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Staff

Staff

Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your family member's life.

Dee Funeral Home and Cremation Service is a five-generation family owned and operated firm. Our staff is dedicated to the individual needs of each family who has honored us with their confidence and trust. It is our goal and mission to provide quality service to families in need and to give special care to their deceased loved ones.

Our services range from traditional to more alternative memorials. Whether simple needs or more detailed requests are required, either with cremation or earth burial, there are no limitations to what we can provide a family.

 

                                               

John J. Arena, III

President & Licensed Funeral Director

A fourth generation Concord resident, John is a dedicated Funeral Director and Embalmer.  His great grandfather founded Concord's Arena Farms off Route Two on Fairhaven Road, a business that his family owned and operated for nearly a century.

For John, the funeral service profession is a calling and a ministry, built on a sacred trust that families place in our firm to properly and respectfully care for the deceased and those left behind.  His roles include guiding and counseling families through the arrangements process, planning and directing services, caring for the deceased and managing day to day operations. 

He graduated from the funeral service program at Mount Ida College in Newton, where he was the recipient of the Dodge Award, presented to the graduating individual who demonstrates worthy character traits and the promise of outstanding contributions to the funeral service profession.

In 2021, John and Dee Funeral Home were invited to join Selected Independent Funeral Homes, a selected national group of independently owned funeral homes, whose mission is to deliver innovative resources and ongoing support to ensure the best practice performance and recognized leadership in service to families. 

As an active member of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, John recently began serving his second term on the Board of Directors. He is also a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, and has served on the Advisory Boards for the funeral service and embalming programs at Mount Ida College, and currently, North Shore Community College.

John enjoys being active in the community as a board member for the Concord Business Partnership, a member of the Concord Rotary Club, and the Concord Independent Battery.  He was recently appointed to Concord's 2025 Executive Committee, tasked with planning the town celebrations commemorating the 250th anniversary of the historic battles in Concord. As part of his role in Concord250, he serves as Chair of the 2025 Parade Committee.  

He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Concord Friends of the Aging and The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  For several years, John was Chair of the Concord Public Ceremonies and Celebrations Committee.

John and his wife Haili (Elwood) Arena are the proud parents of Reagan Jane Arena, born on February 12, 2023.   

 

                                             

Charles W. Dee, Jr.

Licensed Funeral Director

A fourth generation funeral director, Charlie began his career with the firm In 1979.

He is a 1974 graduate of Concord-Carlisle High School where he lettered In Track and Field. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in 1978 and an Associate in Science degree from New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston in 1979.

Charlie is a member of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association, and International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.

He previously served as a member and treasurer of the Area Board of the Massachusetts Friends of Children & Families. This Board provides support to foster children, foster families & D.C.F. social workers.

He also enjoyed serving on the Advisory Board for the Senior Project at Concord Carlisle Regional High School, and on the Board of the Concord Council on Aging, where he authored a regular column in the Concord Journal on subjects of interest to senior citizens.

Charlie has served the Town of Concord on numerous committees including Concord’s 350th Birthday celebration in 1985, Public Ceremonies and Celebrations Committee, and Year 2000 Celebration Committee.

He formerly served as a Coach and Director of Concord Carlisle Youth Baseball and Basketball.

A longtime Corporator of the Deaconess Abundant Life Communities in Concord, he is also a Past Grand Knight of the former Concord Council #287 Knights of Columbus and a member of the Concord Lodge of Elks.

An amateur historian and Concord tour guide, he has presented seminars featuring historical films taken in the Concord area from the 1930’s through 1960’s. These presentations have been enjoyed by many business, social and service groups as well as Concord-Carlisle Adult Education classes. The original 16 mm movies were filmed by his great grandfather, Joseph Dee Jr. and his father, Charles Dee Sr.

He is married to Dari (Kaplan) Dee, and the father of Blayne and Daniel Dee.

 

                                              

Susan M. Dee

Licensed Funeral Director

A fourth generation and Concord’s first female funeral director, Susan began employment in 1986. She received her funeral director’s license in 1988 following her graduation from New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston. Her graduating Class presented her with the Humanitarian Award in recognition of being the "most caring, concerned, and giving person among peers, and so exemplifies those traits most important to the funeral service professional." She later received an Associate in Science degree from Mt. Ida College in Newton Centre, and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University in Cambridge.

A Concord-Carlisle High School graduate, she is active in both her high school and college alumni associations. She is a member of the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association, a longtime member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and Charter member of The Women’s Connection. She is the Vice President of The Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and served on the Celebration Committee in 2005 for the 150th anniversary of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Susan is a fourth generation member of the Concord Rotary Club, the Harvard Club of Concord, has served as a longtime Corporator of the Deaconess Abundant Life Communities of New England Deaconess Association and Corporator of Middlesex Savings Bank.

Susan is the wife of Mark Johnson. She is the mother of two children, Pamela and Matthew, and grandmother of Tucker, Griffin, Foster, Emerson, Paige, and Leah. 

 

                                              

Michael D. McGaffigan

Licensed Funeral Director

A second generation funeral director, Michael began his career in funeral service while still in high school, helping with visitations and services at his family's funeral home in Pepperell.  He went on to study Business at Bryant University, graduating in 2017.  He served his apprenticeship with the MacDonald Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home in Watertown, the same firm under which his father started in funeral service.  

He graduated with honors from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, TX with a degree in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science and was inducted as a member of the National Funeral Service Honor Society. 

Michael is a member of the National Funeral Director's Association, Pepperell Lions Club, Ancient Order of Hibernians and Delta Kappa Epsilon International. 

 

Matthew C. Adams

IT Specialist And Administrator

Matthew C. Adams joined the staff of the Dee Funeral Home in 2018 after a 20 Year career with Wellington Management Co. in Boston. He serves the firm as an Information Technology Specialist as well as an Associate and Administrator in daily operations.

He is a 1991 graduate of Maynard High School and a 1995 graduate of Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Fine Arts.

An avid long distance runner, he recently completed his first Boston Marathon on Patriots Day in 2019. He is a member of the Wicked Running Club in Salem. He has also completed eleven other marathons as well as numerous road and trail races over the past decade.

Matt lives in Beverly with his wife Stacy and their four children, Tucker, Griffin, Foster and Emerson. He is active in youth sports in Beverly serving as a soccer and baseball coach.

Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service
caring@deefuneralhome.com  | (978) 369-2030
27 Bedford Street, Concord, MA 01742

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