Our Staff
Our Staff
William Brock, Jr.
Funeral Director / Manager NJ Lic. #3287
William Brock Jr. was born in Passaic, NJ to William and
Clarice Brock. He was #4 of 5
children. He has 3 older sisters and a
younger brother all of whom continue to live in New Jersey with their families.
Bill met his wife Linda in 1968, he
married his high school sweetheart in 1973.
They have 3 children, Tim and his wife Lori (Fabano), Jackie and her
husband Dean Brauch and Kelly and his wife Becky (Englishman) and 8 adoring
grandchildren.
Bill
was a 1971 graduate of Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes. He served his
country proudly in the United States Navy and returned home to attend Mercer
County Community College where he graduated with a degree in pre-mortuary
science. He graduated cum laude in 1976
from American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City.
Bill, along with his son Tim presently own and operate the Vander Plaat Funeral
Home in Wyckoff. He is a member of the
Bergen County Funeral Directors Assoc. where he now serves as president, a
member of the New Jersey State Funeral Director’s Assoc., and the National
Funeral Directors Association. The
Vander Plaat Funeral Home has been a member of the Order of the Golden Rule
since 1972. OGR is an international organization
of independently owned funeral homes worldwide. Bill recently retired from the
Board of Directors of OGR where he served as president 2015 – 2016.
A
lifelong resident and strong advocate for the community of Wyckoff, Bill has
been a volunteer firefighter since 1973. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and
served on the Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat (a home for mentally and
physically handicapped children located in Wyckoff) Fair Committee which he
chaired many years. Bill and Linda are
members of the Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church where he has served as an
usher, deacon, elder and vice president of the church council along with being
a past youth group leader. His passion
is driving 18 wheel tractor trailers. On occasion he is able to use his driving
skills to bring needed donations to the Cary Christian Center in Mississippi.
In 1992
he had the honor of serving the Nixon family when Patricia Nixon passed
away. Again in 1993 the Nixon family
called upon him with the passing of President Nixon. As a proud American, Bill was able to serve
the Nixon family with great dignity and respect. Throughout my career I have found it an honor
and a privilege to serve many families of the greater Wyckoff community. I
thank them for allowing me to help them in their greatest time of need.
Timothy W. Brock
Funeral Director NJ Lic. # 4278
Timothy W. Brock a lifelong resident of Wyckoff, was born and raised in the funeral home. He is a fifth generation funeral director in the Vander Plaat family. As a young man Tim worked alongside of his dad doing yard work and cleaning the business cars. His interest in funeral service became apparent following his graduation from Eastern Christian High School in 1992. He went on to graduate from the Virginia Military Institute in 1996 with a degree in Biology and Computer Science. In 1997, he graduated cum laude from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service and was licensed as a funeral director in 1998.
He is a member of the Academy of Funeral Service Professionals. Tim presently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thanexus Inc. as co-op of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Assoc. He is also a member of the International Order of the Golden Rule, the National Funeral Directors Assoc., New Jersey State Funeral Directors Assoc., and Bergen County Funeral Directors Assoc.
Tim's computer skills have enabled the funeral home to advance their technology to better serve their families. He was instrumental in planning the recent reconstruction of the funeral home in 2012.
In 1996, Tim joined the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department, following in the footsteps of both his grandfathers, his father, and was joined by his brother. Tim is currently serving as the 27th Chief of the Department having worked his way through the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief.
Tim met his wife Lori in 2004 and they were married in 2005. They live in Wyckoff with their two children, Ryan and Victoria.
Jackie Brock Brauch
Funeral Director NJ Lic. No. 5499
Jacqueline
“Jackie” Brock Brauch was born and raised in the funeral home. From the time she was a young girl, her
desire was to help people and serve her community, just like her parents, Bill
and Linda.
Jackie
graduated Eastern Christian High School in 1995 and pursued a career in the
medical field. She attended HoHoKus
School of Business and Medical Sciences graduating in 1998 as a Medical
Assistant. Two years later she decided
to further her education through the University of Medicine and Dentistry of
New Jersey graduating with her Paramedic Certificate in 2001. Jackie worked for St. Joseph’s Regional
Medical Center in Paterson for 11 years.
A dream come true career, she loved every moment, making lifelong
friends and proudly serving the community.
She also volunteered as an EMT on the Wyckoff Volunteer Ambulance Corps
and Haledon Emergency Ambulance Association.
In 2001, Jackie married the love of her life, Dean Brauch and they established their home in North Haledon, where Dean has dedicated over 30 years to the North Haledon Volunteer Fire Department. Together, Jackie & Dean have two children, Billy, and Kristen. In their free time Dean and Jackie enjoy boating on the Hudson River in Haverstraw, NY, and spending time with friends.
Jackie has worked at the funeral home for many years. She started as a young adult using her artistic abilities to help her mom, Linda, handcraft ornaments for our annual Holiday Memorial service during the holidays. She moved into a full-time administrative position in November 2018.
Jackie became an Insight Certified Celebrant in 2022 and feels privileged to help families find creative ways to honor their loved ones with uniquely personalized funeral services.
In December 2023, Jackie graduated cum laude from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service and is currently an intern at the funeral home. She looks forward to receiving her funeral directors license in 2025 and is proud to join her father, Bill, and brother, Tim, as part of the 5th generation of the Vander Plaat Funeral Home tradition of funeral service. Caring for others has always been her calling and she feels honored and privileged to be able to serve the greater Wyckoff community for years to come.
Angela Peterson
Funeral Director NJ Lic # 5333
Raised in Bogota, NJ. Angela is a lifelong
resident of Bergen County. Angela volunteered and later worked for many years
with children and adults with special needs, stemming from a very unique
program that traveled the world to provide care for children with a rare congenital
disorder. She also volunteered in a nursing home for a few years as a
recreation aide and worked as a companion for the elderly and disabled and
their families. She has always wanted to help people and found great joy in
this work.
Graduating high school in 2008 with Presidential Academic Achievement, she promptly entered the workforce. In 2010, she welcomed her first child into the world and her second child in 2022. Being a mother has always been Angela's greatest achievement in life. She views her children as her life's most beautiful masterpieces. She has always taken the role of mom very seriously and strives to raise her children with a pocket full of love and so many memories to take into their adult lives. She homeschools her oldest child and will continue to until graduation day. Any time not spent at work is spent with her beautiful children and her husband, her lifelong sweetheart, Eddy. They met in 2003 when they were just kids themselves and finally married in October of 2023.
Her career path took traction and focus after the tragic and untimely loss of her father, Frank, in 2014. He passed away at only 45 years old, four days after his birthday. That's when Angela found her true calling, right there in the moment of the most prominent loss of her life. Her father was her best friend, losing him really helped her to decide that her goal was to help navigate families through the same grief. Offering support, comfort, knowledge and compassion through the process. In 2018, she started her work in a funeral home setting, transitioning from her current job to her career. She was accepted into mortuary school and in January 2019, she started American Academy McAllister Institute online program and passed every semester on the honor roll. She took her schooling very seriously, taking a course load of above full time and graduating college amongst the pandemic of 2020, while maintaining her role as an intern. She has been a licensed funeral director since August of 2021.
She dedicates her career to her father and strives each day to treat all families with the utmost respect.
Lisa Caggiano
Funeral Director NJ Lic # 3934
Lisa is a Clifton native who attended Paul VI
H.S. and went on to achieve her associates degree from Bergen Comm. College.
She was always drawn to sports, animals, doodling and creating art.
In 1981 Lisa’s path in life took a different
turn when her father purchased Vander Plaat Colonial Home in Fair Lawn. Her
upbringing instilled a strong sense of compassion and desire to help people in
need. So, pursuing a career in the funeral industry offered a glimpse into
artistry, compassion, care and the power of teamwork, resilience and
perseverance which was always part of her spirit and guide through life.
Lisa became a licensed funeral director in
1987 and worked with her family at the Vander Plaat Colonial Home in Fair Lawn.
Amidst the backdrop of achieving recognition in our community we felt it was
the perfect moment to embrace change and honor our legacy by transitioning to
the Vander Plaat -Caggiano Funeral Home. We owned and operated the funeral till
2021.
With over 40 years of service in the funeral
industry, her journey has been defined by a deep-seated commitment to provide
families with the same level of care, respect, and compassion that I would want
for my own loved ones.
Embracing spontaneity and a spirit of kindness
and generosity which extended to my personal life, she learned to ride a
motorcycle at a young age. There is a profound sense of freedom and
exhilaration that comes with navigating the open road especially under the
vibrant lights of the Vegas strip at night, a memory that continues to inspire
her to embrace life’s unexpected thrills.
Residing in Ridgewood now Lisa’s home is
graced with 2 parrots with vibrant personalities and a vivid vocabulary which
brings daily laughter.
L.J. Wieczerzak *
Funeral Intern NJ Registration # I-1389-22/08
Raised in Clifton, NJ, and now
residing in Rutherford, NJ, L.J. joined the Vander Plaat team full-time
following a 16-year career in independent pharmacy. He first became part of the
team in a part-time capacity as a funeral attendant, during which he discovered
a deep interest in funeral service. This experience inspired him to pursue a
degree in mortuary science.
Since July 2025, L.J. has been
working with Vander Plaat on a full-time basis while attending Eastwick College
in Hackensack, where he is studying Mortuary Science.
Outside of work and school, L.J.
enjoys spending time with his family—especially his niece and nephew—and close
friends.
Linda Brock *
Office Staff
Linda was born and raised in the funeral home. Her parents John C. and Elizabeth moved to Wyckoff in 1952 when her dad opened the Wyckoff branch. His grandfather was the originator of the Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Garfield, NJ in 1894.
As a young girl Linda played the flute and was a member of the North Jersey Junior Philharmonic with Walter Schroeder for many years. She graduated from Eastern Christian High School in 1970 and went on to become a Registered Nurse graduating from Hackensack Hospital School of Nursing in 1973. She worked as a pediatric nurse in the Valley Hospital and then on a medical/surgical unit at the Hamilton Hospital just outside of Trenton, NJ. In 1973 she married the love of her life Bill and they began a family. God has blessed this couple with 3 children, Timothy & his wife Lori, Jacqueline and her husband Dean Brauch and their youngest son William Kelly and his wife Rebecca. These 3 children have blessed this family with 8 grandchildren.
Working alongside of her husband since the children were young has enabled the couple to become a strong unit. As Office Manager she provides much needed administrative support. Linda became an Emergency Medical Technician in 1985 and is a member of the Wyckoff Volunteer Ambulance Corps having served as the second female Captain in its history. She is currently a member of the Wyckoff Board of Health, The Atlantic Stewardship Bank Business Board, and the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Aux. having served as President and Recording Secretary. Linda and Bill are members of the Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church where she has been a youth group leader, Bible School Teacher, choir member and hand bell ringer. Her hobbies include baking, knitting and being a Stampin Up Card Demonstrator.
Linda feels honored and blessed to contribute to the support of the funeral home and the families that entrust their loved ones to our care.
* Unlicensed and not qualified to make funeral arrangements.
Laura Dykstra *
Office Staff
Laura (Steiginga) Dykstra grew up in
Hawthorne, NJ. She attended Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, NJ
and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Ml, where she studied accounting.
Laura and her husband Rob married in 1988.
They have been blessed with three children, Ryan, and his wife Samantha,
Shannon, and Kyle and his wife Cassidy. They are also the proud Grandparents to
five grandchildren. Rob & Laura are members of the Cedar Hill Christian
Reformed Church in Wyckoff, where she has served on various committees, in
addition to having served as a greeter, GEMS counselor and youth group
leader.
Before joining the staff of Vander Plaat
Funeral Home in 2008, Laura worked part time in the accounting industry, while
raising her family. She now provides bookkeeping and administrative support for
the funeral home.
* Unlicensed and not qualified to make
funeral arrangements.
Steve Bruining *
Funeral Attendant
Steve Bruining grew up on Lodi, NJ. He attended Lodi High School and Montclair State College where he played basketball.
Steve and his wife Nancy (Steiginga) were married in September, 1978. They are blessed with their son Harrison and his wife Samantha and son Andrew.
Steve and Nancy are members of Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church in Wyckoff where he serves on various committees and has also served as an elder and deacon.
Before joining VanderPlaat Funeral Home in 2013, he was a plant manager in the printing industry and Maintenance Director at The Holland Christian Home. At VanderPlaat Funeral Home Steve provides support to the funeral director and the families they serve. He is also responsible for maintaining the facilities and the vehicles.
* Unlicensed and not qualified to make funeral arrangements.
Craig Booth *
Funeral Attendant
Craig enjoyed a 35 plus year career in the Information Technology industry. He worked for retail, shipping, consumer electronics, automotive and IT service organizations as a computer programmer, consultant and project manager. In 2003, he joined our team on a part time basis as a funeral attendant working alongside Vander Plaat staff providing for the needs of families requesting our services. In 2012, he joined our staff in a fulltime capacity continuing to provide the same level of service in addition to assisting with technical and administrative support.
Craig and his wife reside locally.
* Unlicensed and not qualified to make funeral arrangements.
