Stephanie L. Doriguzzi was installed as the 137th President of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association at their 2018 convention in Pocono Manor, PA. Organized in 1881, PFDA is one of the largest state funeral director associations in the nation.
Stephanie is a 2006 graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she received the William J. Musmanno award for excellence in embalming and the Mu Sigma Alpha Award in outstanding academic efficiency. She is also a 2007 graduate of Point Park University where she received her bachelors’ degree in Funeral Management.
Stephanie became a licensed funeral director in 2008 and is currently the supervisor at the Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., Turtle Creek location. She has been a Certified Celebrant since 2006 and has been a PA Licensed Insurance professional since 2010.
In 2011 Stephanie was elected to sit on the Allegheny County Board of Trustees and served as their President in 2014. Also, in 2011, she was selected to serve on the Pursuit of Excellence Committee for the National Funeral Directors Association which was a three-year term. Stephanie was one of two funeral directors in Pennsylvania selected to attend the NFDA’s Meet the Mentors program at Harvard University in August of 2011. In June of 2012, Stephanie, was sworn in as the District II Governor, serving Allegheny County, on the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Board of Governors.
In 2012 Stephanie married her husband, Dustin Despot, and they have since had a daughter and a son.
David V. Peake, Jr. was installed as the 2018-2019 President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
David V. Peake Jr., is a 1998 graduate of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS). He also attended Springfield Township High School and Kutztown University prior to going to PIMS. After mortuary school, he served his apprenticeship with the Givinsh Family Funeral Homes. After which he went to work at Robert L. Mannal Funeral Home, in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia, where he continues to work. In 2012 Mannal acquired Craft Funeral Home of Erdenheim, and David is the current Supervisor for that Funeral Home. He has served the Philadelphia Local Funeral Directors Association as a Board Member (2010-2013), Vice President (2013-2015), and President (2015-2017). Over the last three years David represented the Philadelphia Funeral Directors Association as their District Governor for District 8. He lives with his wife Abbey and their three children Greyson, Olivia and Sawyer in Flourtown. David is very active in many local associations in the five county Philadelphia region.
Frank Kapr was installed as the 2018-2019 Secretary-Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
Frank Kapr, CFSP, is a lifelong native of Scottdale. He is a graduate of the former Immaculate Conception High School, Connellsville, the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and received his Associates Degree from Point Park University, Pittsburgh.
He is the President/Owner of Frank Kapr Funeral Home, Inc., Scottdale. Accomplished achievements for the Funeral Home include: Five-time recipient of the National Funeral Directors Associations Eagle Award and recently the Golden Eagle Award for outstanding services by the Funeral Home and its staff. Funeral related memberships for Frank are as follows: member, past President and present board member of the Westmoreland, Indiana and Armstrong Counties Funeral Directors Association. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania State and the National Funeral Directors Associations. He was the recipient of the Tribune Review "Quest For The Best" in Funeral Homes in the Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant areas and recently was awarded the "Silver and Bronze" awards for the best Funeral Home in Westmoreland County, PA through its subscribers.
Frank assisted in the recovery and identification process of the devastating crash of US Air Flight # 427, in Hopewell Township, near the Pittsburgh International Airport, September 8, 1994 and the terrorist crash of United Airlines Flight #93 in Shanksville, PA., Somerset County, September 11, 2001. Frank has been a member of the Glenn Gelder Foundation for Mass Fatality Preparedness since June 2003.
Frank is married to Rhenee Gadd Kapr and resides above the Funeral Home with their pet "Yorkie" Rylee.
Aaron W. Pietryka was installed as a new District Governor for the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
Aaron, a native of Lackawanna County, was raised in the Newton-Ransom section of Clarks Summit. He is the son of Theodore J. and Audrey L. (Gabriel) Pietryka, of West Wyoming. Aaron has one sister, Jennifer L. Pietryka, of Tacoma, Washington, a former Pennsylvania Funeral Director, and his brother was the late Theodore J. Pietryka, Jr. He also has three nephews, Gabriel, Garrett, and Theodore J. Pietryka III.
Aaron is a 1993 graduate of Abington Heights High School. After graduating High School, he went on to further his education at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice, New York City, and Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke. Aaron is a 1998 graduate of Northampton Community College, School of Funeral Service, Bethlehem, and received his professional licensure in 2000.
He began his career in the funeral industry in Lancaster County, working there for four years. In 2003, he was given the opportunity to return to Northeast Pennsylvania to purchase the Joseph L. Wroblewski Funeral Home, Forty Fort, which he did in early 2004. The business is now operated under the name of Wroblewski Funeral Home, Inc., and Aaron serves as the company’s President and Supervisor.
Aaron is a member the Luzerne County Funeral Directors Association, currently serving as their Treasurer; a member of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Parish, Swoyersville; a licensed insurance agent with the State of Pennsylvania; a 3rd Degree member of the Knights of Columbus; and a Board of Directors Member for the Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania.