Compassionate funeral home in Stafford Township

We are proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral and cremation service providers. When you choose Thos. L. Shinn Funeral Home, you receive both the compassionate care you expect from a Stafford Township-operated establishment and the benefits you deserve from the largest and most trusted network of funeral, cremation and memorialization services.

All of our services are designed to help you through 1 of the most personal and challenging stages of life, and at Thos. L. Shinn Funeral Home, we are committed to helping you with compassionate, professional and personal service.

We honor veterans

At Thos. L. Shinn Funeral Home, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Four Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, we are honored to serve our nation’s heroes and take this responsibility seriously. We have taken steps to ensure our staff is knowledgeable of all the benefits available to military veterans and their families.

In addition, we host community events annually in honor of our veterans and work closely with local veterans organizations. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran’s memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

Contact us day or night

It is our privilege to serve the wonderful people in our Stafford Township community. Please contact us if you need immediate assistance, or if you would like more information about our funeral and cremation services.

History

Built in 1750 by Captain Reuben Randolph, one of the original settlers in Stafford, the building that houses Thos L. Shinn Funeral Home was a meeting place for the Continental Army before it marched to the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution in 1778.

A home for doctors

At one point in the 1800s, Dr. Augustus Hankinson and his nephew, Dr. William A. Newell, owned the building. Dr. Newell was a physician and three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives and governor of New Jersey. He established the Newell Act, which created the United States Life-Saving Service (a federal agency that grew out of efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers that ultimately merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard).

In more recent years, the location became established as "Old Doc Hilliard’s home." Doc was the only local family doctor for quite a long time. In 1956, a few years after Doc died, Thomas Shinn bought the property and turned it into a funeral home.

Serving the community

Thos L. Shinn Funeral Home has been an integral part of the community ever since. Though the funeral home as been expanded and renovated through the years, parts of the original Hilliard Drive building remain, including the chimney, which displays an informational plaque. We carry out a heritage and tradition of dedicated service to the families of Manahawkin and Stafford Township, treating everyone with dignity and respect.