Our caring Staff

Bridget Anaya

General Manager/Funeral Director

Bridget has been in the funeral service as a managing funeral director and embalmer in the Kansas City area since 1996. A native of Coon Rapids, Iowa, she graduated from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, in 1994 with a degree in Accounting, and is also a 1995 graduate of the Mortuary Science program at KCKCC. She has been married to her husband, John, since 2000 and they make their home in Shawnee with their three cats. She enjoys reading, hiking, exercising, traveling, and volunteering in her spare time.

Bridget is passionate about helping others in their time of need and recognizes the importance of making every service meaningful.

Brett Barnes

Family Service Manager

Brett has been dedicated to the funeral preplanning profession since 2018, and he truly loves the work that he does.

"Each day, I have the privilege of helping families navigate some of life’s most difficult moments with compassion, understanding, and care.

Preplanning can feel overwhelming, and my goal is to guide families through each decision with clarity and comfort. I value the trust they place in me, and I am honored to listen to their stories, learn about them and their loved ones, and support them during emotional and important conversations.

Serving families is more than a career for me—it’s a calling, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in their lives."

Bennie Smith

Funeral Director

Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, living in Johnson County for the past 32 years serving families in Olathe and more recently Overland Park, Kansas.


Occupation background:

Funeral Director/Embalmer
Career began in Kansas City, Kansas
40 years in funeral service, 31 in Olathe, Kansas
Managed funeral homes 33 years

Civic:

Member of St. Pius X in Mission, Kansas
Member of Overland Park, Masonic Lodge
Member of Scottish Rite Bodies of Northeast Kansas
Member and 2018 Potentate Abdallah Shriners
Member and Past President of Olathe Noon Optimist
Former Member of Board of Zoning Appeals, City of Olathe
Former Member of the Planning Commission, City of Olathe
Charter Member, Past President and “Paul Harris Fellow” of Olathe Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club
Past Chairman of the Board of the Olathe Area Chamber of Commerce
“Spirit Award” Recipient
Past Chairman of the Leadership Olathe Program

David John Cook

Funeral Director

David is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and has worked in the death care industry for over thirty years. He has written both magazine and newspaper articles on the subjects of death, grieving and healing after loss. He is also a public speaker and has shared his educational insights on the industry, death, dying and moving forward from the loss of a loved one.

He graduated from The San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from The University of Utah. In 2022 David released his new available novel, Sending People to Heaven - The Undertaker. David and his wife reside in Missouri. They have seven children and seven grandchildren.

Throughout David’s experiences as a mortician, he has learned to treasure living as a tremendous gift of adventure, growth and self-discovery. He also suggests you go ahead and enjoy that slice of cheesecake or that mouth watering danish every once in a while! It’s all a part of the journey.

Kitty Carroll

Assistant Funeral Director/Funeral Apprentice

Carina Berthusen

Office Manager

Carina is an Iowa native who has called Johnson County home since 1991. She stumbled into the funeral industry in 2001 and fell in love with the business of helping families through difficult times. She has worked on the administrative side of the business for 15 years and has enjoyed assisting families even though most of her efforts are unbeknownst to the families we serve.

She has two grown sons, one who resides in the area and the other in Austin, TX. In her spare time, she enjoys, rooting for the Royals, Chiefs, and Sporting KC, spending time with family, gardening, repurposing, and reading.

Jordan Vorndran

Receptionist/Administrative Assistant

Kellie Brown

Administrative Assistant

Patricia Schonacher

Family Service Advisor

Pat graduated from the Loyola University of the South with a BA in Business Administration. She received the outstanding award for the female student in the School of Business in her Senior year.

Pat married Bill Schonacher the year after her graduation. Once her children were born, she went back to school to work on her Master’s Degree in Education in Counseling.

Once she completed schooling, she had a varied career. She has taught in high school, technical level, and Johnson County Community College and has administrated a Federal Grant for the sheriff of Orleans Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Pat joined the Family Service Counselors in February of 1990. She has enjoyed a long and fulfilling career assisting families in the Preneed Division as well as in the cemetery at Johnson County Memorial Gardens. While serving families, Pat has earned the highest award as Certified Service Professional on numerous occasions.


Pat has many interests. She loves her family and the care of her home and flower garden. Pat belongs to three bridge groups and has many friends. Pat is a Cure of Ars Catholic Church member and belongs to several groups within the Church.

Kim Reiter

Family Service Advisor

When you think about all the possible careers in the world, very few would choose to become a Family Service Advisor for a Funeral Home, but somewhere along my journey, I truly believe this is my life’s calling. After all, I’ve always had a passion for helping others.

In addition to my role as a Family Service Advisor, I am also the Director of Community Relations for Olathe Trading Post & Pawn. In that capacity, I enjoy the responsibility of conceiving, planning, organizing, promoting, and hosting all the store’s marketing events and working in the store’s Jewelry Department. As if that wasn’t enough, I’ve also been a WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Coach for the last 17 years helping people improve their health and quality of life through weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Steve. Any chance to get together with our three children and their families, Christopher, Dylan, Lauren and her husband, Brian, and our Grand dog, Kristofferson, is always a special treat.

Holly Worthen

Family Service Advisor

Holly graduated from Ottawa University with a BA in Healthcare Management. She also received her Life and Health Insurance License in 2000.

Holly has been in the funeral industry for over 10 years and prior to that she opened and managed six dental practices in the Kansas City region. Holly joined Johnson County Funeral Chapel and Memorial Gardens in 2024 and enjoys assisting families with their preneed arrangements. Partnering with families during their time of need is the most rewarding part of her position.

Holly has three amazing boys: Riley, Bryson, and Rhett, and her beloved best furry friend Boogey, and keeps herself busy attending their sporting events. She also enjoys following the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals. Her other interests include gardening, home remodel, and spending time with her family.

Jeff Kunze

Family Service Advisor

Jeff is a native of Orlando, Florida and now calls the Midwest home, where he lives with his wife, Cindy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Lenoir-Rhyne University and completed graduate studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, receiving a Master of Divinity degree.

After more than three decades in pastoral ministry, Jeff brings a calm, compassionate presence to his role as a Family Service Counselor. He walks alongside families during moments of loss and in advance planning, offering clear guidance, respect, and individualized care. Jeff also previously served as a volunteer Police Chaplain and continues to support first responders through times of crisis and stress. He considers it a privilege to serve families with empathy and professionalism every step of the way.

Sarah Lockard

Family Service Advisor

Mark Snavely

Cemetery Superintendent

Mark has been with Johnson County Memorial Gardens since August 2011. He is a Kansas City native and a graduate of NW Missouri State University with a degree in horticulture. He has worked in the grounds maintenance industry for 35 years. Hillcrest C.C., KCMO, and Arbormasters Tree and Landscape, Shawnee Kansas, serve as bookends to his 20yr stay as the Grounds Maintenance Superintendent with Quivira Falls Community Association, Overland Park.

Lee Rogers

Grounds Leader

Lee was born in Kansas City, MO in 1984 and is a graduate of Independence Academy. He joined the Terrace Park Team in February 2015 with over ten years of experience in cemetery maintenance. He transferred to Longview Cemetery in 2018 and was promoted to Grounds Leader at Johnson County Memorial Gardens in 2021.

He loves the Kansas City Chiefs, outdoor activities—especially camping and fishing—and spending time with his family. Lee enjoys the relationships he has made with those who visit the cemetery, building supportive relationships with his co-workers, and being able to work outside. Lee and his longtime girlfriend, Sara, live in independence with their beloved rescue dog, Peanut.

Raymond Cowley

Grounds Team

Raymond Cowley joined Johnson County Memorial Gardens in 2012 as part of the cemetery service qualified staff. Ray’s hard work and dedication to Johnson County have been noticed by the continued upkeep of the grounds. His primary position is lawn maintenance.

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Ray graduated from Southwest High School. He has two children, ages 18 and 17 that continue to keep him busy. When Ray has downtime, he enjoys spending time with his extended family in the area, barbequing, bird watching, river rafting, camping, detailing vehicles, and tuning in to a Chiefs or Royals game. He also appreciates a great game of pool or bowling and relaxing with a fishing pole in hand. Ray volunteers some of his time working with RBI Baseball.

Andre Murray

Grounds Team

Kenne Kuttler

Funeral Ambassador

Kenne Kuttler is a retired executive of The Kansas City Star who is now honored to help families celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

Along with serving families as an Ambassador, Kenne is a Licensed Assistant Funeral Director, Certified Funeral Celebrant, and community liaison.

A Shawnee Mission North High School graduate, Kenne earned a Journalism degree from the University of Kansas, and a master’s degree in Religion from Park University.

Kenne enjoys playing with the Mission Bells bell choir at the Community of Christ Church where she is a minister.

Emma Thayer

Funeral Ambassador

Emma was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. She now resides with her husband of 35 years, Bill, in Lansing, Kansas. Emma has three grown daughters and 3 grandsons. Emma has worked in office administration, accounting, the health field as a pharmacy tech and helped start a grant funded after school program for elementary children. She has been a stay at home wife, mom and Memaw for 9 years and enjoys working as an ambassador here at Johnson County Funeral Chapel. Emma also works at her local quilt store in her spare time. Emma enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, quilting, embroidery and volunteering with her local quilt guild.

Russ Ewy

Russ Ewy

Russ is a native Kansan with roots in Wichita. He moved to Kansas City while the Royals were preparing to win their first World Series and joined Johnson County Funeral Chapel while the Royals were celebrating their second. Russ views his opportunity to serve families as a personal ministry. Russ’ background consists of 30 years in the marketing and public relations world. He “retired” to focus on real estate and mortgage interests. He loves to travel, and much of it on two wheels (bicycles and motorcycles).

Bill Thayer

Funeral Ambassador

Mickey Mikulan

Funeral Ambassador

Lisa Wehr

Funeral Ambassador

Jonae Meyer

Funeral Ambassador

Jo Anne Ludwig

Funeral Ambassador

Bill Schonacher

Cemetery Assistant/Ambassador

Ron Sobanek

Funeral Ambassador

Dennis Hubler

Funeral Ambassador

Nevaeh Walker

Funeral Ambassador

Jillian Madsen

Funeral Ambassador

Brad Burnside

Funeral Ambassador

Brad is a retired Banking executive with undergraduate and graduate business degrees from the University of Kansas.

Born and raised in Great Bend, Kansas,
Brad has lived in Kansas City for the past 20 years.

Bridget Stanton

Funeral Ambassador