Owner and Manager / NJ Lic # 3833
Geraldine Oliverie Hennicke is a 1981 Jackson Graduate. She received an Associates Degree in Applied Science in 1982 from Herkimer County College, Herkimer, NY and an Associates Degree in Business from Ocean County College, Toms River in 1983. She then pursued her childhood dream of becoming a funeral director and enrolled in American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services and graduated with honors and as class vice-president in 1984. She was licensed by both the State of NJ and the National Licensing Board of the US in 1986.
While attending college and funeral service school she worked in Lakewood for a funeral firm from 1984 to 1987. She then pursued a bigger dream of owning her own funeral home and opened her first funeral home, Oliverie Funeral Home of Lakehurst in 1987. In 1988 she also managed Shore Memorial Funeral Home in Pt. Pleasant Beach until it sold in 2003. In 2000 she opened her second funeral home in Manchester Township.
Geraldine married Michael J Hennicke in 1988, who is also a licensed funeral director and co-owner of their businesses. They have three children, Marissa, Bridget and Michael.
Geri, as she is commonly known by, is a charter member of the Funeral Ethics Association and also a charter member of the Lakehurst Historical Society. She is a member of the NJ State Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. She is also a Certified Celebrant, certified by Oklahoma University in 2006 and the Order of the Golden Rule in 2007.
Geraldine started her community services at a very young age. She was a Jackson First Aid Explorer, through the Boy Scouts from 1975-79 and then became a Junior Cadet for the first aid squad until her 18th birthday when she became a full privileged member. She has been a career speaker for both the Boy Scouts and Monsignor Donovan High School for many years as well as the Vocational Schools Career Day on the Lakehurst Naval Base.
In 1988 she was elected to the Lakehurst Borough Planning Board and in 1991 she was elected as council woman for the Borough, in 1994 she was appointed to the Borough of Lakehurst Board of Education and in 1995 she was elected to the Board of Education. She is a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, member of St John’s Church, Rosary Altar Society and Parish Council, since 1987. She was a member of the St Joseph’s Advancement Advisory Council in Toms River from 2005-2007.
Geri was active in the Jackson Lioness Club in 1985 -1990 and served as their president from 1989-90. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1992. She is very active with the Lakehurst-Manchester Rotary Club: a member since 1988 she has held many positions, Sergeant of Arms 1991-93, Secretary 1993-95, President 1997-98 and 2005-07, Assistant District Governor 1998-2000 and 2006-09. She is a Presidential Citation recipient from District 7500 in 1996 and 2005. She is a District 7500 Service Award honoree in 1995 and a Rotary International Paul Harris Honoree in 1993, 1998, 2005 & 200, 2007 & 2008 and an International Benefactor. Geri was honored with the prestigious Jackson Alumni Hall of Fame Civic Award in October 2006.
Geraldine is an active supporter of her community. She is a sponsor of the Manchester Little League since 1999. She is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Manchester Volunteer Fire Co since 2005. She is Platinum sponsor for the Lakehurst Fleet Reserve #124 Summer Olympics since 2000 and also a Platinum sponsor for Manchester Day since 2000. She has helped the United Way with their Children’s Easter Basket Drive since 2003 and the Ocean County Catholic Charity’s Christmas Toy Drive since 1999 and the Boy Scouts Food Drive since 1999. She also is a major sponsor of the Children’s Memorial Garden in the Winding River Park that the Compassionate Friends of Toms River maintain.
Geri helped organize and raise funds for the playground equipment donated to the Lakehurst Elementary School by the local Lakehurst Manchester businesses. She applied for and received grant monies from the Rotary District 7500 for the “Light up Manchester”, to help get the stadium lights for the Manchester High School Football Fields and also donated as a professional/personal sponsor.
Recently, in October 2011, Geri was honored by the Jersey Shore Girls Scouts for her community involvement and is actively serving on the Monsignor Donovan PTA since 2007 serving as President from 2009-2011 and chairing the annual Harvest Auction. In December of 2012, she was recently honored by Monsignor Donovan and was the recipient of their Giving Tree Award. She currently is serving as a board member for the St Joseph’s Century Club and hopes to continue helping others now and into the future.
Oliverie Funeral Home 