Emerald Ridge Mortuary & Monument Company, Ltd. Nassau N. P., The Bahamas

  Wendell G. Dean II is a first generation funeral director. He was born in the City of Nassau, on the Island of New Providence, the Bahamas. He was formerly educated at Windsor Lane Primary, William Sayles Primary, Bahamas Academy and A. F. Adderley Senior High Schools.

   Mr. Dean’s journey into funeral service began in late November of 1981 working part-time at Cedar Crest Funeral Home, under the leadership of Keith A. McSweeney. At that time, Dean had been accepted to engineering schools in Texas and Ohio, but one morning while preparing for work, the Lord appeared to him in a vision and showed him his calling in funeral service.

  Wendell spoke with McSweeney about mortuary colleges. He then applied to Commonwealth College of Funeral Service, now Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, in Houston, TX. Wendell enrolled in the Spring Class of 1984 and graduated in 1985 serving as Sgt-At-Arms of Spring Class 1984-1985. Dean has also been a member of ETA Chapter of Pi Sigma ETA since 1984.

  Upon returning to the Bahamas in June of 1985, Dean was unable to find work. In November 1985 he was employed for a short time at Curtis Memorial Mortuary. In 1986 he was re-employed with Cedar Crest, then at Rolle’s Funeral Home as manager from 1987-1989. From 1990-1994 he worked at Rock of Ages Funeral Chapel, The Good Shepherd Funeral Home and Bethel Brothers Morticians.

  In January of 1997 Dean opened the doors of the Emerald Ridge Mortuary & Monument Company Ltd. to the public. This was the beginning of a unique and higher standard of service never before seen in the Bahamas. Organization and Order are the main principles of his funeral home.

  This level of service has allowed Wendell the great honor of providing services for some of the noted persons in their society, such as the late former Member of Parliament the Hon. James Joseph Isaac Shepherd and the late Pastor of Zion Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Charles Clifford Smith II.

  In 2006 Wendell and the Emerald Ridge Mortuary & Monument Company Ltd. became the first funeral home in the Bahamas with a website and online obituaries where family and friends could express condolences, sympathy and share memories of the deceased. Emerald Ridge was the first funeral home in the Bahamas to create video tributes of the deceased to be viewed in the online obituary and on DVD tributes so that family and friends can have their own personal copy of those memories.

  He and his wife, the former Rosmarie Ingraham, have two sons, Chas Elijah Roshad and Wendell G. Dean III. He is a member of the historic Bethel Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church in the Bahamas. 

  Dean is President of the United Funeral Directors Association of the Bahamas, and a member of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association Inc. He is an advocate for much needed regulation of funeral service in the Bahamas. For more information visit www.emeraldridgemortuary.com.

Award of Excellence Recipient Deborah Andres Vice President, International Division NFDA

  As vice president of National Funeral Directors Association’s International Division, Deborah Andres manages international membership development; organizes international funeral service trade shows, and works closely with international vendors and funeral directors regarding repatriation and disaster management. She has been published in funeral services trade publications in the USA, Europe, Latin America and Asia, and often speaks at international trade shows and other events related to funeral service.

  Andres graduated from John Abbott College/Vanier College with a bachelor of arts in police technology. She is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

  Andres currently serves as a liaison for the International Council for Direction (a global funeral service organization) and serves on the Safety Advisory Council for West Allis/West Milwaukee District in Wisconsin.