History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

Our History

Our History

 Adrian M.Dewitt and his wife Hazel L. DeWitt founded DeWitt Funeral Home in 1937 in the Hamlet of Pine Bush, Town of Crawford. The home was located in various parts of Pine Bush until it found its permanent home on Center street.  Adrian served as the Town Supervisor for Pine Bush as well as for the Town of Goshen.  During their years of service, their son Adrian " Sandy" DeWitt was an integral part of the business.  He learned from his parents the importance showing respect and dignity to the families they served throughout the years, and the importance of maintaining a high standard in the community.  In 1961, Sandy became a licensed funeral director and began to take over the family business.  Throughout the years Sandy as served on the Pine Bush planning board, as well as a board member of the New Prospect Cemetery in Pine Bush.

In November of 2012, Sandy DeWitt finally decided to enjoy retirement and sold the family funeral home to Christopher Martinez.  Chris was born and raised in the Bronx and served the community of Morris Park  for 11 years as a funeral director and manager of a family owned establishment.  Chris is experienced in all aspects of funeral service and enjoys being a part of the community he serves.  He believes in the small town values that the DeWitt Family shares and vows to continue serving the community and its members with the up most dignity and respect.  

In July of 2018, we expanded the community we serve and acquired Morse Funeral Home in Middletown, NY.  Morse Funeral Home as been serving the community under the Morse family for over 50 years.  Prior to the Morse family owning the facility, it was know as P.J. Reilly Funeral home which was established in the early 1900's.  

Our Valued Staff

  • Mr. Christopher Martinez

    Mr. Christopher Martinez, NYS Licensed Funeral Director/Owner

    Chris is a 1997 graduate of Cardinal Hayes High School and a 2001 graduate of Nassau Community College. He is a Licensed Funeral Director in New York State and is a member of the New York State Funeral Directors Association. Chris is a member of the Pine Bush Lions Club, and a former member of the Wallkill East Rotary, as well as a former board member and Vice President of the Pine Bush Chamber of Commerce. A transplant to Pine Bush by way of the Bronx, Chris is committed to excellence and attention to detail that the DeWitt and Morse Family was known for in Orange County. He vows to continue the tradition of caring and dignified service that our grieving families deserve.

  • Ms. Staci Kerdesky

    Ms. Staci Kerdesky, NYS Licensed Funeral Director

    An alumna of the Mortuary Science Program at Nassau Community College (Class of 2020) on Long Island, Staci is a licensed funeral director in New York State. Originally a linguistics major, she previously earned her bachelor’s degree in Japanese Language Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After living and working in Yokohama, Japan as an English Language teacher for some time, she returned to the states to pursue a career in the funeral service industry. While in school, she worked part time for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as a historic site interpreter for New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site & Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site. As an interpreter, she had the privilege of educating the public about the integral role of our area to America’s War for Independence and the daily lives of colonial people. Her goal now is to make use of everything she has learned from every step of her journey to best serve her community. Staci now resides in New Windsor, where she continues to enjoy the natural beauty of the historic Hudson Valley with her two cats, Arthur and Envy.

  • Mrs. Raquel Martinez

    Mrs. Raquel Martinez, NYS Licensed Funeral Director/Office Manager

    Raquel is a transplant from beautiful San Diego, CA. She has a Bachelor in Science, Criminal Justice from San Diego State University, an Associate in Science, Administration of Justice Forensic Technology from Grossmont College, and a Bachelor of Technology in Funeral Services Administration from SUNY Canton. Raquel was in the banking industry for over 14 years before leaving to help Chris, her husband, run the day-to-day operations of the funeral home. Raquel is a former recipient of the Price Scholarship for her commitment to community service and high academic honors. She continues her passion for giving back by leading various yearly community projects such as Stockings for Soldiers and Sweaters for Veterans. Additionally, she is a member of the Pine Bush Lions Club.

  • Mr. Allan Tricoche Jr.

    Mr. Allan Tricoche Jr., Funeral Assistant

    Allan "AJ" is a Bronx native and is currently attending Nassau Community College to obtain his NY State Funeral Director License.

  • Mr. Maximus Martinez

    Mr. Maximus Martinez, Comfort Counselor

    Max is Chris and Raquel's firstborn fur baby. He was a purebred French bulldog born in Slovakia.Max usually made his presence known during funeral arrangements and was a great source of comfort and laughter when a grieving family needed it. He loved to be scratched and was a loud snorer. He was an amazing companion. We were deeply saddened by his death in December 2021.

  • Mrs. Jennifer Colon

    Mrs. Jennifer Colon, NYS Licensed Funeral Director/Funeral Home Manager

    Coming soon.