STAFF & BOARD

Though Casey is an Oregon native, they’ve been calling Seattle home since 2015. With a bachelor’s degree in math and a background in IT, business operations consulting, and customer support, they are excited to join TCFH as Executive Director.

Casey comes to us from the Seattle CityClub, where they started in a customer-facing front-line admin role, ultimately becoming the Operations Manager. They are especially proud of the work they were able to do to help the Seattle CityClub navigate the transition of their events-based model to virtual programs.

Outside of work, Casey volunteers weekly at the Washington Crisis Connections Warm Line, an alternative to the Suicide Prevention hotline that is aimed at sitting with Washingtonians through their stress, loneliness, and grief. To unwind, Casey enjoys brewing beer, playing many instruments, and spending time outdoors often identifying birds. They are an avid board game player, bicyclist, and doughnut connoisseur.

Casey is gender nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them, as well as the honorific Mx. (pronounced “mix”).

Kimberly Forsythe began her career with The Co-op Funeral Home as a funeral director intern during its inception in 2007. She then received her funeral directors license and had the honor of assisting families with their loved ones arrangements for over 15 years. She is now The Co-op's new Business & Finance Director, following new and evolving interests, while still having the honor of working for the same organization that she has grown to love.

After receiving a Bachelor's degree at Western Washington University, Kimberly had originally planned for a future in art therapy. That direction began to shift after her Grandmother mailed her a Seattle Times article about green burial. With a deep passion for sustainable death care she loves being part of an organization that strives for transparency and choices in end-of-life options. She recognizes that these times can be difficult and works hard to help families find the right plan for their individual needs.

Kimberly lives in Kirkland with her husband, 2 children, and 3 cats. When she is not busy at work, she loves exploring the woods and tending to her herb garden.

Born and raised on California's beautiful Monterey Peninsula, Chris moved to Seattle in 2000 to study sociology at Seattle University. After earning his bachelor's in 2004, he went on to study and train in funeral service with the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. After serving an internship at The Co-op Funeral Home of People's Memorial, he returned to Seattle University for the Masters in Pastoral Studies program at the graduate School of Theology and Ministry. “Studies in spirituality and pastoral companionship only made sense as my ‘next step,’” he says. “Pastoral counseling was never my aim, but I was seeking to work on a similar set of skills.”

Having worked in funeral home settings varying from corporate to non-profit, he feels passionate about contributing to The Co-op Funeral Home of People's Memorial. "It's an honor to serve each family," he says. "Every family should have access to the widest possible variety of options. I'm grateful to be able to offer that."

In his free time, Chris enjoys domestic travel and local casinos. He does not enjoy spiders or mushrooms. Read more about Chris here.

2024 marks for Aryana, two years of care-ful working with bereaved friends, care-takers, and families, as well as with peers across the death care spectrum. In this praxis, Aryana (she/they) finds both meaning and purposeful application of her lifelong interests in cultural and religious studies and extensive teaching and administrative experience. Each interaction around a person's death and the processes it takes to care for them is, at its best, a meditative practice, a pragmatic and spiritual undertaking to help humans during deep transition.

Aryana also seeks self-education by volunteering with End of Life Washington, daily cultivating ever deeper love for her lifelong partner, and practicing patience with and for their shared companion and difficult dog, Ayla who owns their yard in South Seattle. Another love is Aryana's skin-on-frame kayak; although getting out on the water happens too rarely.

Kaileigh grew up in Dallas, but escaped the Texas heat to move to Seattle in mid-2015. After working in a variety of customer service roles, she finally found her calling in the deathcare industry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was the perfect time to start school. She graduated in winter quarter 2022 & is now working towards her Funeral Directing license.

Kaileigh lives in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle with her fiancé, their dog Beethoven, and cat TJ Hooker. When not in the office, you can find her going on walks with Beethoven, snuggling on the couch with TJ Hooker, or helping her partner Gomez at one of his 2 businesses.

Bill McNamara (he/him) joined The Co-op Funeral Home in fall 2024 as a Funeral Director Intern, excited to immerse himself in full time deathcare among this great cohort of values-aligned compassionate professionals. For more than 15 years, he worked at Seattle University in Campus Ministry, building community with students, staff, faculty, and friends of the university at the intersections of music, spirituality, and justice by directing the Chapel Choir and coordinating aspects of liturgy and ritual for campus. He brings tender empathy, caring presence, and both curiosity and respect for each person’s journey to this new work at TCFH.

Originally from Queens NY, Bill arrived in Seattle by way of Washington DC and Cincinnati OH in 1995. He moved away 5 years later to complete a Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in CA, but happily returned to the PNW and has lived here ever since, making a home in south Seattle over the years with his husband, two teenagers, and an energetic young Aussiedoodle. He enjoys all things related to the preparation and sharing of delicious food, and is always on the lookout for a new recipe to try. When not working, you might find him in one of his favorite local coffee shops with his journal and a book. Some other things that bring him joy: salty snacks, a scenic walk, and a hearty laugh.

Having done just about every job related to wine over twelve years in the beverage industry, Brendan (they/she) is excited to join The Co-Op Funeral home as Administrative Assistant. They bring a long history of excellent customer service, a deep sense of empathy, and a great deal of personal warmth to this position as the first person many families will interact with. After a long period away from the non-profit world, Brendan is thrilled to have found a home working for an organization devoted to making sustainable and affordable death arrangements accessible to all Washingtonians.

Outside of work, Brendan is a writer, avid home cook, and plays in more table-top roleplaying games than one would think possible. They live in North Seattle with their chosen family and glamorous Maine Coon cat, Boo.

Driven by a passion for bringing people together and learning life stories, Rachel arrived in deathcare after seeking a career that would use her skills in a fulfilling, meaningful way. She'd put in over a decade in the music industry, producing and promoting more concerts than she can remember. Concurrently, she also served in the customer relations and marketing departments of an online, charity-fundraising retailer.

When she was unable to shake a feeling she had more to give, Rachel's sister pointed out that her caring (and macabre) heart would be perfect as a funeral director, and the rest is history in the making. While researching her future path, she became inspired by the advocacy and values of The Co-op Funeral Home, so she's absolutely thrilled to be administrative assistant for this very organization after working in the field as a transport and funeral services assistant, as well as interning as a funeral director.

When she isn't focused on providing families with warmth and grace, Rachel loves singing in her two bands, taking drives into the back-country, and serving house guests too much food. She lives in South Seattle with her "guy" and their sassy cat/roommate Bristol.