Paulette Crabiel Wahler
Manager, NJ License No. 3875
Paulette Crabiel Wahler has called the Milltown area home for her entire life. Growing up above the Milltown funeral home and following in her father’s footsteps, Paulette became a Licensed Practitioner of Mortuary Science (funeral director) in 1987. She owns and manages The Crabiel Home for Funerals in Milltown today. After her father, the late David B. Crabiel passed away, she and her brother David J. Crabiel, are now owners of Crabiel, Inc.
Paulette is a dedicated member of many professional and charitable organizations. She is a member and past chairwoman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board in New Brunswick, a member of the Elijah’s Promise Advisory Board, a longtime member and Past President of the Milltown Lions Club, Past President of the Milltown Chamber of Commerce, a member of the historical Metlar Bodine House Museum in Piscataway, member of the Elks BPO Lodge 324, a honorary member of the Milltown Fire Department and a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxillary in Milltown. Professionally she is a Member of the NJ State Funeral Directors and can proudly say that she is an association member and past secretary of the Middlesex-Somerset County Funeral Directors Association.
Paulette’s pride and passion is providing an exceptional Life Celebration experience for the Milltown community and the surrounding area. Paulette and her dedicated staff welcome all faiths and cultures to experience the difference at The Crabiel Home for Funerals. Their motto has always been, “Where the Personalized Service Makes the Difference.” Paulette spoke about her passion and philosophy with the following message:
“As a funeral director, I provide comfort to family and friends of the deceased, arrange details and handle the logistics of funeral and cremation services. Through personal interviews with the deceased’s family, I guide them toward the most meaningful funeral or cremation service.
After these choices are made, I help arrange the clergy members or other person who will officiate the service. With the family’s assistance, I establish the service location, date, and time of the visitation and viewing ceremonies, memorial services and cemetery committal services. Depending on the service choice, I will arrange for a hearse to transport the deceased from the funeral home to the final resting pace.
I also prepare obituary notices and place them in desired newspapers, arrange for pallbearers and clergy, and schedule the opening and closing of the grave with the cemetery.
My goal is to carry out all of these responsibilities with discretion and compassion in order to serve all of the families in my community including our traditional Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths, along with the Lebanese Maronite Catholic, Asian Indian Hindu, Asian Indian Christian, Orthodox Christian, Filipino, Muslim and Buddhist cultures. It is my honor and privilege to serve your family.”
She is married to Mayor Brian Wahler of Piscataway and together they have three children: Olivia, B.C., and Michael Casey.
Crabiel Inc. owns Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel and Gowen Funeral Home LLC in New Brunswick, Gray Funeral Home in Westfield and Gray Memorial Funeral Home in Cranford.
Brian C. Wahler, Jr. (BC)
Funeral Director, License No. 5347
Brian C. Wahler Jr. (BC) is a 3rd generation funeral director at The Crabiel Home for Funerals. He is the son of Paulette Crabiel Wahler, and her husband Brian C. Wahler, and the grandson of the late David B. Crabiel (founder) and Joyce (Creighton) Crabiel.
BC has called Milltown his second home for most of his life. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes School in Milltown K-8th grade. He graduated from Piscataway Township High School, where he was enrolled in the ROTC program all four years. He graduated from Middlesex County College and then Mercer County Mortuary School. He became a licensed funeral director in 2021. BC is a member of the New Jersey Funeral Directors Association and the local branch of Middlesex-Somerset County Association. He served on the Youth Advisory Board of ARC of Middlesex, an organization providing housing and helping those with developmental disabilities.
In his spare time, firefighting is Brian’s passion. He is a Firefighter for both Holmes Marshall Fire Department in Piscataway, where he is currently Captain, and Milltown Fire Department. In his senior year in high school, he joined Holmes, where he’s been a member since November of 2014. After graduating high school Brian went to Middlesex County Fire Academy to get Firefighter 1 certificate. The course was a 6-week program every day in the summer, graduating in August of 2015. He also serves on the Piscataway Water Rescue Team. He is one of five delegates from Piscataway to the NJ Fireman’s convention. Brian also came up with the annual Piscataway Fire Prevention 5k race which is held every October.
Brian enjoys serving his community through funeral service and firefighting. If he’s not at the funeral home there’s a good chance he’s at the firehouse. He is known for fighting a structure fire early in the morning and being at the Crabiel Funeral Home a couple hours later to run a funeral. Then after the workday he goes back down to the fire house to clean and repack hose that was used. BC has two siblings, his older sister Olivia, who is a secretary at the funeral home, and his younger brother Michael.
