Tim Lenz

Managing Partner-Family Service

Tim joins the Mountain View team from Texas where he served as a Family Service Advisor and Family Service Manager of numerous funeral homes in the greater Houston area for seven years.

Tim received a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in theology and minor in psychology from Texas Lutheran University in 2006. Tim then served as Director of Youth and Family Ministry for eight years for a congregation in Houston. After meeting his wife, Valerie, Tim and she volunteered in Southeast Asia for ten months before returning back to Houston and then beginning a career in the funeral industry.

Tim and his wife, Valerie have two daughters, Willa and Elle. Tim and his family enjoy all the outdoors have to offer, such has camping, hiking, skiing, and anything involving activities around the water. Tim and his family have two energetic rescue dogs along with two playful cats. This is his family’s first time to reside in the great Pacific Northwest and look forward to becoming part of this welcoming community.

One of Tim’s passions is serving families in times of need, whether it be after losing a loved one, or in assisting them to discover the benefits of planning ahead in order to help protect their loved ones.
Tim knows that no single approach is the right one for everyone and has been trained in a range of options to include each individual’s desires, traditions, and beliefs.

He has had the pleasure to help families plan meaningful tributes for themselves and their loved ones, including custom memorial services, traditional funeral services, discovering a peaceful final resting place in a cemetery, and everything in between. Tim prides himself on serving each family as if they were his own, with great attention to detail and care.

E. Casey Rose

Managing Partner-Operations

Casey is a 4th generation Funeral Director who grew up in Paris, Texas and has over 30 years in our profession. Casey and his partner Walt recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary. They are both native Texans but have always had a desire to beat the heat and relocate to the Pacific Northwest. So they packed up and made the move at the end of May 2020.

He is a graduate of Paris Junior College and a 1992 graduate of Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He later attended The University of Texas at Arlington. Casey served his internship at Bakker Funeral Home in Eastland, Texas, receiving his Funeral Directors and Embalmers licenses in 1993. While in Eastland, Casey was active in the city fire department, earning both an Emergency Medical Technicians License and a Firefighting One certificate from Texas A&M University at College Station.

His first position as a licensed funeral director was with Resthaven Funeral Home and Cemetery in Lubbock, Tx. He moved to Dallas to become a funeral director at Grove Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park. While in Dallas, Casey was cited by the Dallas Morning News and the City for acts of heroism during floods in 1998 in southeast Dallas, receiving the Keys of the City from then Mayor Ron Kirk.

He later became regional marketing manager for Wilbert Burial Vaults, serving Texas and New Mexico. After two years, he accepted a position as assistant manager with Restland Funeral Home & Cemetery in Dallas, Texas’ largest funeral home. Casey & Walt moved back to their childhood home where Casey became a director of Gene Roden’s Sons Funeral Home and eventually being named operations manager of that firm in 2005. In 2006, Casey became an Owner and Operator of the Funeral Home which became Starrett-Rose Funeral Home. In 2008, after selling their interest in the funeral home Casey & Walt moved back to Dallas. Casey became a General Manager for several funeral homes and Funeral/Cemetery combination locations in the Texas DFW Metroplex, before moving here to the Pacific Northwest. Casey recently served a two year term on the Board of Directors of the Washington Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (WCCFA). Casey is a member of The Washington State Funeral Directors Association (WSFDA), the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) & The International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA).

Casey & Walt have served several communities in many ways – one as board members of Paris Habitat for Humanity, and chairs of the Heritage Tourism Committee for Visionaries in Preservation. Casey is passionate about the re-birth of cities downtown areas, historic preservation, and grief recovery to mention a few.

Rylee Melot

Funeral Home Manager

Rylee Melot is a millennial who began in Funeral Service in 2013, now licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer.

She was raised mostly in Orting, WA but spent some of her growing years in Walla Walla, WA and Lewiston, ID. Following graduation from Orting High School, she attended Lake Washington Technical Institute and earned an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service.

Rylee was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic at an early age and is passionate about diabetes education and management. She and her wife Emilia currently live in South Tacoma with their sons Alfred and Melbourne; cats Charlie and Marshall; and their dog Fancy.

Rylee enjoys reading science-fiction, playing tabletop games, binge watching reruns of The West Wing, and hiking around the Pacific Northwest. She believes your life is made by what you give of yourself. This idea pushes her to contribute more and volunteer as much as possible in her community.

Richard Wallace

Assistant Funeral Home Manager

Richard Wallace is a native of Tacoma. Richard graduated from Curtis Senior High School and graduated from Clover Park Technical College with an Associates in Business. Richard then attended Northeast Texas Community College receiving his Diploma in Funeral Service.
Richard, not knowing he would ever be called to funeral service, entered Mountain View to handle arrangements for his aunt. Richard and his family fell in love with the services they received from Mountain View, which inspired him to get into the profession part time. After a few months, he was drawn to the profession in a full time capacity.
Richard is very devoted to community service. He is a member of The Black Collective, and The Tacoma Urban League. Richard is a member and devoted parishioner of St. John’s Transformational Ministries. When Richard isn’t serving the families of Tacoma at Mountain View, he is busy serving them out in our community. He is well known in the Tacoma area for his kindness, integrity and just his overall wonderful spirit.
Richard has one daughter, Dora, who is 10 years old; his mother, Staci; his father, Waymon Wallace; Richard also has 2 Sisters and 4 Brothers; his Grandmother, Fannie Lee, affectionately know as “Big Momma” and she also serves as Mountain View’s official Grandmother.

Alyssa Fortin

Cemetery & Funeral Home Office Manager

Alyssa has been a part of the Mountain View family for the last four years and has a long history of working with large groups and interacting with different people. She leads a team of 14 amazing professionals who are top-notch in their field. Learning something new daily is a passion of hers. Alyssa finds the local history of Mountain View Memorial Park inspiring!

Neil Beck

Supervisor & Senior Family Service Advisor

Neil is a resident of Tacoma, Washington and is a 3rd Generation Pacific Northwest Native. Never married, his dedication to his work and his Father kept his focus for the last 28 years.

A graduate of Foss High School, Pierce College, and the University of Washington where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.

While in College, he worked part time and the Summer months teaching and coaching competitive swimming to local youth in Fircrest where Neil grew up. The ability to connect with kids and train them in this sport led to a full-time position directly following College graduation. He coached with Tacoma Swim Club under the guidance of Dick Hannula from Wilson High School Fame.

During 1995 - 2006 as a coach Neil worked with Local, National, and Olympic Trial Qualifiers. He loved watching and helping kids develop their life skills through the hard work and dedication in the pool. He volunteered at the YMCA teaching lessons to all ages, and was head of all youth planning for Pacific Northwest Swimming programs.

Neil took many lessons and experiences while working with kids from the pool and applied it to Mountain View, where he joined the team in 2006 working under the Thompson family. He was particularly captured by the opportunity listing advertisement; "If you truly want to make a difference in Peoples' lives."

Neil had had many losses in his family, beginning with his Mother in 1978 before even considering working with Mountain View, but the position seemed to have found him. " I didn't really know what my responsibilities were when interviewing, but I knew I wanted to create an impact and be where my family and Generations before have trusted with their arrangements.

Taking a brief time away in 2021 after losing his beloved Father Neil came back to the position he loved, fulfilling his Fathers' wish for his son to continue on, assisting all people and being there at a difficult time. He recently moved into a supervisory role to pass the knowledge he has gained over the many years to his team, but will continue working and helping families.

On a rare day away from the office, Neil enjoys working in or out of his older Craftsman home, playing golf at local courses, especially Chambers Bay and hopes to join Fircrest Golf Club one day. He also likes older Muscle Cars, playing guitar, antique shopping or just walking a trail or Park in the beautiful area he has called home for 50 plus years.

Bob Johnston

Senior Funeral Director & Embalmer

Bob’s career has spanned over 40 years as he began serving families in 1981 and has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1989. Bob grew up in Tacoma and graduated from Mt. Hood Community College in 1985 with an associate degree in funeral service education. He joined the team at Mt. View in 2012.

Bob’s main passion in funeral service is caring for the families of our fallen first responders. These deaths are not easy to care for but we are honored to be called upon to help.

Bob is engaged in the community and has been a member of Rotary International since 1991, serving 2 terms as President and 14 years as Club Secretary in the Rotary Club of Parkland-Spanaway. Bob has also served as a board member of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association.

Bob currently lives in Tacoma, and he and his wife, Teresa just celebrated 45 years of marriage. They have one daughter and two grandchildren. In his off-time Bob enjoys traveling, golf and gardening.

Jennice Webb

Funeral Director & Embalmer

Jennice Webb is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer who began serving families in 2017. She was raised in southwestern Oklahoma on Route 66 with her sister, and two brothers.

Jennice attended the University of Central Oklahoma where she received a Bachelor of Science in Funeral Service. While attending college, she worked as an apprentice at Strode Funeral Home and Cremation in Stillwater, Oklahoma. There she learned the necessary skills and gained knowledge needed to excel in the profession. She became a fully licensed funeral director and embalmer in June 2021.

After graduation she worked at Ray and Martha's Funeral Home in Anadarko, Oklahoma. There she was entrusted to serve numerous Native American tribes and honor their timely traditions and customs. (Apache, Caddo, Comanche, Delaware, Kiowa, and Wichita)

Jennice joined the team at Mountain View in March 2022, here she serves families of various cultures and religions. She currently lives in Steilacoom, Washington with her husband and their two fur babies; Hubble and Ollie. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, hiking, kayaking, and playing disc golf. She is also a fan of college football; specifically... the Oklahoma State Cowboys. GO POKES!

Jennice has had personal experience with loss and therefore understands the importance of taking time to honor a life well lived and guiding families through difficult times. She believes in personal connections and giving every family a safe space to grieve.

Russ Seaton

Funeral Director

Even at a young age, Russ felt the calling to the funeral profession after the loss of two young cousins and his grandmother, but finally joined the vocation following the sudden passing of his brother-in-law. He has helped family and the closest of friends through tragic loss and understands the grief process from personal experience. Russ is dedicated to helping others through some of their most difficult times when losing a loved one. He is a member of WSFDA (Washington State Funeral Directors Association) and a National Board certified and Washington state licensed funeral director.

Russ has a passion for working with those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia by reaching out to memory care and nursing home facilities, bringing his ukulele and singing, spreading joy to those who might find themselves alone or in need of comfort. He believes music has a healing power that transforms and rejuvenates. Russ has served as a board member of Sarge’s Place in Forks, Washington, supporting veterans in finding housing and medical treatment through government and non-profit resources, and works very closely with surrounding Veterans Associations to help families of those who served find resources in times of loss.

Russ and his wife, an elementary music teacher, are Pacific Northwest natives but have lived around the world, including China and the American Southwest. They also perform professionally as singers in various capacities, with advanced degrees in music, coaching and performance. He considers himself a history buff, especially concerning the American Civil War as well as the days of the Old West (his favorite place in the world is Tombstone, Arizona). Russ is committed to celebrating all cultures and respecting ways of life and memorials with personal touches, meeting every family’s needs. A champion and advocate for diversity, he believes each family deserves the utmost care and respect consistently, especially in times of loss. Traveling from Tanzania to Tibet, from Ireland to Italy, from Germany to Japan, Russ lives every day to the fullest, cherishing his wife, his three amazing daughters, his two dogs Jake and Emma, and two crazy cats, Kevin and Virgil (Earp).

Jessica Partridge Kyle

Funeral Director Intern

Jessica has been a Funeral Director Intern since 2021 and works hard to help families through the loss of a loved one. Jessica grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon but spent her high school years in Puyallup attending Graham Kapowsin High School. She found herself in Port Angeles Washington not long after graduating to be closer to her extended family. Jessica has come back to the Pierce County area because her husband is stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord as an air traffic controller.

Family is extremely important to Jessica and she feels as though she has another family here at mountain view. Jessica enjoys going to church and traveling. Her goal is to one day visit all of the national parks and if she is lucky.... travel the rest of the world as well.

Jennifer Frasier

Funeral Director Intern

Jennifer recently joined our team, relocating from Dallas, Texas to transfer within the NorthStar Memorial Group family from a sister firm.

Jennifer grew up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas with her parents and younger sister. From an early age, you could always find her with her nose in a book. She took to service early, volunteering at the Sachse Public Library, and was a member of the Student Library Advisory Board in high school. In her free time today, you can find her perusing good reads at a local used book store or library.

Jennifer first graduated from Richland College, earning her Associate in Sciences degree. She later attended and graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, earning her Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Services degree. She is also a proud member of the academic mortician fraternity, Pi Sigma Eta.

Jennifer believes her path to becoming a Funeral Director was divinely led, as she didn't initially envision herself in this role. When she started mortuary school, she was more interested in embalming, as she always loved studying sciences (and English). While in school, she immediately took to the industry, working at local commercial embalming facilities. She took a brief hiatus, taking on the role of caregiver and assisting an elderly gentleman with Alzheimer's until his passing. It was from that experience that she realized that the funeral industry was where she was meant to serve, and decided to go back, but as a Funeral Director Apprentice this time.

Jennifer served her apprenticeship at Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas, humbly serving many families of various cultures and religions in her time there. Everything she learned in her prior roles, and all of her talents and skills, before seemingly unrelated, all came together in this role, and she knew that this was her true calling. She became a licensed Funeral Director in 2023.

Jennifer lived in Bellevue for a short period in 2014-2015, but moved back to Texas. She always had Washington on the back of her mind, feeling the pull to return. After obtaining her license, she saw that Mountain View Funeral Home was in need of a Funeral Director, and took a leap of faith and made the move. She is grateful to have received such a warm and loving welcome, and is excited about both her future and that of Mountain View.

Geoff Piper

Grief Consultant

Geoff Piper is an experienced grief group facilitator, counselor and teacher. His experience includes 40 years supporting bereaved people in a variety of settings. He has been a pastor, a Hospice bereavement counselor, funeral home Bereavement Director and Consultant, and private practice grief counselor. Geoff has taught classes and seminars on grief for college, community and church groups.

As our Grief Consultant, Geoff facilitates Mountain View’s bereavement support program. He leads support groups, classes and special events; is the contact person for information about grief support here and throughout the community; and provides individual grief consultations to help people identify and connect with resources to help them through their bereavement.

Geoff is a member of Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and is a Certified Grief Recovery® Specialist with the Grief Recovery® Institute.

Mr. Hobbs The Dog

Mountain View Therapy Canine

We are so lucky to have Hobbs working part time for us. After a successful career as a guide dog for the blind, Hobbs wasn't quite ready for full retirement and transitioned into a therapy dog. He loves up on our staff as well as families we serve. He's even know to say hello and get some belly rubs at some of our community events.