Our History

Our History

The Philip J. Brendese Funeral Home's Heritage

The Philip J. Brendese Funeral Home was established in 1974 by Philip and Gerry Brendese in the historic community of Waterford, New York. Always located at the Broad Street address Phil and Gerry have both lived and worked at the home raising their four children there. Over the years the couple has renovated the 1890’s Victorian many times making it the more spacious facility that it is today.

In 1992 Phil was joined by his wife Gerry as a licensed funeral director. More recently their son Nick became a director in 2007 and looks to carry on a family tradition of excellent professional service to Waterford and the surrounding communities.

Our Funeral Home's Story

Since our founding, the guiding principle of Philip J. Brendese Funeral Home has been the commitment to treating each family who comes to us as our own. With sincerity, pride, and dedication, we are committed to this time-honored tradition.

Our family opened the doors of the funeral home years ago. Our reputation for providing the highest quality of service grew, and today we are privileged to serve hundreds of area families each year.  

In recent years, we’ve gathered together a staff of highly-qualified and deeply caring individuals to assist us in continuing the funeral home’s mission of providing excellence in funeral services to families in their time of need.

Whether you have an immediate need for our services or you wish to begin pre-planning a funeral arrangement for you or someone you love, call us. We will be proud to serve you.

What Makes Us Unique in the Albany Area

We are proud to embrace traditional values, diversity and innovation in honoring the spirit and life of each person we serve. We offer a full selection of:
  1. Funeral and memorial services, ranging from traditional to uniquely innovative and personal
  2. Burial services and cremation options
  3. Celebrant Services
Letting go of a loved one is usually a very difficult process. In order to provide your family peace-of-mind, our funeral home offers complete care, so you can focus on comforting each other as you prepare to say goodbye to someone dear to you.

Funeral Pre-Planning Services
in Albany, Troy & Clifton Park, NY

Although there are many decisions you may have to make, we assure you that we will guide you through the entire process every step of the way. We promise to help you:
  • Design the most fitting memorial or funeral service to honor their memory and pay tribute to their life achievements and experiences.
  • Select the most appropriate products, including a casket, burial vault, cremation urn, cemetery or mausoleum, to fit your budget and suit your needs and desires.
  • Write a fitting obituary to honor your loved one’s life experiences and social connections.
  • Assist in the publication of the obituary in the newspapers of your choice.
  • Create a Book of Memories™, a beautiful, permanent online memorial, where you and your friends can build a legacy of memories by archiving treasured photos and memories.
  • Welcome your family and friends to our funeral home for your planned services, including a viewing, visitation, funeral or memorial service.
  • Make all arrangements with regard to the services whether they are held at your place of worship, our funeral home, cemetery, or alternate gathering place.
  • Provide you with beautiful funeral print materials, including memorial folders, prayer cards and book marks. We also offer personalized note cards for you to acknowledge the emotional support you received from friends, co-workers and community members.
  • Provide an elegant hearse and funeral cars, as well as arrange for escorts.
  • Help in the selection and on-site arrangement of floral tributes.
  • Provide access to grief education and support materials, and referrals to counseling services.
  • Prepare all paperwork, including vital record statistics, permits, filing and obtaining death certificates, and assistance with life insurance, veteran’s benefits and Social Security claims.
We hope you will turn to us for compassionate care and impeccable service. Our pledge is to honor your loved one and family with dignity, respect and personal attention to every detail.
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