muir Department Store. In 1922, the business relocated to a beautiful Victorian house on Main Street across from the Military Commons near the center of Orange. The funeral home remained on Main Street for over 50 years before it became a prestigious community landmark. In 1977, the business was relocated to a quieter location on Park Avenue near the West Orange border.

Herbert's daughter, Rita Young, became one of the early group of women to enter the funeral service profession. She joined her father's practice in 1937. Her son, Gregory Weatherhead Young, expanded the family business in 1976 when he opened Weatherhead Young Funeral Home, a contemporary funeral home in Brick Township, NJ. The shore area continued to grow.

In the late 1970s, Greg partnered with Thomas J. Tedesco to found Manchester Memorial Funeral Home in Whiting, NJ. Thomas grew up in Perth Amboy, NJ, and obtained his mortuary degree from the American Academy-McAllister Institute of Funeral Service, where he met Greg Young. He served his apprenticeship with Flynn & Son Funeral Homes in Fords, NJ. In 1973, he moved to Brick Township, NJ, to find a better home for his family. During this time, he worked at Colonial Funeral Home in Brick Township, where he decided he would rather be self-employed. After announcing his plan to build his own funeral home in Ocean County, his employment terminated. While working on plans to open a new funeral home, he was taken in by Al Kedzierski, Owner & Manager of Kedz Funeral Home in Toms River, who allowed Tom to develop his plan. Finally, Tom entered into partnership with Greg and founded Manchester Memorial Funeral Home in Whiting, NJ. 

When Tom decided to retire in 2021, his longtime friend and colleague Fred Whiteley became the owner of the funeral home, and he is committed to continuing the long tradition of excellence that the community has come to expect.