Laurie May Abraham, CFSP, CCO

President

Myers Mortuary

845 Washington Blvd.

Ogden, UT  84404

801-399-5613 WORK

435-225-0650 CELL

Laurie May Abraham, CFSP, CCO, is a native to the Brigham City area. Laurie graduated from Box Elder High School and Dixie State College. She received her Mortuary Science degree from Cypress College in Southern California. She became a licensed funeral director in the State of Utah in 2007, and began working with Myers Mortuaries that same year. Laurie is a member of the Brigham City Rotary Club where she has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award from them. Laurie is honored to be able to lend a helping hand to families going through one of the hardest times of their lives.

Telephone: 1-801-399-5613

Email: 

Jeremy Layton, CFSP, CPC

President-Elect

Redwood Memorial Mortuary

6500 S. Redwood Rd.

West Jordan, UT  84123

801-969-3456 WORK

801-244-6400 CELL

801-968-8831 FAX

From the time Jeremy was five years old, he had a passion to become a funeral director. He was first introduced to funeral service when he attended the funeral of his great grandmother. From that moment on, Jeremy knew that his calling in life was to be of service to others as a dedicated funeral professional.

In 2002, Jeremy graduated from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in San Francisco, California. After graduation he immediately began his internship with Memorial Mortuaries. 

Throughout his tenure; Jeremy has accepted numerous responsibilities including: crematory operator, crematory manager, funeral services manager, location manager and Vice President and General Manager for Memorial Redwood Mortuary. His duties have included the development of customer service practices and best practices for mortuary operations.

In an effort to serve families by exceeding their expectations and having the heart of a teacher, Jeremy chose to earn his certification as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, CFSP, in an effort to renew his commitment to funeral service.

Despite his fear of public speaking, Jeremy decided to tackle his fears head on and has become a successful presenter for Memorial Mortuaries Death Café, a community outreach and marketing event designed to help people learn about death in an educational and enlightening forum.

Jeremy has learned to help families understand the importance of making the best decisions. His efforts have greatly helped families better understand their options, create more meaningful services and ceremonies that bring about a healthier grieving process for everyone.

Throughout his career, Jeremy has been touched by the many examples of outstanding funeral directors. He clearly has a passion and desire for the work at hand. He has chosen to run as District I Representative in order to serve and give back to the amazing funeral directors of the great state of Utah.

In his spare time, Jeremy loves spending quality time with his wife Rachael and four beautiful children: Gabriel, Taygen, Pacey and Emerson. Jeremy enjoys being outdoors, fly fishing, doing yardwork, tinkering in the garage and working on various projects around the house.

Telephone: 1-801-969-3456

Email: 

Andrew Anderson

Vice President

Anderson & Sons Mortuary

49 East 100 North

American Fork, UT  84003

801-756-3564 WORK

385-484-9144 CELL

801-763-0799 FAX

I am a fifth generation funeral director pleased to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, father, and recently my brother, in serving on the UFDA leadership team.

A little about me, I grew up in American Fork and graduated from American Fork High School. At the age of 12, I began working odd jobs for the mortuary. That later led to getting a job with the American Fork City Cemetery, where I worked for four years while attending high school. This is where I learned and gained great appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into providing exceptional service to families in their time of need.

I later went on to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Warsaw Poland Mission. Upon completing my mission, I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Utah and went on to get an MBA/HCM from the University of Phoenix. I worked in healthcare for 17 years, where I managed the non-medical personnel for hospitals.

I returned home to help my family with the business in 2015 and received my Mortuary Science degree from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services. I have been working in the profession for a combined 12 years -- 4 years as a licensed funeral director.

I am married to Megan and have four children, Tessa, Ezra, Nash, and Zola. I live in Lehi and enjoy all of the outdoor activities Utah has to offer; however, I am particularly fond of playing volleyball.

Telephone: 1-801-756-3564

Email: 

Travis Greenwood

Secretary-Treasurer

Larkin Sunset Gardens

1950 E. 10600 S.

Sandy, UT  84092

PH 801-571-2771, CELL 801-831-6536

Travis Greenwood was born and raised in Lehi, UT. He obtained his Mortuary of Science degree from Mt. Hood College in Oregon and became a licensed funeral director in 1995.

Travis is in his twentieth year of being the General Manager for Larkin Mortuary. His dedication in providing genuine care and his years of experience make him a valuable resource to the families he serves. His commitment to treat everyone with dignity and professionalism is respected and emulated by his coworkers.

Travis and his wife, Jackie currently reside in Lehi, UT. He enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his family. He has served on the Funeral Directors Licensing Board for the past four years. He is involved with and volunteering at many community events.

He is looking forward to serving with the Utah Funeral Directors Association.

Telephone: 1-801-571-2771

Email: 

Brad Rawlins Walker, CFSP, CCO, CPC

Immediate Past President

Walker Family Mortuary

187 South Main Street

Spanish Fork, UT 84660

801-798-2169 WORK

801-319-5159 CELL

801-798-0733 FAX

Brad Rawlins Walker is the oldest son of Allyn and Marsha Walker. He lived in the mortuary most of his life and learned the value of service and hard work from his father, Allyn, and his grandfather, Lynn, at a young age.

Brad graduated high school in Spanish Fork, earned an Associate Degree from Dixie College, a Bachelor Degree from Brigham Young University, and a Masters Degree (MBA) from Brigham Young University. He also attended mortuary college in Cypress, California and received the Mu Sigma Alpha award for scholastic excellence and the Melvin. D. Hilgenfeld award for outstanding student in funeral directing.

Brad is an Eagle Scout, a Rotarian, and served an LDS mission in Rostov-na-Donu, Russia. Brad loves sports, the outdoors, music, movies, and spending time with his family and friends.

He married Michelle Lee in 2005 and the two of them have made their home in Payson. They have two beautiful children and enjoy living and serving in their community.

Brad is one of the owners of Walker Funeral Home and has been working there full time for the past 15 years. Brad considers it an honor and privilege to help families with funerals at such a crucial time in their lives. The opportunity to work with his family, associates, and all those around him has been a great blessing in his life.

Telephone: 1-801-798-2169

Email: 

Brian R. Bartlett

District I Director

Memorial Mortuaries & Cemeteries

3115 E. 7800 S.

Cottonwood Heights, UT  84121

801-943-0831 WORK

801-301-3619 CELL

801-943-3631 FAX

Brian R. Bartlett is the manager of Memorial Mountain View Mortuary and Memorial Lake Hills Mortuary. He has worked with Memorial for 17 years.

He grew up in the Sandy/Draper area and attended Alta High school, graduating in 1995 and attending an LDS mission to San Bernardino, California. While on his mission in California, Brian met a Funeral Director who gave him and his companion a tour of a mortuary, Brian was fascinated and decided that this was the career path he wanted to follow.

When Brian arrived home, he attended Salt Lake Community College and received an Associate’s degree. Following that, he attended Arapahoe Community College. He received his Associate of Applied Science in Mortuary Science degree in 2005. While in Colorado, he met his beautiful Wife Julia, and are the proud parents of four wonderful children (two boys and two girls). Brian currently resides in Eagle Mountain and loves playing golf, watching sports, especially University of Utah football and the Utah Jazz, spending time with his family and being a funeral director.

Telephone: 1-801-301-3619

Email: 

Frank Lillywhite

District II Director

Walker Mortuary

187 S. Main St.

Spanish Fork, UT  84660

801-798-2169 WORK

801-830-9993 CELL

801-798-0733 FAX

Frank Lillywhite grew up in Laketown, Utah, a small community near Bear Lake. Living in a remote and beautiful part of Utah gave him a great love of the outdoors. He is the seventh of 10 children and enjoys going back to Bear Lake with his family to visit his dad who still resides there. Frank graduated from Rich High School in 1998 and served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ to Tampa, Florida shortly thereafter. After his return from Florida he began studying accounting at UVSC in Orem where he met his wife Amy Walker. Amy is the oldest daughter of Allyn and Marsha Walker and she has warm memories of growing up in the Payson and Spanish Fork mortuaries. Amy provided Frank’s introduction into the funeral home, but it wasn’t until four years after their marriage that Frank decided to officially pursue a career in the family business. This decision required that he and his young family move out of state to study at a college that offered a mortuary science program. They moved to Santa Ana, California where he worked at Brown Colonial Mortuary while attending school in Cypress. Frank graduated with a degree in Mortuary Science in 2007, receiving the Elizabeth Green Award for Excellence in Restorative arts.  He then returned to work for Walker Funeral Home in 2008. Since that time Frank has served on various community and industry boards including the Spanish Fork/Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and previously with the Utah Funeral Director’s association. Frank and Amy have five children. Family and outdoor activities such as snowmobiling and camping occupy the better part of his free time.

Even though he never would have imagined that working in a funeral home would be part of his life, Frank truly feels that it is exactly what he should be doing. Growing up in a large family, he experienced the loss of two of his brothers who died at three and 21 years of age. Frank could clearly see the impact this had on his family, and he tries to remember this as he meets with families who have experienced a death. Frank feels the Utah Funeral Directors Association plays a key role in educating funeral professionals and raising the standard of care given to families.

Telephone: 1-801-798-2169

Email: 

Matt Yardley

District III Director

Lindquist Mortuary

3408 Washington Blvd

Ogden, UT  84401

801-394-6666 WORK

801-388-5271 CELL

801-394-1164 FAX

Matthew Yardley has been a funeral director since 2009. He received an Associate of Science degree from Weber State University and a Bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science from Southern Illinois University. He started his mortuary career as an apprentice at Olpin-Hoopes in Heber City and worked for 4 years at Memorial Mortuary. After moving back to Davis County, where he grew up, he began working at Lindquist Mortuary, where he has been employed for the past 6 years. He now lives in his hometown of West Point with his wife and three children. Matt is a musician and has played guitar, piano and accordion in several bands. He has also enjoyed playing bagpipes with the Utah Pipe Band since 2010. Matt served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Asuncion, Paraguay and is fluent in Spanish. He currently serves with the youth group in his church and has spent many years volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America. Matt has many hobbies. He enjoys fishing, hunting, traveling with the band, and adventures with his family. The funeral profession has become an integral part of his life. Matt finds that serving families with compassion and understanding can best help families with the loss of a loved one.  

Telephone: 1-801-394-6666

Email: 

Jackie Nickle

District IV Director

Nickle Mortuary

190 S. Center St.

Delta, UT  84624

435-864-3412 WORK

435-406-6195 CELL

Jackie Kay Nickle started out doing home health care and decided that she wanted to do more by becoming a funeral director and helping families in their time of grief. Jackie is a 2009 graduate of Arapahoe Community College and began a career at Nickle Mortuary.

Throughout the years, Jackie has enjoyed working with various families. She has built good, long-standing relationships with them as well.

Jackie is very committed to the funeral service industry and will continue to strive to do her best in all aspects of it.

Jackie loves to draw in her spare time, even going as far as illustrating a book. She loves giving gifts to people and just having fun. Jackie is looking forward to serving on the board of the Utah Funeral Directors Association and is grateful for the opportunity.

Telephone: 1-435-864-3412

Email: 

David Hess

At-Large Director

SLCC Mortuary Science Program

3491 W. Wights Fort Rd.

West Jordan, UT 8088

801-957-6205 WORK

573-275-0346 CELL

801-957-6353 FAX

David is responsible for developing the curriculum and courses for the Mortuary Science program at Salt Lake Community College, oversees the maintenance and assessment of the program and has guided the program through the accreditation process with the American Board of Funeral Service Education.  As an Associate Professor, David teaches the majority of the core courses of the program focusing on the sciences. He has served as the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee, the Curriculum Analysis & Implementation Council and is currently a member of other sub-committees at Salt Lake Community College. David has served as the Chair of the National Board Exam Liaison Committee and participated in several curriculum reviews with the American Board of Funeral Service Education.  He has assisted the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards with writing and analyzing questions for the NBE and is also a past president of the University Mortuary Science Education Association.

He has been active in funeral service for over 30 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Utah, Illinois, and Missouri. David has been active in all facets of funeral service and community service, serving in various clubs and organizations and has completed over 400 hours of continuing education and professional development. He is recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International and has served as Deputy Coroner in Alexander County, Illinois.

He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University earning a Master of Science degree in Education with emphasis on Vocational Education, a Bachelor of Science degree focusing on small business management, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mortuary Science and Funeral Service.

David is married with two children and has resided in Utah since 2011.  He is an avid sports fan rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and Los Angeles Rams.  David loves teaching, studying history, watching old classic movies, and speaking about leadership principles.  

Telephone: 1-573-275-0346

Email: 

Kent Christiansen, CFSP, CCO

NFDA State Association Representative

801-660-0404 CELL

Kent and his family are residents of Syracuse, Utah. He was raised in Southeastern Idaho and graduated from Brigham Young University studying Family Science. He also has a degree from San Francisco College of Mortuary Science, where he was president of the student body and received the Presidential Leadership Award. He received the Mu Sigma Award from the National Association of Colleges of Mortuary Science for outstanding academic proficiency.

Kent has been a licensed funeral director since 1997. In 2007 Kent was recognized by the Academy of Funeral Service Professionals and received the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner. Kent was a member of the State of Utah EDEN (Electronic Death Entry Network) advisory board, where he participated in the formation of Utah's Electronic Death Certification program which became effective in August of 2006. He also enjoys being a judge for the Best of State Competitions for our state of Utah. Kent was elected as a board member of the Utah Funeral Directors Association in 2008.

Kent and his wife Shelli have four wonderful children; McKay, Alex, Brynnley, and Sadie. He enjoys family activities, traveling, woodworking, sports, outdoor recreation, and music. He is also active in church, civic and community organizations.

Telephone: 1-801-660-0404

Email: 

Melanie Braathen

UFDA Office Manager

Mailing:  P.O. Box 95576

South Jordan, UT 84095-0576

Office:  9075 S 1300 E, Ste 104

Sandy, UT 84094

801-263-3286 WORK

425-232-1636 CELL

801-993-0038 FAX

Melanie was born in Midland, Michigan and moved to Bountiful, Utah when she was eight. She attended Brigham Young University and studied nursing. A couple of years later she was set up on a blind date with Brian Braathen, an accountant, who lived in Washington. They married and she moved to the Seattle area for the next 29 years.  Brian later chose to become a funeral director and is the current manager at Valley View Memorial Park in West Valley.

Melanie Braathen has spent the past ten years working at a large combo firm, Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home and Cemetery located in Seattle. She is called mom by three incredible kids, a daughter who resides in Gilbert, AZ and two sons which live in the Salt Lake Valley. She is the grandma to a beautiful angel baby boy and has one grandson and another on the way. Melanie and Brian are now empty nesters and have decided to move closer to family, who they love spending time with making memories.

Melanie is thrilled to be back in Salt Lake and excited to bring her organizational skills and death care knowledge to the Utah Funeral Directors Association.  

Telephone: 1-801-263-3286

Email: