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.
Roxanne Wright - Deal
Location Manager, Funeral Director, & Embalmer
Roxanne is the current Location Manager of Columbia Funeral Home. She graduated from the Funeral Service Education Program at MHCC in 2013. Roxanne is a dual licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer in Washington state. Roxanne's approach to funeral service nurtures an attitude of understanding and patience to help guide families through every step of the process.
Outside of work Roxanne enjoys spending time with her husband and pets. Her hobbies include arts and crafts, pistol shooting, listening to music and going to live concerts.
Nichole Rager
Office Manager
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.
Don "Diego" Patlan
Funeral Director & Embalmer
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!
Roger Leger
Intern Funeral Director
Roger has been a director with Columbia since 1989. He is a huge part of Columbia Funeral Home's day to day operations. Roger is very well known to the Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Philippine, Ethiopian and Eritrean communities for providing the very best service possible. The trust that so many cultures place into Roger and Columbia has made us the experts when it comes to the diverse cultural, shipping and services needs that our families request.
Tara York
Intern Funeral Director & Embalmer
Born and raised in Chicago, Tara entered the funeral industry in 2017 after moving to rural Kentucky. She worked her way up from removal technician & funeral assistant to funeral director & embalmer intern. Due to the traditional nature of funeral service in rural Kentucky, she quickly gained several years of experience in embalming and restorative arts. During her time in Kentucky, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration prior to entering mortuary school. Tara has also served as Deputy Coroner in Kentucky and Illinois, where she furthered her knowledge within the death care industry and gained valuable experience that continues to help her serve the families and decedents entrusted in her care. In 2021, Tara and her family moved to the Seattle area and entered a whole new world of funeral service. Her interest in the various cultures, religions, and alternative forms of disposition that exist in Washington are what brought her to joining the Columbia team in August 2022.
In her free time, Tara enjoys exploring the vast and beautiful outdoors of the PNW, hiking, camping, fishing, listening to music, attending rock concerts, reading, collecting vinyl records, and playing the drums.
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
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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