By Leader Editor Kara Apel
What excites Connor Moloney most about the funeral service industry is the new technology that is available to create unique and innovative ways to serve families.
“That’s what I love about it … it’s always changing. You have to look 10 years into the future — where are we going to be, what are we going to need to do to make sure that we’re making our families happy?” he said. “To me, that’s what is most important.”
Moloney is part of a legacy that extends back over 75 years when his grandfather started Moloney Family Funeral Homes. He is the son of Peter Moloney, who is a co-owner of the multi-location firm with his brother, Daniel.
Moloney graduated from American Academy McAllister Institute in Manhattan. As part of The Leader’s Mortuary School Spirit Contest, we’ve been speaking with funeral directors from across the country about what their schools mean to them.
Moloney said he learned so much from his time at McAllister, but there is one thing that stands out the most.
“There’s a big focus on the sciences to make sure you pass your national board exams, but what I took most from it was learning about other cultures and religions,” he said.
Moloney has been a licensed funeral director for four years. He said navigating COVID-19 has been tough on the entire team, but there have also been some positive things that have emerged from the experience.
“It allowed us to learn new things about our business too,” he said. “You have to think outside of the box and that’s what we did. We have to take that mentality with us when things get back to normal.”
However, one of the biggest lessons Moloney has learned during his time in the profession was passed down through the generations of his family.
“My dad’s number one thing, like his dad told him, is that you care for the family, and the rest will take care of itself. It has stuck with him, and it has stuck with me. I take that mentality into my arrangements when I meet with families and when I’m directing funerals. No request is too big,” he said. “I try to make anything happen for our families, and I think that they recognize that and appreciate that — and that’s what makes me happy — just being able to help people like that.”
