Funeral Professionals

Our funeral professionals are dedicated to providing outstanding service to our families. Caring, committed and trained employees help families during their most difficult time of need. From comforting grieving loved ones, assisting and guiding families with making final arrangements to ensuring every service is just what the family requested, our funeral professionals pride themselves on the service they provide.

Our funeral professionals include funeral directors, administrators, embalmers, housekeepers and florists, all of whom care for people and make a difference in people’s lives every day.

Continue reading to learn more about being a funeral professional at Stewart Enterprises from some of our loyal, caring professionals.

Funeral Professionals

What does a Funeral Director do?

Here are some of the basic responsibilities of our Funeral Directors:

• Provide goods and services to our families in a caring and professional manner.
• Arrange and direct funerals, cremations and memorial services in varying faiths.
• Comply with company policies and local, state and government regulations.
• Represent the company in civic and professional organizations and other activities.

Licensed funeral directors and embalmers, from left, Susan Broguiere, Evelyn Cornwell and Mayra Graciano organize flower arrangements for a service at Calvary Mortuary in California.

Approximately one-fourth of Stewart funeral professionals are women, and that number continues to grow. These dedicated professionals serve families from facilities across the country. Meet a few of them here and see that these outstanding women continue to build on their careers and demonstrate that the funeral industry offers personally and professionally gratifying career paths and uplifting opportunities.

From left, at Loudon Park Funeral Home in Baltimore, Administrative Assistant Phyllis O'Meara and Funeral Director Bill Berkey assist Funeral Director Kim Schlanger in planning a service.

Evelyn Cornwell has been in funeral service for 25 years, holding positions as embalmer, embalmer supervisor, arranger and salesperson. She has been manager of Calvary Mortuary in Los Angeles since 1999. “I always wanted to be in funeral service,” she explained. “The high school I attended was across the street from a mortuary and I watched the services. I thought, ‘I can do this.’ ”

Manager Kelly Coleman consults Superintendent Dan Smith about maintenance of the mausoleum at Nicolet Memorial Gardens.

Kim Schlanger of Loudon Park Funeral Home in Baltimore was a nurse before she became a funeral director. She has been in funeral service for more than a decade. “I really liked working with families and decided I wanted to be a funeral director,” she said.

From left, Funeral Directors Kim Michel, Lydia DeSoto and Sharon Galman prepare a casket for a funeral service at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in New Orleans.

Wisconsin native Kelly Coleman was attracted to a career helping others. She began at West Lawn Memorial Park in 1996 as an office assistant and became manager of Nicolet Memorial Gardens, Appleton Highland Memorial Park and Lake View Memorial Park. “I was a single parent just out of college and between jobs when West Lawn was hiring. Working in an industry driven by customer service intrigued me,” Coleman explained.

Funeral Director Sharon Galman of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in New Orleans knew funeral service was for her. She started as the facility’s telephone operator and is now telephone operator supervisor, safety supervisor and a funeral director and embalmer. “I chose to work in funeral service because I believed it was my calling. This is the most difficult time families have to go through, and if I can make their lives easier, my life is fulfilled,” Galman said.