Meet Our Staff | Resthaven Funeral Home, Cemetery & Cremation
resthaven funeral home and memory garden cemetery in Oklahoma City, OK


Our staff provides excellent funeral planning services

We have years of experience caring for families from all walks of life, cultures and faiths. Our unsurpassed staff and our family provide kind, caring, professional service. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession who are dedicated to excellence in service, adhere to the highest funeral industry standards, and have exceptional integrity. We consistently earn phenomenally high customer satisfaction survey results.

Our licensed, professional staff is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call 405-691-1661 anytime. We will even come to you to make arrangements in the comfort of your home.

Prompt, compassionate service is always just a phone call away, where and when you need it.

Leadership Team


Michael Kelly

Michael Kelly

Managing Partner ~ Funeral Director & Embalmer ~ Certified Crematory Operator

Mike joined the Resthaven Team in 2019 after relocating from North Carolina. He brings 30 years  experience serving families with him and is currently a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Central Florida and an Associate of Science from Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science.  He has also earned the designation of Certified Crematory Operator (CCO) from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). When not at work Mike and wife, Deana, enjoy traveling to far away places, cruising and spending time with their two dogs, Benny and Gracie.    

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Jodi Keys

Jodi Keys

Office Manager

Jodi works very hard to ensure each and every one of our families can celebrate “the dash” in their loved ones' lives, not just the start and finish dates. She has been a part of our Resthaven team since 2000. She is a native Oklahoman. Jodi attended the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Funeral Service in 1995. Her greatest joys are spending time with her family. She is married and has one son. She is a great hunter and also enjoys riding horses.

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Shelby Wallis

Shelby Wallis

Funeral Home Manager ~ Funeral Director & Embalmer

Shelby is a lifelong resident of Oklahoma. She attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science. She joined the Resthaven team in 2012 and continuously strives to go the extra mile for each and every family we serve.  Through her hard work and commitment to making those around her better Shelby was promoted to Resthaven Funeral Home Manager in November of 2022.  Outside of work, Shelby enjoys fishing and boating, crafting, and furniture restoration projects. 

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David Grodsky

David Grodsky

Family Service Director


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Russ Bridges

Russ Bridges

Community Service Director

Russ is a west coast transplant that spent most of his career leading B2B teams in selling telecommunications. He spent a year managing an Family Service team at another local cemetery and is now absolutely thrilled to be growing an Advanced Planning team for Resthaven in central Oklahoma.    

 He moved to Oklahoma to help his parents and takes great pride in helping them enjoy their retirement years. 

In his spare time, he enjoys meeting new people, trying new restaurants, and enjoys a wide variety of outdoor sports.  

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Dale Cude, Sr.

Dale Cude, Sr.

Cemetery Grounds Superintendent

Dale brings over 15 years local cemetery experience to the Resthaven team.   


Funeral Service Team


Jason 'Jay' Arnold

Jason "Jay" Arnold

Funeral Director & Embalmer ~ Certified Crematory Operator

Jay joined our team in 2021 after relocating with his family from the Seattle area. He brings with him 21 years of funeral directing experience.  Jay graduated with a Mortuary Science degree from Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When not at work Jay enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking and being outdoors. 

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Hillary Hatchett

Hillary Hatchett

Funeral Director & Embalmer

Hillary was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma.  She currently lives in Oklahoma City with her daughter.  Hillary currently attends the University of Central Oklahoma pursuing her degree in funeral service.  She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and going on adventures.  

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Josh Wines

Josh Wines

Funeral Director & Embalmer


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Aaron Brown

Aaron Brown

Funeral Director & Embalmer



Katie Pierce

Katie Pierce

Funeral Director & Embalmer

Katie was born and raised in the South OKC/ Moore area and is an alumna of Moore High School. She attended the University of Central Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science and was an active member of the Delta Zeta sorority. Katie was a proud participant of the 2014-2015 TEAM South- Class VII through the South OKC Chamber of Commerce. She has also been a volunteer mentor with the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League since July 2015, and is a current member of Women of the South. Katie loves spending time with her two dogs: Lola and Reggie, laughing, adventures, and baking.

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Trang Ha

Trang Ha

Licensed Embalmer



Family Service Counselors


Lydia Mitchell

Lydia Mitchell

Family Service Counselor


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Carri Hames

Carri Hames

Family Service Counselor

Carri has been with the Resthaven family since October 2015. She was born and raised in Norman and is an alumna of the University of Central Oklahoma. Carri enjoys educating families on the importance of pre-planning their final wishes for the future. She is also passionate about helping families through one of the most difficult times of their lives and feels rewarded when she can make things easier for them. In her free time, Carri enjoys traveling with her family and spending time with her son.

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Ryan Spartz

Ryan Spartz

Family Service Counselor


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Rayme Myers

Rayme Myers

Family Service Counselor


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Madelyn Ferguson

Madelyn Ferguson

Family Service Counselor



Juana Maria Rueda

Juana Maria Rueda

Community Service Preplanning Specialist

My name is Juana Maria Rueda. I was born in Mexico, where I went to college and received a bachelor’s in accounting. .I have two beautiful daughters of which I am very proud of, I’m a mother with a heart split in two since one of my girls graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and my other daughter graduated from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. I consider myself a woman who is always positive and happy and these attributes have helped me in my career in  serving others with a servant heart.


Blanca Campos

Blanca Campos

Community Service Preplanning Specialist


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Carolyn Womack

Carolyn Womack

Community Service Preplanning Specialist


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Ambassadors


Steve Hiebsch

Steve Hiebsch

Ambassador

Steve, an ambassador at Resthaven since 2010, was previously employed by Oklahoma Gas & Electric for 30 years.  In addition to helping our families prepare for funeral celebrations, he also teaches statistics at Randall University in Moore.  He graduated with a B.A. from Southwestern College in Kansas and a Master's in Economics from Oklahoma State University.  He and his family have lived in the south Oklahoma City/Moore area for over 30 years.  While at OG&E, he met his wife, Jimmi.  He loves spending time with his family, which includes his wife and four children, their spouses, and five grandchildren.  He and his wife attend Southern Hills Baptist Church.


Ermon Dyer

Ermon Dyer

Ambassador

Ermon is the senior member of our ambassador staff.  He has served as an ambassador at Resthaven for over 20 years.  After high school, Ermon joined the United States Air Force and served for eight years in the 9th Weather Ring.  He then went on to work at Tinker Air Force Base as a civilian, retiring in 1986.  Ermon loves sports of all kinds.  He officiated high school football for 21 years and basketball for 16 years.  He is an avid fan of OU, OSU, and OU Women’s Softball.  In addition, he loves meeting people and making friends wherever he goes.  Ermon’s passion is serving others.  Having lost his wife over 10 years ago, he understands the pain of losing a loved one and truly goes above and beyond to help anyone in any way he can.  In addition, he enjoys fellowship with the rest of the team at Resthaven and enjoys working with them.


Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard

Ambassador

Jimmy has a passion for providing service for families during the loss of loved ones. He has been working at Resthaven for over three years. He addresses any need that arises at a funeral celebration. He was born and raised in Holdenville, Oklahoma, and after relocating to the south Oklahoma City/Moore area, he became part of our team. Jimmy served two years in the military and was a self-employed business owner for 35 years. He is an avid University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University fan and enjoys collecting coins. He is married and has two sons and three grandsons.

Eddie Tomlinson

Eddie Tomlinson

Ambassador

It is very important to Eddie to help our families through these difficult times because he lost important members of his own family at very early ages.  He very much wants to be a part of something that makes a difference in our world and does that by helping prepare for funeral celebrations.  He has been a part of the Resthaven family for over 10 years.  Eddie, the owner of a First Aid Business for over 20 years, where he restocks first aid kits for many business and government agencies.  He is married and has two beautiful daughters.  He loves to play the guitar and enjoys recording music with his daughters in his home studio.


Gary  H Pitzer

Gary H Pitzer

Ambassador

Gary, for over 10 years, has assisted families and the Resthaven team before, during, and after funeral celebrations.  He is a proud graduate of Capitol Hill High School and Central State College (now University of Central Oklahoma).  Gary is a veteran of the U.S. Army.  He had a career in sales for 35 years until his retirement.  Gary is married and has a daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.  He is active in his church.  He has stayed fit by regularly playing volleyball and has for many years.  He is an avid OU football fan.


Jack Poe

Jack Poe

Ambassador

Jack has been a part of the Resthaven family since July 2015 and loves caring for the families that we serve and making a difference in their lives during difficult times. He received a seminary degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Phillips University. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard as a chaplain and retired as the State Chaplain at the rank of Colonel. He joined the Oklahoma City Police Department as a chaplain and was involved in setting up their peer support program and also served as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Baptist University. He and his wife Phyllis have been trained in family counseling. Jack has conducted multiple seminars throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2003, Jack received the United States Secret Service Certificate of Appreciation and was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2010.

Robert O'Dor

Robert O'Dor

Ambassador

Robert has been with our ambassador team since 2014.  He is dedicated to assisting families and other staff members with funeral ceremonies and all the preparation involved in them.  Originally from Healdton, Oklahoma, he and his wife, Debbie, are current residents of Moore.  He loves to work in his yard, go fishing, watch NASCAR, and watch his grandchildren play Little League sports.   He has two children, two grandchildren and a dog, Jackson.  He is an avid OU football fan.


Dr. Danny Frazee

Dr. Danny Frazee

Ambassador

Danny joined the Resthaven team in 2016 and is happy to help families through difficult times.  He served as pastor at Wilmont Place Baptist Church for over 20 years.  Prior to entering full-time ministry, he was a public-school teacher and coach.  A native of Blackwell, Danny earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State University, a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Theological Seminary.  Danny has served on the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma board of directors.  Currently, he is a bi-vocational pastor at Southmoore Baptist Church.  Danny and his wife, Judy, have two children, as well as four grandchildren.


Mason Polk

Mason Polk

Ambassador

Since 2019, Mason has had the privilege of serving families at Resthaven.  He was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas; moving to the Oklahoma City area when he was in college.  He decided to stay after he took the pastorate of a church in Oklahoma City.  Mason now serves as an administrator at Randall University in Moore, Oklahoma.  Training young men and women going into the ministry gives Mason great joy.  He and his wife, Karinda, are the parents of a beautiful little girl.  


Mel McDaniel

Mel McDaniel

Ambassador



Administrative Staff


Milly Filomeno

Milly Filomeno

Contract Processing & Cemetery Records Maintenance


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Hospitality Team


Jimmi Hiebsch

Jimmi Hiebsch

Hospitality

Jimmi has been a part of the Resthaven family since October 2014.  She is honored to be available for families during visitations as well as helping families find their loved ones in our gardens.  She loves assisting the families and her co-workers any way she can.  Prior to working at Resthaven , she worked for 21 years at  Oklahoma Gas & Electric,,  where she met her husband, Steve, who is also a part of the Resthaven family.  After their marriage she worked for her dad’s oil company until his death and the closure of the company.  She and Steve have four beautiful children and five amazing grandchildren.  Spending time with those grandchildren puts a huge smile on her face and is the joy of her life.  Her other favorite things are family, travel and yard work.

Billie Sherga

Billie Sherga

Family Center Concierge



Rita Bornoff

Rita Bornoff

Hospitality

Rita has been with Resthaven for almost two years and works as a receptionist. She enjoys assisting families with visitation, as well as events in our Family Life Center. In her free time, she loves sewing, enjoying music, shopping, and being with her wonderful family. A former employee of Southwestern Bell, Rita is thankful to be part of our Resthaven team.

Sydney Niblett

Sydney Niblett

Front Desk Receptionist



Laquita Jones

Laquita Jones

Retired - Receptionist

Laquita feels very blessed to be able to work with and be part of the team at Resthaven and considers all to be a part of her extended family. She has been with Resthaven for over 13 years. She is a retired music and first grade teacher. Her special joys include doll making, sewing and playing all kinds of music. She has been married for 50 years and has one very special daughter and a granddaughter. She and her husband have traveled extensively in the USA and around the world, but she is glad to be home in Oklahoma. Laquita retired from her full time Receptionist role at Resthaven in November 2022 after over 20 years service. 

Phyllis Poe

Phyllis Poe

Hospitality

Phyllis was born in Altus, Oklahoma. Phyllis and her husband, Jack, pastored churches for 23 years in Texas and Oklahoma before becoming chaplains of the Oklahoma City Police Department. They served there from 1984 until retirement on December 31, 2011. Phyllis coordinated the chaplain and pastor response to the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 and helped set up and organize the Chaplain's Corner for the Oklahoma State Fair. Phyllis is an active member of the Emmaus Baptist Church, where she sings in the choir and teaches a ladies' Sunday school class. Phyllis and Jack are faithful volunteers at the Veterans Corner, Inc. each week. Phyllis has two children, David and Robin, three grandchildren, and four great granddaughters.

Paulia Merrell

Paulia Merrell

Hospitality



Facilities & Special Projects Team


Cemetery Grounds


Ray Logan

Ray Logan

Grounds & Interments Specialist



Steven Johnson

Steven Johnson

Grounds & Interments



In Memorium 


David Roberts

David Roberts

Ambassador

In Loving Memory

May 2, 1939 ~ January 18, 2023


Paul Box

Paul Box

Ambassador

In Loving Memory

May 29, 1931 ~ November 28, 2014




Contact Us


Resthaven Funeral Home, Cemetery & Cremation
|
500 Southwest 104th Street
| Oklahoma City, OK 73139
|
Tel: 405-691-1661
|

| Directions

You are welcome to call us any time of the day, any day of the week, for immediate assistance. Or, visit our funeral home in person at your convenience.

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