Waterford's Pasquale Folino Appointed to National Funeral Directors Assn. Task Force & Policy Board

Waterford resident and licensed funeral director Pasquale Folino, CFSP, COO, has been appointed to the National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) Convention Education Task Force. Folino is Vice President and an owner of Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Homes at 12 Ocean Ave. in New London, and at 48 Grand St. in the Niantic section of East Lyme.

In addition, Folino recently was re-elected to his second term as the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association’s (CFDA) Policy Board representative to the NFDA. The NFDA’s Policy Board is comprised of members of the national organization’s Executive Board and one representative from each of the 50 state funeral directors associations.

Members of NFDA’s Convention Education Task Force evaluate workshop proposals for that association’s annual International Convention & Expo presenters, the world’s largest annual gathering of funeral service professionals, and recommend a state of presenters. The committee also provides ideas and insights for NFDA professional development offerings, which help the association’s worldwide membership improve the quality of service they provide to families.

Folino served as CFDA’s President in 2012 and 2013 and, prior to that, was the association’s Vice President, Secretary, and a member of its Executive Committee. In December 2012, he led the association to mobilize more than 160 funeral directors across the state who went to help their professional brothers and sisters serving the families of the Newtown school tragedy. Folino was a Co-Chair of CFDA’s Trends Committee and chaired the organization’s Youth Scholarship Golf Tournament for many years.

He is recognized as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) through the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. And, his CCO indicates that he completed the NFDA’s Certified Crematory Operator program. Folino became a funeral director/embalmer in 1988 after completing professional schooling at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He joined Neilan Funeral Homes in 1991 and became a partner of the firm in 2002.

Folino has served on the Board of Directors of Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut and the American Cancer Society for the Eastern Region of Connecticut. He has been President of the Waterford Rotary Club and the New London Lions Club. Proud of his Italian heritage, Folino was President of the Sons of Italy #464-Southern Connecticut and was Vice-President of the Connecticut Grand Lodge – Order Sons Italy in America, where he chaired the scholarship fund that raised thousands of dollars for high school students of Italian heritage.

Born in Sewickley, Pa., Folino was raised by his Italian immigrant parents, Joseph and Antonetta, and spent his early years living in both Pennsylvania and Sambiase, Italy. In 1974, his family settled in New London, and Folino graduated from New London High School 10 years later

Today, Folino lives in Waterford, Conn. with his wife, Angela, and their three daughters. Their oldest daughter, Mary, is current pursuing a career in funeral service at Lincoln College of New England in Southington, Conn., and is apprenticing at Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Homes.

The Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) is comprised of funeral directors at more than 220 funeral homes. The 2017 Officers and Executive Committee elections were held during the association’s 128th Annual Convention in December. Founded in 1889, the Wethersfield-based association is committed to the promotion and advocacy of high ethical standards in funeral service. This includes the development and presentation of ongoing professional training opportunities for practitioners and educational programs for association members and the public. For more information about the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, call 860-721-0234 or 800-919-2332, or visit www.ctfda.org or Facebook: Connecticut Funeral Directors Association