10/20/2025
IN MEMORIAM & LOVING MEMORY OF
🙏🏻🙏🏻 🙏🏻 Edward F. Kugler Jr. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
December 18, 1930 - October 20, 2020
In honor & memory of Edward F. Kugler Jr. on the 5 year anniversary of his passing, a historical summary with photos and the establishment of our funeral home is below:
The Kugler family have been residents of Saddle Brook (formerly known as the Township of Saddle River until 1955) dating back to the 1930s. Prior to the Kugler Funeral Home building being built, the Kugler family (consisting of Edward F. Kugler Sr. and his wife Helen, and their two children, Dorothy and Edward Jr.) owned and operated a business called KUGLER‘S KOZY KORNER, a local luncheonette and confectionery store located on the corner of Fifth and President Streets. The popular local coffee shop and candy store was operated by the Kugler family from the 1940s and into the late 1950s.
During his high school years, lifelong resident and Kugler Funeral Home founder, Edward Kugler Jr. would serve as waiter of the family luncheonette. After graduating from Lodi High School in 1950, Ed Jr. enlisted in the United States Army and served during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953. In his military service, Ed served as a Medical Service Officer rendering medical aid and support. Ed’s experiences with the Army’s medical field service would transition into his interest in mortuary science. After his release from active duty in 1953, Ed began his funeral service career as an intern with Moore’s Home For Funerals located in Paterson, NJ. Ed attended McAllister Institute of Mortuary Science in NYC, NY and became a licensed funeral director in 1955. Ed then worked for Gorny & Gorny Funeral Homes and would later become owner and General Manager at the Gorny & Gorny Parkside Memorial Funeral Home in Bloomfield, NJ.
Having a desire to own and operate his own funeral home business in his hometown of Saddle Brook, Ed, along with his father, mother and sister, developed a blueprint for the construction of a funeral home building to be built on Fifth Street next to the Kugler’s Kozy Korner luncheonette.
In April of 1963 construction began on the two-story funeral home building and would be completed in December.
On December 15, 1963, the official grand opening of the Edward F. Kugler Community Home For Funerals was formally announced. The first funeral conducted at the new funeral home was held on December 21, 1963.
As the years went by, more and more people would become aware of the new funeral home business location and the professional and caring services it provided.
In furtherance of his never ending service and care for others, Ed Kugler would relentlessly engage in civic and community involvement. In 1967, Ed sought out public office and was elected to the Saddle Brook Township Committee. Two years later in 1969, after the Township formally voted to change to its current Mayor/Council Faulkner Act form of government, Ed was overwhelmingly elected as Saddle Brook’s first publicly elected Mayor of its 200 year history of governance. In 1973, Ed was re-elected to his 2nd term as Mayor and, after that, would continue his public service being elected to the Township Council from 1985 through 2010. In honor of his dedication to public service, Ed was inducted into and was a Charter Member and Vice President of the Small Communities Mayor’s Association of NJ and the NJ League of Municipalities Elected Officials Hall of Fame.
Mayor Ed Kugler’s tireless civic and community involvement in Saddle Brook included being a parishioner and member of St Philip the Apostle Church and Holy Name Society, Volunteer Fireman, Library Board of Directors, Planning and Zoning Board, American Legion Post 415, Charter Member and Past President of Saddle Brook Rotary and Lions Club, Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, Unico, and President and Chairman of the Saddle Brook Republican Club and County Committee. Through Ed Kugler’s exhaustive community involvement and his sincere caring and service for others, Kugler Community Home For Funerals would become more and more known throughout the community of Saddle Brook and surrounding communities.
In 1984, Robert J. Kugler (son of Edward Kugler Jr.) would become the 2nd generation of the Kugler Family to become a licensed funeral director and currently serves as the General Manager of the funeral home.
In 2010, Shayna Kugler (daughter of Robert Kugler) would become the 3rd generation of the Kugler Family to become a licensed funeral director and currently serves as a Director and Cosmetologist.
In 2015, Kaila Kugler (daughter of Robert Kugler) joined her sister, father and grandfather and became a licensed funeral director and currently serves as a Director and Assistant Manager of the funeral business. In her role as Assistant Manager, Kaila is responsible for the day-to-day daily operations of the funeral home.
“Family Owned and Operated” Kugler Community Home For Funerals celebrates “62 Years” of professional and caring services to all they proudly and honorably serve.
