Our knowledgeable staff are passionate about providing families guidance and support during the funeral planning process and well after the funeral. Together, we can honor your loved one’s life while beginning your grief journey.
Howard K. HillOwner
Nancy HillMSW
Ceciley RobinsonHuman Resources Director
LaDawn JacksonFuneral Director
Jonathan E. JonesFuneral Director
Brandi McKuneFuneral Director
Keith MorrisFuneral Directors Assistant
Orsella R. Cooper-HughesExecutive Director of The Prosperity Foundation
Howard K. Hill
Owner
HOWARD K. HILL is a native of Windsor, CT. He received his Mortuary Science degree from the American Academy McAllister Institute of New York in 1991. He is a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer in the states of Connecticut and New York. Howard exemplifies his commitment to excellence thru thriving to be the best he can be. He has earned the two top designations in the funeral industry. The first is a Certified Pre-Arrangement Counselor (CPC). This designation has given him the expertise to educate his community of the importance of pre-planning for funerals which may include life insurance and Title 19 spend down procedures. The second designation is Certified Funeral Services Practitioner (CFSP). This distinction represents funeral directors who exceed the highest standard of care. He has served the Greater New Haven and Hartford Counties for over a decade. He founded the Howard K. Hill Funeral Services located at 1287 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT on July 19, 2004 and on May 1st 2012; he acquired Clark Bell & Bell Funeral Home at 319 Barbour St. Hartford, CT.
Mr. Hill’s business is exemplified by his slogan “We’re Honored to Serve You”. His dedication and commitment to the community has been recognized by many churches, civic, and professional organizations. Since 2011, Howard K. Hill Funeral Services has been recognized by The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) “Pursuit of Excellence” program. This program recognizes Funeral Homes that are committed to providing outstanding services to the families and communities they serve and are dedicated to achieving the highest professional and ethical standards. The Pursuit of Excellence program encourages funeral homes to further the educational and professional development of their staff, create innovative ideas to better serve families within the community and consistently strive for excellence. He has coined this pursuit into his own brand called “Aria” The Highest Level of Service.
Raising the standard of the funeral industry is his mission and the underlying message to his staff. While testimonials of services rendered were acknowledged, Howard realized there was much more that needed to be done to assist families beyond the funeral service. In 2012, Howard launched another division of the business called, “Zola”. Zola, an African proverb meaning To Love, is a series of grief counseling sessions, facilitated in groups by a team of licensed psychologists. The mission and purpose of Zola is to ensure that families grieve in a healthy manner.
Mr. Hill is convinced that one of the best gifts he can offer to those in need is to provide a blueprint for change. Because of his concern for the community, he has begun speaking to audiences about philanthropy, which is the love of mankind. “The Prosperity Foundation” formerly known as “The Urban Prosperity Fund” which he founded in 2009, is an opportunity to organize philanthropy and educate Black Communities about the power of endowment.
Mr. Hill is involved with a number of professions, i.e.: Real Estate, catering services, and business consulting. He believes in the power of circulating money within his community and therefore serves as a liaison to other small businesses and encourages networking. Mr. Hill believes in supporting higher education and addressing health disparities that plague the community that he serves.
Howard is currently serving in the following capacities: Advisory Board Member-National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA); Vice-President -Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA); Board Member for the following Non-profit organizations: Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF); Hannah Gray Home- New Haven, CT; Amistad Middle School; Hartford Communities That Care, The Community Action Agency of New Haven, and the Economic Committee for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Howard’s community initiatives include, Barbour Street Renaissance Movement, Hartford, CT, Project Longevity, and Beloved Community. His affiliations include National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association (NFD&MA) National Association of Realtors (NAR), Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association, and Oriental Lodge No. 6, F&AM, PH.
Howard has been married to his wife Nancy for over 15 years. He has three children, DeShaun Davis, Matthew and Kendra Hill and currently resides in Hamden, CT.
Nancy Hill
MSW
Nancy Hill, MSW, is the wife of Howard K. Hill. Born and raised in Hamden, Nancy received her formal education from Central Connecticut State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree. She completed her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Connecticut – School of Social Work. Mrs. Hill currently works fulltime as a New Haven Public School Social Worker and is pursuing her Sixth year Degree in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. Mrs. Hill brings over 20 years of experience in working with children and families to the Howard K. Hill Funeral Services. She is currently a member of the Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc as well as the New Haven Chapter of the Links, Inc. Nancy is the proud mother of two children, Matthew and Kendra whom she and Howard enjoy spending time with.
Ceciley Robinson
Human Resources Director
LaDawn Jackson
Funeral Director
LaDawn Jackson-Perry, CFSP, CPC, CCO is a proud Funeral Director/Embalmer and member at the Howard K. Hill Funeral Services in New Haven, Hartford (Formerly Clarke Bell & Bell) and Bloomfield (Henry L. Fuqua Funeral Service). Since 2006, LaDawn started her apprenticeship in New Haven being the first with Hill’s Funeral Home and acquired her Funeral Director/Embalmers’ license in 2007. This accomplishment was a dream come true, long overdue but, right on time. LaDawn for four years was under the leadership, care and exemplary training of Mr. Hill, who only saw fit for LaDawn to bring the experience she fought so hard for and received in New Haven back to her hometown. At that time LaDawn exemplified her professionalism, leadership and commitment in her community as she joined the team at Henry L. Fuqua F.S. in Bloomfield, CT. Shortly thereafter, LaDawn connected back with the Howard K. Hill team as the lead director at Clarke Bell & Bell (HKHFS Hartford location). Currently, LaDawn continues to show her love, compassion, professionalism, dedication and time to the families her and her team serve in the Hartford and Bloomfield communities.
She has allowed her passion and commitment to the field by obtaining the three top designations in the funeral industry. LaDawn’s latest certification accomplishment was Certified Crematory Operator (CCO), Prior to this in 2017 she has acquired a certification that has been established by the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Her being a Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC), shows the highest standard of professional excellence in preplanning through voluntary certification. This accomplishment is to promote expertise and professionalism in advance funeral planning by recognizing those individuals who have met certain predetermined qualifications and demonstrated their knowledge of prearrangement standards through the CPC examination. In addition, in 2014, LaDawn achieved her certification as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP). With this achievement, The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice est.2011, LaDawn has shown commitment to providing a voluntary certification program that shows families her commitment to continued exceptional service and life-long learning. This certification goal is to provide those funeral service practitioners a professional designation that sets them apart from their competitors. It communicates her commitment to the families that is affordable, attainable, accessible and meaningful.
Born and raised a life time resident of Hartford, Connecticut, Mrs. Perry received her Mortuary Science Degree from Briarwood College in Southington, Connecticut now known as Lincoln College in 2006. She also received an Associates Degree in Business at Capital Community College, when it was located on Woodland St. in Hartford in 1996. LaDawn became a Mom at the age of seventeen but, that didn’t stop her from graduating from Simsbury High School, walking across that stage with her class of “88”.
Becoming a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer has always been a dream of LaDawn’s as she was growing up in the Hartford community. Those that knew her well, knew this was an all-time high of hers’ as an adolescent. Her and her team being of service to the Hartford County is not a job but, is absolutely a passion and a ministry. LaDawn will tell you, she loves what she does, she has truly found her purpose in life and that is to be of purpose to others. For the near future, LaDawn is working on becoming an entrepreneur in the funeral industry. This love couldn’t and wouldn’t continue to be bestowed upon her, without the help and support of her Dad and Mom, Alex, Jr. & Mamie Jackson; husband, Bobby Perry and her two beautiful children, Lataisha and Corey.
Jonathan E. Jones
Funeral Director
Jonathan is a graduate of Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, CT and a 2000 Graduate of Briarwood College where he studied Mortuary Science. He went on to study at New England Technical Institute to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. He has been in the funeral service since the age of 16 years and continues to be dedicated to serving his community. In addition to Funeral Service, he learned the trade of headstone design and installation. Jonathan is the proud father of two sons, Jonathan E. Jones, Jr. and Jordan E. Jones.
Brandi McKune
Funeral Director
Keith Morris
Funeral Directors Assistant
Orsella R. Cooper-Hughes
Executive Director of The Prosperity Foundation
Orsella Renea Cooper-Hughes is a native of New Haven, CT. She is an ordained Itinerant Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). While serving as an Associate Minister at Bethel AMEC-New Haven, CT from 2004-2008, Rev. Hughes initiated Bethel’s first Youth Church Ministry and the Women’s Ministry, S.W.I.T.C.H. (Sisters Working in Total Christian Harmony). During this time, she also served as the Southern CT Coordinator for the New England Conference AME/Women In Ministry. From 2008-2012, she served as an Associate Member at Bethel AME Church, Bridgeport, CT where she worked with the Women’s Ministry, Board of Christian Education, and Youth Ministry. Rev. Hughes was offered the opportunity to return to Bethel AMEC – New Haven, CT to initiate a “Community 8AM Worship Service” which ran from September 2012 – June 2013. Currently, she is the Christian Education Director at Bethel and also serves on the New England Conference Board of Christian Education.
In 2008, Orsella left “Corporate America” in pursuit of a desire to have a more fulfilling position in her career where she could give back to her community. She was hired by Howard K. Hill Funeral Services as the Executive Manager. Her exact words in her interview was that she wanted a career where she could still be a business woman while affectively making change in her community. In addition to overseeing the day to day operations of the business and managing the many projects the funeral home is connected to in the community, her greatest accomplishments have been sitting on the board for the Urban Prosperity Fund, now called, the Prosperity Foundation and serving as the Coordinator for the grief counseling division, called, “Zola”. Orsella believes that if grief is accepted and confronted in a healthy manner, then one family at a time, the community can begin to change for the better which would result in healthier communities.
Rev. Hughes is the blogger of “Daily Inspirations with Rev. O” found on most social media networks. She has been called upon by many national organizations to be a motivational speaker, facilitate workshops for teen girls, young adult women, and for many of the Adult Women organizations. With a passion for the advancement of young teen girls, the organizations she takes pride in working with and facilitating motivational workshops are, the Young People’s Division of the Women’s Missionary Society of the AME Church and The Perfect Blend Young Women’s Mentoring Program, New Haven, CT.
