The knowledgeable staff of Laurel Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park are passionate about providing families guidance and support during the funeral planning process as well as long after the funeral. Together, we can honor your loved one’s life while beginning your grief journey.

Emily Bearden

President & CEO

  

I am honored to follow in the footsteps of my father (the late Hugh G. Bearden II) and grandparents (the late Hugh G. Bearden and Maxine Bearden) by serving families in the DFW metroplex at their time of need. My family has a long-standing history of helping families in the area honor their loved ones through pre-need and at-need funeral services and celebrations of life. I strive to perpetuate my father's legacy of providing individuals with the support they need during their toughest times.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

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Dean Barker General Manager
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Shannon Bunch Funeral Director
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Carmen Perales Funeral Director/Provisional Embalmer
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Robert Stephens Funeral Director
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Morgan Jaramillo Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Brock Grone Funeral Director / Embalmer
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Jennifer Rankin Office Manager
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Blanca Trevino Receptionist/Memorial Specialist
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Uriah Cepeda Memorial Specialist
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Patty Barker Preneed Specialist
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John Epps Funeral Assistant
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Gilbert Escamilla Funeral Assistant
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Octavio Sepulveda Funeral Assistant
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Ted Kiser Funeral Assistant / Chaplain
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Erick Thompson Embalmer
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Mirian Centeno Domestic Engineer
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Vicente Alonso Park Superintendent
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Luis Chajon Park Staff
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Benjamin Esequen Park Staff
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Rafael Hernandez Park Staff
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Alex Patzan Xetey Park Staff
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Juan Rodriguez Park Staff
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Teofilo Sec Park Staff
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Eliecer Xetey Park Staff

Dean Barker

General Manager
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I have been in the funeral industry for over 40 years and the highlight of my career is the opportunity to be general manager here at Laurel Oaks.  Our goal is to provide the highest of professionalism and standards expected by the families we serve. I owe all the credit to every employee and their effort for us to be successful.  I am a graduate of the University of Iowa and the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service.  I was honored to serve our country with the army during the Vietnam War at the US Mortuary in Saigon, Vietnam.  I am a member of the Rotary Club of Mesquite.  My wife, Patty, and I live in Sunnyvale and have 2 wonderful children and 4 terrific grandchildren.  I enjoy “escaping” with my piano playing and working in my yard.

Shannon Bunch

Funeral Director
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I was born and raised in Barbourville, KY where I grew up singing and playing the piano in local churches.  As I continued pursuing a music career I also worked as a funeral attendant in my hometown for several years.  While I still travels nationally as a gospel music recording artist I am currently enrolled in Amarillo College Mortuary Program where I will receive my funeral director’s certificate in 2021.  I’m honored to be an employee at Laurel Oaks Funeral Home .  I love the families we serve.  I strive each day to share God’s love and compassion to those who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. 

Carmen Perales

Funeral Director/Provisional Embalmer
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Robert Stephens

Funeral Director
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I was born and raised in Big Spring, Texas and am now a happy resident of Fate, Texas. I graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1985. After graduating, I spent seventeen years at Johnson Funeral Home in San Angelo, Texas. I moved to the Dallas area in 2003 with my wonderful family. My wife Cindy and I have been married for 39 years. Together, we have four children and six grandchildren. We enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, and NBA basketball - Go Spurs! Working at Laurel Oaks feels more like spending time with family than working. I love the families we serve and the people I work with. I hope to spend the rest of my career here and maybe even work part-time when retirement comes my way.

Morgan Jaramillo

Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Brock Grone

Funeral Director / Embalmer
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Hello, I'm Brock Grone and I have been affiliated with Laurel Oaks Funeral Home since 2006, and have worked in the funeral industry since 2002. I am a graduate of York College of Nebraska and Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. Laurel Oaks is an institution that provides a high quality of service for which families of loved ones can feel confident. In my spare time, I enjoy John Deere tractors and rooting on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Go Big Red!

Jennifer Rankin

Office Manager
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I grew up in Elmo, TX and attended Wills Point schools. I currently live in Forney, TX. I enjoy working at Laurel Oaks because the staff is like family. I have 2 daughters, Jaden who attends UTA and Jersey who is a senior at North Forney High School. I enjoy spending time with my kids and traveling with my friends.

Blanca Trevino

Receptionist/Memorial Specialist
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I have been married for 45 years to a wonderful man and I have 2 adult children who I love dearly.  I retired from Penson Financial 5 years ago as a Securities Processing Analyst.  Previously, I worked at Restland Funeral Home in their call center department.  I am a very social person, working at Laurel Oaks gives me the opportunity to meet and help people in need. On my days off I enjoy working in the yard and spending time with family and friends.

Uriah Cepeda

Memorial Specialist
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I have dedicated my life to funeral service since the age of seventeen. I was born and raised in Hereford, Texas and graduated high school as the Vice President of my class in 2018. After graduating, I attended the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service before transferring to Amarillo College Mortuary Science Program in 2018, where I completed my education in 2021. I obtained my Cremation Operator Certificate in 2019. I have over five years of experience with pre-arrangements/preneeds. I also have experience with headstone design. I was previously Vice President of the Hereford Rotary Club, a past member of the Hereford Hustler Committee, and a former member of the Rotary Club of Amarillo. I enjoyed my time in Amarillo by helping organizations such as Snack Pak for Kids of Amarillo and Meals on Wheels. I am a member of the Gateway Church of Southlake and believe that the Lord has let me down this path to help serve families in Dallas at Laurel Oaks Funeral Home.

Patty Barker

Preneed Specialist
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John Epps

Funeral Assistant
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I am John Epps, a native Texan who has lived in the Dallas area since 1960. I retired in 2015 as a law enforcement officer and have worked in the funeral industry on a part time basis since 2000. I was educated in Dallas and attended Dallas Baptist University. I've been married since 1984 and in my spare time, I enjoy traveling and barbecuing for family and friends. Serving my community is a passion of mine and I continue to serve families in their time of need.

Gilbert Escamilla

Funeral Assistant
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I was born in Dallas, Texas on January 2, 1943 as the third of seven children and have spent my life in Dallas. I graduated from North Dallas High School in 1963. After high school, I went to work in tailoring until 1973, when I changed careers and went to work with Western Electric, AT&T, and Lucent until the plant closed. I worked for Dallas ISD for sixteen years until I retired and came to work for Laurel Oaks part time. I am the proud father of five children - two boys and three girls; eleven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. I enjoy fishing, refinishing furniture, gardening, cooking, and going to the gym.

Octavio Sepulveda

Funeral Assistant
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Ted Kiser

Funeral Assistant / Chaplain
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I graduated from Crozier Tech High School in Dallas in 1960 and married my wife Joyce Mormon in 1961. I attended Criswell Bible College from 1970-1972 and graduated from Southwestern Seminary in 1974. I served in church ministry from 1968-1972 as youth minister and served as a church pastor until I retired in 2008 and went to work at Laurel Oaks Funeral Home the next day. I immediately saw the unique way the employees at Laurel Oaks treated their clients. I was so impressed by their honesty and caring attitude that I moved my own funeral plan to Laurel Oaks. My job at Laurel Oaks is a blessing to me. As a Funeral Assistant, I help the Directors serve the families who come to them. I help by being a part of the group that serves the family at their time of loss. As the Funeral Home Chaplin, I am available to minister to families who do not have a family minister. I interview the family and deliver a message of comfort and hope concerning their deceased loved one. In this position, I am able to continue to minister to families.

Erick Thompson

Embalmer
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Mirian Centeno

Domestic Engineer
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Vicente Alonso

Park Superintendent
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Luis Chajon

Park Staff
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Benjamin Esequen

Park Staff
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Rafael Hernandez

Park Staff
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Alex Patzan Xetey

Park Staff
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Juan Rodriguez

Park Staff
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Teofilo Sec

Park Staff
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Eliecer Xetey

Park Staff
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