A Familiar Family, A New Chapter on Smull Avenue
For four generations, the Prout family has believed that funeral service is not simply a profession, but a lifelong commitment to community. Today, we are honored to begin a new chapter as the proud owners of Dancy Funeral Home on Smull Avenue, bringing our family’s long-standing tradition of care home to Caldwell.
Many readers already know the Prout name from Verona, where our family has served for decades. What may be less known is just how deeply our roots run right here in Caldwell and throughout the West Essex area. In fact, our family is proud to be the oldest funeral home family continuously serving West Essex, assisting local families for more than 100 years.
Our roots in Caldwell run deep, spanning generations of family, service, and shared history.
Frank and Jeanne Prout raised their family here, instilling values of service, faith, and community involvement that continue to guide us today. Frank proudly served with the West Essex First Aid Squad, not only as the Monday Night Lieutenant but also as the organization’s Treasurer, quietly ensuring the squad’s stability and ability to serve the community. Jeanne was a devoted member of the Rosary Society at Saint Aloysius and served alongside her husband as a Monday night dispatcher for WEFAS.
Their son, Bob Prout, quite literally grew up on Caldwell streets — living on Elizabeth Street and later Park Lane, attending St. Aloysius School (Class of 1970), and remaining an active member of Saint Aloysius Parish. As a young man, Bob was involved in West Essex 4-H, BSA Troop 6, and worked at the Tichenor Garden Center across from Saint Aloysius Church (where the Dunkin Donuts now is), experiences that grounded him in both service and stewardship. Those early years shaped the funeral director, mentor, and community advocate he would become.
The next generation continues that connection. Julia Prout, Bob’s daughter and the first female funeral director in the family’s history, attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy (Class of 2011) and grew up immersed in the same values of compassion and professionalism that define our work today. Her husband, Michael Schumell, has served the Caldwell area for years as a Communications Officer for local first responders, supporting police, fire, and EMS agencies behind the scenes and reinforcing our family’s deep ties to those who protect and serve our community every day.
Our family’s presence in Caldwell continues to grow, as Steven Prout looks forward to moving to town and becoming part of daily life here. For us, this is not simply an expansion of service — it is a homecoming.
Taking stewardship of Dancy Funeral Home is both an honor and a responsibility. The Dancy name has long been associated with dignity, trust, and personal care, and our intention is to build upon that foundation with our own Prout touch: compassionate, personalized service; thoughtful attention to detail; and the belief that every family deserves guidance that is both professional and deeply human.
Alongside tradition, we also bring specialized services designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s families. We are nationally recognized leaders in green and environmentally conscious funeral options, offering meaningful ways to honor life while respecting the land and future generations. We have also invested in a modern advance planning portal, allowing families — including those living near and far — to plan as much or as little as they wish, at their own pace, with ease and transparency.
Perhaps most uniquely, families we serve are often greeted by Morris V. Prout, our certified therapy dog and the first and only therapy dog in the area specifically trained in grief and loss. Morris provides quiet comfort during services, visitations, and difficult conversations — a gentle reminder that compassion sometimes comes on four paws.
While our name may be familiar, we see this moment as a reintroduction — an opportunity to continue serving the Caldwells with the same dedication our family has brought to West Essex funeral service since 1924. We are committed to being active members of this community, supporting local organizations, honoring first responders, and building relationships rooted in trust and care.
To our Caldwell neighbors: thank you for welcoming our family to Smull Avenue. We are deeply honored to continue a legacy of service here and look forward to caring for our community for many years to come.
