KAIN-MURPHY - Key Persons
Arthur H. Holl opened his first funeral home in 1908 in Camden, NJ. He later opened a second funeral home in nearby Haddonfield and in 1956, consolidated his businesses at 15 West End Avenue, Haddonfield. His son, Earl, carried on the family business after service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Then in 1954, while still in high school, Blair M. Murphy took an interest in assisting at the Holl Funeral Home. Blair graduated from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in 1960 and worked for the Holls until 1973, when he purchased the business from Earl Holl and renamed it Holl Murphy Funeral Home.
The other side of the Kain-Murphy story started when James Stretch opened the doors to Stretch Funeral Home in 1910, and then moved his business in 1917 to the historic site at 8 W. Kings Highway. Mr. Stretch dedicated his life to running a caring and supportive funeral business. He passed on those values and his business to two longtime employees, Bill Evans and Abe Eggleston in 1963. Evans soon bought out Eggleston and renamed the funeral home Stretch Evans Funeral Home. Later Eugene Kain, began working with Bill Evans in 1978 and purchased the business in 1979. By 1984, the name was again changed to Stretch, Evans & Kain Funeral Services and then simply to Kain Funeral Services in 2000.
Gene was the third owner of Kain Funeral Services and became the fourth owner of the Holl Murphy Funeral Home. When he acquired the business from Blair Murphy in 2001, he consolidated both businesses at 15 West End Avenue and renamed the business Kain-Murphy Funeral Services. Together with the dedication of longtime manager/director, Pam Powers, he maintained the business's reputation for compassionate and excellent service.
Most recently, in the evolution of the firm, Pam Powers took over the ownership reins and will continue to carry on its traditions with the help and expert advice of Gene Kain. As the fourth owner of the business, she is looking forward to continuing the successful practices that have sustained the company for the past century.
Eugene H. Kain, Jr., Retired Director, 1969 graduated from Gettysburg College and has been a licensed funeral director since 1976. Over the years, Gene has given generously of his time to many organizations and served as Mayor of Haddonfield from 1997-2001. A lifelong resident of Haddonfield, Gene bought Stretch-Evans Funeral Home in 1976 and Holl-Murphy Funeral Home in 2001. He merged the two at the present location in 2003 as Kain-Murphy Funeral Services. Gene has a strong belief in the dignity of the funeral service as well as a genuine affection for people. For 35 years, his goal has always been to be there, offer support and the best service possible. His empathy is evident in the legacy he has chosen with Pam Powers who has worked side by side with him for many years and shares his philosophy.
Jade McGee - Director, N.J. Lic. No. 5190, Jade grew up in Bensalem, PA and graduated from Conwell-Egan Catholic High School before attending Millersville University where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She then went on to obtain her Certification in Mortuary Science in 2017 from Mercer County Community College. During this time, she completed her internship at Kain-Murphy Funeral Services with Pamela Powers as her mentor. Jade has been a licensed funeral director in both NJ and PA since 2018. Once licensed, Jade began working full-time in Philadelphia, then Havertown, PA before making her way back to Kain-Murphy Funeral Services in 2022. Jade's kind-heartedness, compassion, and attention to detail are apparent with each family she serves.
Job Titles:
- Owner / Manager, N.J. Lic
Pamela Hoeberg Powers, Owner/Manager, N.J. Lic. No. 4237, grew up in Haddonfield and graduated from HMHS and Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Following college, Pam worked for both Virtua Voorhees Hospital and Kain-Murphy Funeral Services while attending Mercer County Community College to obtain her Certification in Mortuary Science. Once licensed in 1995, she began as a full-time employee at the funeral home and in 2004 became the firm's manager, overseeing all aspects of the business. Her warm and caring personality matches her mentor, Gene Kain. Their shared philosophy combines service, distinguished by warmth and a touch of personal and affectionate dignity. After almost 2 decades under Gene's tutelage, the torch of ownership was passed to Pam, making her the 4 th owner of the business. Pam is also a mother of 2 (Riley & Laura). She is involved with several local organizations including Interfaith Caregivers and the Rotary Club of Haddonfield.