Who We Are

We, at the Iocovozzi Funeral Homes, are proud to be family owned and operated. Our funeral homes are large enough to give our families the same, quality service provided by the largest funeral homes around, yet we are small enough to provide each family we serve with the level of attention and care they deserve.

We have three licensed funeral directors on staff to ensure that the needs of you and your family are always met. The families in the Mohawk Valley have come to expect the highest level of service from the Iocovozzi Funeral Homes.

We pride ourselves in making your experience with the Iocovozzi Funeral Homes the best that it can be.

• Our History

  The V.J. Iocovozzi Funeral Home was founded in 1946 at its present location, 203 Second Avenue. When Vincent J. Iocovozzi opened for business his was the most modern funeral home in the area. In 1953, he had an addition built on to the funeral home which more than doubled the size of the building. This addition could seat up to 125 people and the central air in the building was a real luxury, which made it the largest and again, most modern in Mohawk Valley. In 1953, Vincent founded Twin Oaks Memorials to make available, quality, affordable monuments to the families he served.

  

  Vincent's wife Rose was also an invaluable asset in running the businesses. Vincent passed away on February 1, 1973 at the age of 49. Rose immediately took on the role of owner and operator of both businesses at that time. She was a wise and shrewd business woman. She had to be, since a woman in the funeral business was not welcomed at that time. She purchased the local competitor, Frankfort Owens Funeral Home, in the 1970s and turned it into an apartment house. Rose continued to be an independent business woman and mother of five throughout the 1970s.

  

  In 1977, Rose's middle child, Cosmas, graduated from Simmons School of Embalming and Mortuary Science and returned to Frankfort to assist in running the family businesses. Rose's youngest son, Vinny, also attended Simmons and returned to Frankfort in 1980. Together, the three of them ran the family business for several years.

  In 1981, Vinny founded Iocovozzi Livery Service to provide professional vehicles to the families served by the Iocovozzi Funeral Homes as well as to other funeral homes in and around the Mohawk Valley.

  Also in 1981, Cosmas and Vinny decided to expand into Herkimer. They continued to help Rose in Frankfort but they also purchased the Petykiewicz Funeral Home on South Washington Street as well as the Burns-Richer Funeral Home on Henry Street.

  Founder of Petykiewicz Funeral Home/Licensed Funeral Director

  In 1986 Cosmas decided to pursue other avenues in his career and Vinny bought out his share of the family business. In 1990, Vinny put a large addition onto the funeral home on South Washington Street and consolidated the two funeral homes creating what is there today, the Petykiewicz, Iocovozzi & Burns Funeral Home.

  Rose has now retired and is living happily with her daughter Mary in Herkimer. She is enjoying retirement and fills her time doing many things that she never had time to do while she was running things at the funeral home. She enjoys spending time with friends and having her wonderful grandchildren over for supper.

• Licensed Funeral Directors

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    Vincent D. Iocovozzi, Owner/Corporation Vice-President/Licensed Funeral Director

    Vinny was born into the funeral business. He grew up living above the funeral home in Frankfort and started helping his father when he was very young. Along with his siblings, he assisted his father in many ways with the operation of the funeral home and monument works.
    
    Vinny graduated from Frankfort-Schuyler High School in 1978. He started attending Simmons School of Mortuary Science right after high school. After completing his schooling and internship in Syracuse and Rochester, returned to Frankfort, aiding his mother, Rose, with the operation of the family business. Vinny bought the business from his mother Rose in 1986 and has been the Vice-President of the Corporation ever since.
    
    Vinny is an expert in the Restorative Arts. This involves being able to rebuild parts of a body that have been damaged by illness or injury. Vinny regularly teaches a class to cosmetology and nursing students so they understand the basics of cosmetizing in preparation for a funeral.
    
    Vinny joined DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team) in 1994. This is a federal agency that responds to any disaster in this country and abroad. He is a Mortuary Officer and has received extensive training in anthropology, pathology and identification skills.
    
    Vinny loves to fly planes. He has been flying for about 20 years and goes flying whenever time permits.
    
    Vinny has 2 sons, Vincent and Matthew and a loyal dog, Frankie, that may sometimes be found on the roof of the Frankfort funeral home.
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    Heather A. Rauch, Licensed Funeral Director

    Heather is a first generation funeral director, originally from the Buffalo area. Her interest in the funeral business began in high school when there were many career paths that interested her. She considered everything from cosmetology to psychology to nursing, and in the end all of her interests were tied into one profession, funeral directing. Heather attended Ken-Ton schools in the Town of Tonawanda and is a 2006 graduate of SUNY Canton. She completed her one-year residency in Oneida, New York. Heather also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Funeral Service Administration from SUNY Canton and was among the first to graduate from the program with the class of 2011. She is an auxiliary member of the American Legion post #169 of Oneida and in her spare moments, she enjoys playing the piano, taking photographs of the outdoors and writing poetry.
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    Noelle R. Miller-Plonka, Licensed Funeral Director

• Funeral Home Staff

  The following employees are not licensed funeral directors.

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    Shawn LaTella, Administrative Assistant
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    Randy Hoch, IT Specialist
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    Mark Nicastro, Funeral Home Maintenance Staff
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    Victor Oriole, Funeral Home Maintenance Staff
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    Thomas Mariano, Vehicle Maintenance
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    Pauline Cesarini, Memorial Contribution Administrative Assistant
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    Prudy Laura, Memorial Contribution Administrative Assistant
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    Mary Mariano, Memorial Contribution Administrative Assistant
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    Christine Schwart, Memorial Contribution Administrative Assistant
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    Robert Oliver, Greeter/Staff Associate
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    Robert Murphy, Greeter/Funeral Staff Associate
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    Victor Caliguire, Greeter/Funeral Staff Associate
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    James Scialdo, Greeter/Funeral Staff Associate
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    Francis Varano, Greeter/Funeral Staff Associate
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    Samuel Licari, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Vincent Mula, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Frank Palumbo, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Robert Fanigula, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Vincent G. Iocovozzi, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Vito Carbone, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Philip Tripolone, Funeral Staff Associate
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    Vito Carbone, Jr., Maintenance/Funeral Staff Associate
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    Steve Salamone, Monument Sales Representative