Weeks' Dryer Mortuary - Enumclaw, Buckley and Tacoma, WA: vaults, caskets, cremation, cemeteries, funerals, urns

Staff Directory | Family Owned Vs. Chains

Staff Directory

Our funeral directors take great pride in the service and comfort that they offer to local families. Their service to our community does not end at the funeral home; they are involved in the betterment of the community through their activities in local charities, organizations, schools and community boards.

Duane Weeks, Ph.D., CFSP, FT

Duane and his sons own and operate six funeral homes in the Puget Sound area. He appreciates the unique privilege of watching his children continue the family tradition of helping our neighbors through the trauma death brings to their lives.

The Weeks family operates its businesses successfully by providing compassion, integrity, and value to their clients. Early in life, Duane was taught that people are more important than profit, and this lesson has been passed on to his family and employees.

As a young man, Duane lived in Parkland, Washington, where he graduated from Franklin Pierce High School and began to learn about funeral service at Dryer Mortuary. Following graduation from the University of Puget Sound, he taught secondary school English in the early 1960s before turning to funeral service.

A licensed funeral director for 46 years, Duane has owned and operated funeral homes since 1966. He was honored by his peers in 1996, when he was selected as Washington State Funeral Director of the Year and again, in 2002, when he was presented with a Career Achievement Award, also from the Washington State Funeral Directors' Association.

Duane and his wife, Fay, have lived in the Enumclaw/Buckley area since 1965. They are members of Trinity Lutheran Church and Duane is a member of Enumclaw Kiwanis, the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation board of directors, and past president of the Enumclaw School Board. He is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Death Education and Counseling.

In 1985, Duane's interest in death education led him to begin graduate schooling in Sociology. After earning his Master's degree from Pacific Lutheran University, his formal education culminated when he completed his doctorate at the University of Minnesota in 1994. In 1999, Dr. Weeks retired as director of New England Institute at Mount Ida College, a small liberal arts school in Newton Center, Massachusetts.

An international speaker, Duane is the author of dozens of articles and book chapters with topics ranging from general grief and bereavement to the importance of death rituals. He is co-editor of the seminal book on long-term caring for survivors, "When All the Friends Have Gone: A Guide for Aftercare Providers."

Russ Weeks, CFSP

A Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and President of Weeks' Funeral Homes, Russ was born and raised in Enumclaw, WA. After graduating from Enumclaw High School, he received a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from the University of Puget Sound and an Associates degree in funeral service education from Mt. Hood Community College. In 1990 Russ returned to Enumclaw and joined the family firm. He is the only two-term President of the Washington State Funeral Directors' Association and was voted Washington's Funeral Director of the Year in 2002. Russ and his wife Kelley (also an Enumclaw native) have 3 children, Corissa, Trevor, and Ryan. They are active members of Wabash Presbyterian Church and believe their most important responsibility is to introduce their children to a personal relationship with Jesus.

Doug Weeks, CPA

Doug is a CPA and Vice President of Weeks' Funeral Homes. He is a graduate of Enumclaw High School, the University of Puget Sound, and the University of Washington. After a short time as a software engineer, he joined the family business in 1989 and became a CPA in 1993. Doug has spent ten years as the treasurer of Encouragement Counseling Services, a non-profit, Christian counseling service in South King County. He also plays euphonium in the Gateway Concert Band. He and his wife, Rhonda and son, Owen, currently live in North Tacoma.

Chastin Brinkley

The General Manager of Weeks' Funeral Homes, Chastin has been in the funeral service industry since 1989 and a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1993. He is a graduate of the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service with an Applied Science Degree in Funeral Service. He is also a member of the American Society of Embalmers and the Church of Christ. In his spare time Chastin enjoys spending time with his wife, Jodale, scuba diving, the outdoors and photography.

Rich Chambers

Rich is the Crematory Technician at Weeks' Funeral Homes. He graduated from Enumclaw High School in 1966, and then served in the US Marines during the Vietnam War. After 30 years with Teamsters, Rich decided on a second career, joining the staff at Weeks' Funeral Home in 2002. Rich enjoys golf, spending time with his children, grandchildren and quality time with his wife Peggy.

Thomas Dow

A Funeral Assistant at Weeks' Dryer Mortuary, Tom began working in the funeral profession in 1997 and joined the staff of Weeks' Funeral Homes in 2001. He is a former US Army officer and hotel accountant. Tom has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Connecticut and Master's degrees from the University of Southern California and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is secretary for Parkland Lakewood Lodge, F&AM, a Sunday school teacher at Rainier View Christian Church, Worthy Patron of Faith Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and on the advisory board of Faith Assembly, International Order of Rainbow for Girls. In his spare time Tom enjoys spending time with his family, reading and doing crossword puzzles.

Gini Dryer-Dow

A licensed Funeral Director, Gini has worked in the funeral profession since 1988. She is also the daughter of Travers and Florence Dryer - founders of Dryer Mortuary, now Weeks' Dryer Mortuary. Gini is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and has done post-graduate work at the University of Portland. Gini has been elected to the WSFDA Board of Directors for 2005-2007. She is Treasurer and Past President Parkland/Spanaway Kiwanis and Foundation, President-elect of Altrusa International, South Pierce County Club, Worthy Matron (President) of Faith Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, Chair of Communion of Preparation of Rainier View Christian Church where she is a member of the Women's Ministry Team; Past President of District III Washington State Funeral Directors Association and Past President of King County Funeral Directors Association.

Catherine Johnson, MA, FT

Catherine has been the Bereavement Services Coordinator for Weeks' Funeral Homes since 1992. With a Master's Degree in Psychology, she facilitates grief support groups, does individual counseling, and provides community education, as well as following up with families to provide information and support after the funeral. She is a Fellow in Thanatology, which is an advanced certification in Death, Dying and Bereavement. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys gardening and reading. She is also active in the Association for Death Education and Counseling, an international professional organization.

Debra Calcano

Biography coming soon.

Dion Thompson

Biography coming soon.

Kathy Matthews

Former resident, funeral director and embalmer of Longview and Centralia, WA, Kathy A. Mathews joined the staff of Weeks' Funeral Homes in Buckley, Enumclaw and Covington in April 2008.

A WA State licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1994, she has just been reappointed to a 2nd five year term on the Washington State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the state regulatory agency. In addition, she is currently serving as District 8 governor of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, which produces the National Board Exam of Funeral Service.

As a past president of the SW Washington State Funeral Directors Association, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, but is most proud of her box of thank you notes she has received over the years from the many families she has served.

She is the eldest of 11 children, the mother of 4 and the proud grandmother of 2. She has an AA degree from Shasta Community College in Redding, CA. and an AS degree in Mortuary Science from San Francisco College of Mortuary Science.

Born and raised in upstate New York, she is deeply attracted to the mountains, foothills and river valleys in this area, as well as being an "Undertaker" in these beautiful communities.