Duane Weeks, Ph.D., CFSP, FT

Duane and his sons own and operate seven 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 youngster, Duane lived in Parkland, Washington, where he graduated from Franklin Pierce High School and began to learn about funeral service from his friends 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 50 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, both from the Washington State Funeral Directors' Association. 

Duane and his wife, Fay, have lived in the Enumclaw/Buckley area since 1966. They are members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Enumclaw. Duane continues his membership in the Enumclaw Kiwanis Club, having served in varied community activities including the hospital foundation board and the Enumclaw School Board, where he was past president. 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, 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, CCO

President, Funeral Director and Embalmer

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 and his brother, Doug, grew the business to its current size of 7 funeral homes, 3 cemeteries, and 3 crematories.  He is a two-term President of the Washington State Funeral Directors’ Association and was voted Washington’s Funeral Director of the Year in 2002.  Russ enjoys golfing, fishing, and dinners with friends.  Russ and his wife Kelley (also an Enumclaw native) have 3 adult children, Corissa, Trevor, and Ryan.  No grandchildren yet, but they are patiently waiting.  They are active members of Wabash Presbyterian Church and enjoy travelling and learning the history of new places.

Doug Weeks, CPA

Vice President

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 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 Enumclaw.

Karla Weeks McCowin

Reception Coordinator

Karla Weeks McCowin joined the family firm in 1991 and has worked as a Pre-need Coordinator and is now our Reception Coordinator. She is an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she serves on the Trinity Lutheran Preschool Board of Directors and leads the senior citizens social club. Karla and her husband, Peter, are parents to Zach and Katie and enjoy snow skiing and sailing as a family.

Heather Carpenter, CCO

Location Manager, Funeral Director, Embalmer and Certified Crematory Operator

Heather Carpenter is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and certified crematory operator.  She graduated from the Funeral Service Education Program in 2012 from Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.  Heather started her funeral industry career as an intern with Weeks’ Funeral Home.  She went on to oversee operations at Yahn and Son Funeral Home and in the fall of 2021 found her way back to the Weeks’ Family.  Currently she is the managing funeral director of Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary and Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel.  Along with being a licensed director, Heather is also a licensed pre-need counselor.  With this she can help families from beginning to end of their death care experiences.  In her spare time, she is an avid mushroom hunter, bad music aficionado, studier of sarcasm, and fan of all things glittery and gold.  On her time off you can find her snuggling with her cats and crafting.

Email: 

Danielle Fragoso

Funeral Director Intern

Anh Bui

Administrative Assistant

Charmaine Jovanovich-Miller

Community Outreach & Education

Charmaine’s role with Weeks’ Funeral Homes, is in Community Outreach & Education, to bridge partnerships with like-minded organizations in serving our communities. This includes churches of all faiths, veteran and service groups, first responder chaplains, and hospitals and hospice.

In sharing information and resources about death, bereavement, and healing, Charmaine’s goal is to help people talk about death before they need to, find their way through the darkness when death occurs in their friends and families, and connect with after-care programs to support their pathway to healing.

Charmaine’s background includes 20+ years as a business owner, trainer, and consultant in the area of human services and crisis communication. Throughout her career, Charmaine has served emergency services and 911 dispatchers, children’s organizations, and faith-based assistance programs. Her experience with funeral service dates back more than 20 years. Charmaine is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, a graduate of the Pierce County Chaplains Academy, and a proud member of the Enumclaw Rotary Club.

Charmaine was born and raised in Minnesota. Early in her career, she transferred to Washington State, and immediately made it her forever home. She is married, the mother of three sons, and the grandmother of three children she adores.  She is also a lover of golden retriever dogs, and shares her home with three furry family members.

Charmaine has been a friend of the Weeks’ Family for many years, and we are pleased to have her as a member of our team.

Telephone: 1-360-825-3548

Email: 

Chastin Brinkley, CFSP, CCO

Funeral Director, Embalmer and Certified Crematory Operator

The General Manager of our sister funeral home, Weeks' Funeral Home, in Buckley; 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. In his spare time Chastin enjoys spending time with his wife, Jodale, the outdoors and photography.

Bridget Frost, CCO

Funeral Director, Embalmer and Certified Crematory Operator

Bridget began working for Weeks’ Family Funeral Homes as a Funeral Director, Embalmer and Certified Crematory Operator in 2021. Before finding her calling in Death Care, Bridget was a Certified Nursing Assistant in Washington state. She is now a recent graduate of Lake Washington Institute of Technology, where she completed her Mortuary Science Degree. Bridget has experienced personal loss in her own life which has given her a sense of purpose, passion, and desire to help families walk through what she herself has also gone through. Being a mother of six children, Bridget has a big heart that’s full of strength. When she is not working, Bridget enjoys movies, baking, and cooking. In the colder months, she and her husband enjoy taking their family to Leavenworth to play in the snow, while in the warmer seasons she enjoys camping in Sun Lakes. Bridget has a vigor for life, it is both the reason that she is drawn to serve families as well as what draws families to her. She is accepting and appreciative of all life and feels blessed to be in this industry.       

Ilah Hardersen

Funeral Director and Certified Crematory Operator

After being introduced to the funeral industry while working as a grounds crewmember at the Buckley City Cemetery, Ilah quickly realized that she had found her calling. Ilah has a passion for helping the bereaved through the process that follows the death of a loved one. She aspires to give the families she works with an individualized experience by bringing awareness to the variety of ways to honor and celebrate a person’s life. She is now working for Weeks’ Funeral Homes as a licensed Funeral Director and Certified Crematory Operator. 

Ilah was born and raised in Buckley, Washington and enjoys taking advantage of the many different outdoor recreation opportunities that the PNW has to offer during each season. She also values spending time at home with her family and pets.