By Andrea Macko, Porcupine Soup
WINDHAM―After three decades of compassionately serving families during their most difficult times, John Gulino is passing the torch of Decker Funeral Home.
Scott Zielonko and Jennifer McKeon of A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home in Greenville officially became the new owners in Windham on February 26, bringing with them more than 40 years of combined experience.
Zielonko is a licensed funeral director and the current owner of A.J. Cunningham where McKeon is also a licensed funeral director.
Gulino said he took great care in choosing Zielonko and McKeon and they share his commitment to the core values of the funeral home.
“They are unbelievable professionals,” Gulino said, noting the knowledge, honesty, and compassion both Zielonko and McKeon bring to the business.
A native of Staten Island, Gulino has been licensed since 1983 and has owned three funeral homes. He was familiar with Windham―having come to the mountain skiing on occasion―but it was in 1995 that business brought him to the snowy town.
A woman in Staten Island had passed away and her family requested burial on their land on Begley Road in Windham. Gulino made the trip north and met Fredrick Decker, the second-generation owner whose late father Lee founded Decker Funeral Home in 1952.
Fredrick was contemplating retirement and wanted to find a successor who would carry on the funeral home’s legacy.
“That was in December of 1995,” said Gulino. “Next thing I know, we closed on the business a few months later.”
For any funeral director, the job requires a lot of responsibility. They manage all aspects of a funeral service, including coordinating with the family to plan the ceremony, embalming and preparing the deceased for viewing if necessary, handling legal paperwork, arranging transportation, selecting caskets or urns, and providing emotional support during a grueling time.
“You have to be a good listener,” Gulino said simply in a sentiment echoed by Zielonko and McKeon.
Zielonko, who was raised in Watervliet, attended Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) for mortuary science and became licensed in 1983. He has worked at funeral homes in Albany, Troy, Watervliet, and Ravena and came to A.J. Cunningham in 2008. He purchased the business from Curt Cunningham in 2016.
Zielonko is also a member of the Capital District and New York State Funeral Directors Associations.
“He is one of the most caring individuals you will ever meet,” noted Gulino.
McKeon is a Greene County native who spent 18 years working as a nurse. But the tragic death of a friend’s young daughter inspired her to pursue a new career to help grieving families and ensure their loved ones receive the best possible final arrangements.
McKeon went back to college for mortuary science at the age of 44, graduating from HVCC and becoming licensed in 2022. She specializes in cosmetics and reconstruction.
Together, alongside Gulino during the transition, Zielonko and McKeon say they are poised to continue serving mountaintop families with the highest standard of professionalism and empathy.
“Families come to us in the worst times of their lives,” McKeon said.
“The people we care for are someone’s mother, grandparent, sister, or child,” added Zielonko.
Over the last 30 years, Gulino has gotten to know countless families and said that while he is stepping back from the day-to-day operations of the funeral home, he will be there for support.
“I’m still going to be around,” Gulino said. “I want this to be a smooth transition for the community.”
“We are blessed that he is willing to stay on,” McKeon added.
And while ownership has changed, the sign will not.
“It is staying Decker Funeral Home,” said Zielonko. “We are not changing the name.”
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