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History

History

Megaro Memorial Home Inc., has been serving Belleville area families for years. We are honored to be a part of the rich history of this community and plan to be a part of it for many years to come.

Megaro Memorial Home was established in 1900 by Michael A. Megaro, Sr. on Garside Street in Newark’s Old First Ward. At the time, Mr. Megaro was an employee of Tiffany and Company. Under the supervision of Louis Comfort Tiffany, he received numerous commendations. He decided to be his own boss and set out to become an "undertaker".

Originally most wakes were conducted in the home of the deceased. From the home, the funeral would proceed to the church and cemetery. Some wakes were held in the "store front" of the original Garside Street office. Funeral homes in the metropolitan area as we now know them were rare.

Eventually the concept changed according to the needs of the families. Funeral homes were now emerging as an alternative to conducting wakes in the home of the deceased. In the late 1930’s Mr. Megaro purchased a large southern colonial style mansion on scenic Roseville Avenue in Newark. Plans were underway to convert this palatial building into one of the finest funeral homes in the area and to include as many modern conveniences as possible. The idea was for the families to feel "at home" in this building that would be replacing their own homes as the location of the wake and funeral.

Unfortunately, Mr. Megaro passed away in 1939 before the completion of the building. The renovation project was now headed by his widow Mary and two sons Pasquale (Pat), and Michael. The funeral home opened later that year, enabling the Megaro family to continue its tradition of service to the community in a more efficient manner without sacrificing any personal attention to the deceased and their loved ones.

In the early 1960s, the funeral home was expanded to include two new chapels having the capability of opening up into one oversized room to accommodate large crowds. After the sudden passing of Pat in 1968, plans to open an additional facility were delayed.

In 1976, the current home in Belleville was purchased, renovated and began operations. The Newark home was closed in January 1985 after 45 years of serving thousands of families. Megaro Memorial Home continues to serve those families along with the Belleville and surrounding communities with the same care and dignity that has been the Megaro Family tradition for over 100 years.





Megaro Memorial Home, Inc. | (973) 759-7600
503 Union Avenue, Belleville, NJ 07109

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