We have years of experience caring for families from all walks of life, cultures, and faiths. Our unsurpassed staff and our family provide kind, caring, professional service. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession who are dedicated to excellence in service, adhere to the highest funeral industry standards, and have exceptional integrity. We consistently earn phenomenally high customer satisfaction survey results.
Our licensed, professional staff is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call 978-685-5379 anytime. An on-call funeral director will return your call if it is after 5:00 PM. We will even come to you to make arrangements in the comfort of your home.
Prompt, compassionate service is always just a phone call away, where and when you need it.
Owner / President (MA Type 3)
Joe was born, raised, and educated in Lawrence. He graduated from Lawrence High School and New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science, Embalming and Funeral Directing in Boston. He has been licensed since 1964.
In 1979, Joe purchased the business from his father and uncle and continued the funeral home operation in Lawrence for many years. He purchased land and built a new facility in the neighboring town of Methuen in 1993. Joe operated out of both locations and eventually sold the Lawrence facility due to the large increase in volume at the Methuen location.
Joe married his wife, Susan, in 1966, and they have two children, Stuart Cataudella and Amber Cataudella-Conran. He also has two grandchildren, Joey and Meaghan, who are the loves of his life. Joe enjoys golfing and hunting and is an avid fly fisherman.
In the summer, Joe and Susan reside in Florida. Being semi-retired, Joe stops into the funeral home quite a bit when he is back in Massachusetts. He is a member of St. Alfio’s Society of Lawrence, Corpus Christi Parish at Holy Rosary Church in Lawrence, Lawrence Sons of Italy Lodge #902, Lawrence Elks, Trout Unlimited, and the Salmon Federation.
Owner / Managing Partner (MA Type 3)
Chris was born in Amesbury, MA and was raised and educated in Newburyport, MA. He graduated in the class of 1976 from Newburyport High School as well as the class of 1978 from New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science, Embalming and Funeral Directing in Boston. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1978.
Chris worked in the Boston and North Shore area for many years as a funeral director and embalmer. In 1985, he started his own company, Chetsas Trade Services, which serviced many funeral homes in Boston and the North Shore.
In 1985, Joe Cataudella hired Chris to handle all of his embalming needs and to help with funerals. In 2001, Chris sold his business and took a full-time position with Cataudella as a funeral director and embalmer. In 2008, he was promoted to Managing Partner.
An avid runner, Chris has run 25 marathons and has qualified ten times for the Boston Marathon and completed it eight times. He is a past president of the Merrimack Valley Striders of Andover and a founding member of the Goon Squad Runners of North Andover. Chris is a parishioner of Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Andover; he also plays the drums with Campbell Highlanders Pipe Band in Andover.
Chris married Jeannie Asoian of Andover and they live in Atkinson, NH.
Licensed Funeral Director / Embalmer (MA Type 6)
Cataudella Funeral Home is pleased to announce our newest funeral director, Doug Sears. We knew immediately that Doug was going to be the perfect addition to our staff. Humble, compassionate, and a consummate professional, he exceeded our expectations as soon as he began serving our families in need. We expect our staff to deliver the highest quality of service and he did not disappoint. Without question, he makes our families comfortable with his delivery of knowledge to families in various states of fragility. He takes a personal interest in each of them and they are pleased that he takes the time to put them at ease and guide them with all of the necessary decisions.
Doug was born in Waltham, MA and was raised and educated in a French community in New Brunswick, Canada. There, he graduated from high school in 1983 and as a result, he is fluent and comfortable with the French language as he is with English. He returned to Waltham in 1986 and currently lives in Natick, MA.
A licensed funeral director and embalmer, Doug graduated from Mount Ida College in 2016 with an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Funeral Services, Cum Laude and was inducted into Pi Sigma Eta, the national honors society for funeral service professionals. He is a member of both the National Funeral Directors Association and the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association.
Doug first began his service in the funeral service industry in 2007 as an apprentice. He first began to and continued to work in Metro West and Worcester County areas until September 2019 when he began working with Cataudella Funeral Home. This was a second career for Doug, after having worked in the health care profession for several years.
Since 1994, Doug and his wife Gisele have lived in Natick, a wonderful community in which they felt fortunate to have raised their son Eric and daughter Laura. When he is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, which has always been most important to him. His children always his priority, he was happiest when he was in attendance at their sporting events or simply spending time with them at the summer place in New Hampshire, where they have made many friends. He especially enjoys opportunities for family vacations near his home in Canada.
Most recently, Doug joined Rotary Club in Methuen, which focuses on the community. He has accepted the position of Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, which will put to use his skills of persuasion!
Licensed Funeral Director / Embalmer (MA Type 6)
From a young age, Christina Dusablon was determined to be a professional. She focused her goals on becoming a licensed funeral director and has now earned that title. She attended Mt. Ida College and graduated with a degree from Fine Mortuary College in August of 2019. She apprenticed at Cataudella Funeral Home since February 2019, absorbing the finer details of the industry prior to passing her Boards.
Christina grew up in Peabody, MA and is the youngest of three girls. She participated in track & field during her high school years and now finds traveling a more enjoyable “sport.” Apparently, the warmer climates of California, Mexico, Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic are a few of her preferred vacation spots.
Posed and polished, Christina seems to have found her niche here at Cataudella. She is diligent in her pursuit of perfection, willing to lend a hand, and eager to learn. Her interactions with families are always positive and her career as a professional funeral director is promising. We are grateful that she will continue on with us and assist all of our families in need.
Apprentice Funeral Director
Leah Cournoyer was raised and educated in
North Andover, MA. An empathetic and compassionate individual, she feels most
comfortable when taking care of those in need. She tends to her beloved cat,
Moo, who has grown old with her. A licensed cosmetologist since 2017, Leah
realized that this line of work was not where her passion lies. Though she
still is a stylist for family and friends, it took long conversations with a
friend, who is a funeral director, to change her career direction. The self-proclaimed
science geek positioned herself to study mortuary science with the ultimate
goal of becoming a licensed funeral director. Now, a student at Fine Mortuary
College, she is close to completing her objective.
A diligent worker, Leah divides her time
between attending college and working as much as she can at Cataudella Funeral
Home, since the summer of 2021, to be immersed in her chosen profession. Shortly,
she will finish her clinicals and graduate in the summer of 2022 with a degree
in mortuary science.
In her free time, Leah enjoys to paint and
read though her more social side loves being around family and friends. Trips to
Canada have been a family favorite for most of her life. It affords her the
opportunity to enjoy nature by hiking, camping, and fishing. She has also hiked
many trails in Sedona, AZ, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Florida is also a
favorite destination with her family.
Thanks to a combination of outstanding
qualities, families have consistently given positive feedback about Leah’s work
and Cataudella Funeral Home looks forward to retaining her professionalism,
compassion, and dedication to the field for many years to come.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant and Funeral Assistant
Staff
Office Assistant/Staff
Jean Lannon has been our Sunday office assistant since 2015. She was born and raised in Lawrence and graduated from St. Mary’s High School, class of 1971. She works full-time for the Mitre Corporation in Bedford, MA in Human Resources and prior to that was an executive assistant at the athletic shoe company, Converse, Inc.
She resides in Methuen with her husband of forty-three years, Jim, who also works for Cataudella’s as a funeral assistant. Together, they are a team dedicated to helping our families in their time of need.
Jean does some occasional volunteer work with the German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue League of New England, helping find new “forever homes” for adult dogs who have been displaced for various reasons. She enjoys attending concerts, being at the beach, and occasionally riding on her husband’s Harley Davidson. She also keeps busy caring for their highly energetic dog, Riley.
Funeral Assistant
Jim joined Cataudella's
staff shortly after he retired from Gillette in Andover. He spent 42 years
there in the quality control division. He was looking for a part-time job to
help pass the time during retirement but never anticipated the intricacies of working
at a funeral home, as there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make
things run smoothly for our families. Compassionate, professional, and helpful,
Jim is a perfect fit for Cataudella Funeral Home.
Jim grew up in Lawrence
and has lived in Methuen since 1985 with his wife of 43 years. He enjoys
hunting and fishing with his buddies and riding his impressive Harley Davidson
with his wife in the nice weather. The newest addition to their family is a
spotted German short-haired pointer puppy named Riley.
Funeral Assistant
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
John Rose has been a loyal dressman at Cataudella’s for many years. Primarily here on Saturdays, his time is committed to the construction business during the week, specifically Torromeo Industries. Despite his full-time employment and working at Cataudella’s, John still carves out time to spend with his wife and three grandchildren. Whether it is spending summer vacations in Maine with family, hunting locally or in the Midwest, or hitting the links, John always finds time for enjoyment. His two dogs, a Minpin and a Chiweenie, offer more fun than even the name of their breeds!
A lifelong resident of Methuen, John graduated from Methuen High School in 1988 and went on to pursue the construction field.
Staff
Here at Cataudella’s,
we pride ourselves on having the consummate professional staff, and Jack
McSwiggin is no exception. Always quick
with a broad smile and warm handshake, he stands ready to assist our families
in any way necessary. Friendly and attentive with a calm disposition and
terrific personality, Jack is one of our most relied upon staff members.
Jack grew up in
the Centerville section of Lowell and attended local schools: Saint Michael’s
Grammar School, Keith Academy High School, and Lowell State College. During high
school and college, he worked for Demoulas’ Markets. He continued to work for
that family as a store manager even after he graduated from college.
In 1980, Jack bought
and operated R&B Superette in Pelham, NH. He ran this family-owned business
for thirty years.
Jack is a dedicated
family man and has been married to his lovely wife, Gerry, for forty-eight
years. Together they have four children and thirteen grandchildren and have made
their home in Dracut for the past forty-one years.
An avid golfer,
Jack is hard to beat on the links. He splits his time between being on the
green with friends and being on the lake with his ever-growing family. It is a
pleasure to have him as part of our Cataudella family.
Staff
Staff
Staff
Retirement offers plenty of
benefits, but many people enjoy being more social and helping out whenever they
can; such is the case with Ray Bachand. In October of 2016, he began working at
Cataudella Funeral Home, even though he was officially retired after twenty-three
years of working at the Fireside Restaurant. Prior to that, he worked for
Pepsi, Corporation for many years in delivery services and quality control. Thankfully
for us, Ray is compassionate, professional, a hard worker, and helpful so he is
a perfect fit for assisting the families we serve at Cataudella Funeral Home.
Raymond grew up in Lawrence and has
lived in Windham, NH since 2003. He shared his home with his wife of thirty-five
years, Kate, until she passed away in 2008. They raised two daughters, and now
he has four grandsons and one granddaughter. In his leisure time, he enjoys running
outdoors, going to the gym, and being with his family and friends.