Our Staff

Russ Weeks

Owner

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

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.

Nichole Rager

Chief Financial Officer

Nichole started in the funeral service industry at the age of 18. It was her first full time job after graduating high school. She knew on her first day of work that she had found her calling and explored many positions within the field as the years passed. She attended Lake Washington Technical Institute for Mortuary Sciences. She strives to provide the best care for those she helps and enjoys all of the wonderful bonds she makes with the families she serves. She is honored by the trust placed in her and Columbia Funeral Home. She is happy to be in the Rainier Valley serving the families within the community and beyond.

Outside of work Nichole enjoys spending time with her golden retriever Brooklyn and her three cats, reading, thrifting, backpacking, fishing, and road trips with friends.

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Diego Patlan

Funeral Director, Embalmer, & CCO

A Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Diego was born and raised in the Olympia area. After graduating from Bellarmine Prep High School, he ventured to warmer climates in Los Angeles, California where he received an Associates in Mortuary Science from Cypress College and a bachelor’s in Business and Leadership from Concordia University, Irvine. He started working in the funeral industry at the age of sixteen as a funeral attendant and errand runner at White-Emerson Mortuary in Whittier, California. It was the combination of art and science along with the fulfillment that comes from helping others in the community through their grief that motivated Diego to pursue his career in the funeral industry. Diego then returned to the Pacific Northwest to work a Funeral Director and Embalmer at Columbia Funeral Home in Seattle, Washington, until 2013 when he left for a four-year adventure in Chile. He has since returned to the Pacific Northwest.

¿Sientes más cómodo con una persona que entienda su cultura, costumbres y tradiciones? ¡Hablo español!

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Ivy Ostenberg

Intern Funeral Director, Intern Embalmer, & CCO

Ivy feels right at home working at Columbia, and serving the surrounding community since she and her parents grew up in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood. Helping guide people through grief is what called Ivy to enter death care, she is passionate about building connections with families and utilizing her knowledge to empower families to make informed choices on how best to honor their loved ones. Ivy was the Sigma Phi Sigma Mortuary Fraternity President at Lake Washington Institute of Technology where she obtained her Funeral Service Education degree, graduating with honors.

Leading with ethical integrity, Ivy is committed to providing dignity and respect to every family she encounters.
Outside of work, Ivy enjoys the classic PNW activities of hiking and camping. You also might find her running a 5k for a good cause throughout the greater Seattle area.

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Yecenia Huerta

Intern Funeral Director, Intern Embalmer, & CCO

Coming soon...

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Olivia Messer

Office Administrator / Receptionist

Olivia’s family has been serving the funeral industry for over thirty years in the Pacific Northwest. With over a year of personal experience in the field and previous experience working with vulnerable individuals in need of care, she understands the importance of providing support during times of grief. Living her whole life in the Pacific Northwest, she has developed a strong connection to her community. Currently pursuing humanities and anthropology, she delves into the complexities of understanding compassion surrounding death, grief, and the human experience. With a profound commitment to helping others while maintaining an empathetic approach, Olivia aspires to make a meaningful impact on the industry.

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Nikki Tuyền Nguyễn

Pre-need Counselor/Tư vấn nhà quàn và hỏa thiêu

Nikki was born in Vietnam and came to the US when she was 11. She is fluent in reading and writing in both Vietnamese and English. After graduating from the University of Washington, she worked with the elderly in the Vietnamese community assisting them to access in home services and other resources in the community. She has also been providing the same services to the elderly from other ethnic backgrounds.

Nikki is part of the Catholic Vietnamese Martyrs Church and is familiar with the community. She is passionate, dedicated and committed when assisting individuals and families in the community to plan their funeral services in advance to help them avoid the financial burden and having the peace of mind. Please don’t hesitate to contact Nikki if you have any questions regarding to funeral pre-arrangements.

Nikki Tuyền là một cô gái sinh tại Việt Nam và qua Mỹ lúc 11 tuổi. Cô nói và viết rất rành tiếng Việt và tiếng Anh. Sau khi ra trường tại đại học University of Washington, cô làm việc với những người lớn tuổi trong cộng đồng Việt Nam, giúp đỡ họ nhận chương trình chăm sóc tại gia và những nguồn lợi tức khác. Cô cũng giúp những người lớn tuổi trong những cộng đồng khác.

Nikki là một thành viên của nhà thờ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam và rất quen thuộc với cộng đồng. Cô rất tận tâm và uy tín khi giúp đỡ những gia đình và người thân trong cộng đồng chuẩn bị trước việc hậu sự để giúp họ tránh ghánh nặng tài chánh trong tương lai và có được sự an tâm. Nếu quý vị có câu hỏi hoặc thắc mắc gì về chuẩn bị trước việc hậu sự, làm ơn liên lạc cô Nikki Tuyền.

Telephone: 1-206-407-6190

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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

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