Our History
The Cremation Society of Rhode Island was founded in 1993 to provide the people of Rhode Island with a simple, dignified cremation service. John Winfield, president of the Cremation Society of Rhode Island, had the vision of a world where one could choose to have a simple and dignified service, yet one that would encompass the possibility of giving each individual exactly the type of service preferred.
With a strong resolve to give the finest, most considerate service to the people of Rhode Island, Mr. Winfield set about researching the cremation choices of those who had chosen it nationwide, including Rhode Islanders. What he found was that more and more people were considering the cremation option. He saw a vast need that must be fulfilled, and he set out to fulfill that very need for his clientele, the people of Rhode Island.
Today, the culmination of Mr. Winfield's work and research so far provides Rhode Islanders with a simple, dignified, and versatile set of choices to fulfill the needs of those who choose the Cremation Society of Rhode Island for their final arrangements.
For the future of the Society and its clientele, Mr. Winfield is constantly working and researching any available options in order to fulfill the needs of Rhode Island families who are looking for simple, dignified, and affordable cremation services given with sensitive and professional care.
Whatever one's wishes might be, the Cremation Society of Rhode Island's highly trained professional staff is here to guide you and your family through one of the most difficult times of life.
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John Winfield Jr. President
John is a third generation descendant of a family rooted in funeral service. He is also the President and owner of the Cremation Society of Rhode Island. Mr. Winfield was one of the first funeral directors and crematory operators in Rhode Island to see the importance of providing cremation services directly to Rhode Island consumers. To enact this foresight, he founded the Cremation Society of Rhode Island in 1993 and has been providing simple, dignified and affordable cremation services to consumers for the past twenty five years. John is a graduate of Scituate High School, the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences, and Bryant College with a BA in Business Administration. He served on the Scituate Town Council for twelve years, is a past president of the Scituate Art Festival Committee, and has served as a member of several fraternal organizations. John grew up in Scituate and continues to reside in the town with Linda, his wife of twenty five years, and their son, Jonathan. His son, Nicholas, also resides in Scituate. John is an animal lover who supports the causes for shelter pets. He has two rottweilers that were adopted through rescue groups and three cats adopted from the local shelter.
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Nicole E. Heywood FD/RE
Nicole is a graduate of Johnston Senior High School. She later graduated Magna Cum Laude from The New England Institute at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA with a degree in Mortuary Science. Her funeral career began in 2001 working for the A. Tarro & Sons Funeral Home in Providence. She later joined the Winfield & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory and the Cremation Society of Rhode Island in 2004. Nicole currently serves as Vice President on the Executive Board of the Rhode Island Funeral Directors Association and is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association. She is also the Vice President of the PTO and enjoys volunteering her time at school with her children. She is a devout Catholic and is an active member of Holy Cross Church in Providence. Nicole resides in Johnston with her husband Adam and their two sons.
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Amanda Lynne Johnson FD/RE
Amanda is a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Bristol Community College earning her grief counseling certificate in Thanatology. From there she transferred to FINE Mortuary College and graduated Cum Laude with an Associate’s Degree in Mortuary Science. Amanda started her work career at Bank of America for ten years. As a second career change, she started her funeral experience with Pontarelli-Marino Funeral Home in Providence. She then joined Winfield and Sons Funeral Home & Crematory and Cremation Society of Rhode Island in March of 2021. Amanda is a first generation Rhode Island state licensed funeral director and registered embalmer. She is a member of the Rhode Island Funeral Director’s Association. She currently resides in North Scituate with her two children.
