Funeral Directors
Meet Our Funeral Directors & Licensed Funeral Home Staff
At Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel & Crematorium we are always ready and willing to help families through difficult times of loss. We want families to turn to our funeral home and funeral directors when they need it the most. When a loved one passes away, there are many decisions that need to be made, many people that need to be contacted and it is often too much for the family to handle. That is where we come into the picture. Our licensed funeral directors and funeral home staff are experienced in providing families with the best possible care.
The goal of our funeral home is to offer professional guidance and personal attention at every step of the funeral planning process. Given the amount of timely decisions that must be made, legal requirements that must be fulfilled and the coordinating that goes into putting together a funeral, help is always needed. Whether you want a traditional funeral, cremation service or a celebration-of-life, our licensed funeral directors and knowledgeable funeral home staff are ready to help your family. We adhere to the highest standard of ethical practices and are committed to ensuring that all of your needs are attended to during the difficult time of losing a loved one.
Our staff’s commitment to the community and genuine compassion toward families are but a few of the characteristics that make them outstanding in their field. Below is a listing of our licensed funeral directors and funeral home staff.
Nathalie Lawrence
Operations Manager/Funeral Director and Embalmer
Email:
nathalie.lawrence@saamis.com
Nathalie was born in Calgary and raised in Medicine Hat, where she graduated from Medicine Hat High School. In the last few years of high school, she began her work experience at Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel, where she developed a passion for the funeral profession. She pursued her career goal at Mount Royal College, graduating with a dual license in 2001. Nathalie is dedicated and proud to assist the families in their time of need. She is a member of the Alberta Funeral Service Association and volunteers for the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede.
Nathalie is married to Neil Lawrence and together they have formed a loving family together with their son and daughter. Nathalie's family is the center of her life and she truly loves the many activities they share together. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and the family dog, Lola.
Nathalie is married to Neil Lawrence and together they have formed a loving family together with their son and daughter. Nathalie's family is the center of her life and she truly loves the many activities they share together. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and the family dog, Lola.
Neil Lawrence
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Neil has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1996 and works at Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel to fulfill his passion for funeral service. He is a member of the Alberta Funeral Service Association.
Neil was born and raised in Medicine Hat. He is a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church and volunteers with the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede. He is married to Nathalie Lawrence, and together they have formed a loving family with their son and daughter. Family is Neil's number one priority and he loves spending as much time as possible with them. He enjoys cycling, the gym, and being outdoors.
Neil was born and raised in Medicine Hat. He is a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church and volunteers with the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede. He is married to Nathalie Lawrence, and together they have formed a loving family with their son and daughter. Family is Neil's number one priority and he loves spending as much time as possible with them. He enjoys cycling, the gym, and being outdoors.
Dallas Simpson
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Dallas began her apprenticeship with Saamis Memorial in 2017. After completing her studies through Mount Royal University, she started working as a duel licensed funeral director and embalmer. Having the honour to help her clients navigate some of life’s toughest moments, all while creating treasured friendships has been her favourite part of her career so far.
Dallas loves going on outdoor picnic adventures with her rescue pit bull, Annie. Travelling the world and experiencing new cultures and food is another favourite pass time. If you can’t find Dallas doing either of those things, you can usually find her deep cleaning her house while listening to the Fleetwood Mac record, “Tango in the Night”, in a bubble bath playing The Legend of Zelda on Nintendo Switch, or saving thousands of Pinterest recipes that she’ll probably never get around to making.
Jeanette Fraser
Funeral Director and Administration
Jeanette was born in Calgary, AB but moved with her family to the Medicine Hat area in 1977. She graduated from Medicine Hat High School and continued her education at Medicine Hat College and Mount Royal University.
She is married to Ross, has two adult children, Benjamin and Madison, and is also a dog mom to her three French Bulldogs, Charlie, Popper, and Bella-Rue.
Ashlyn Lawrence
Apprentice Funeral Director and Administrator
Ashlyn is an apprentice Funeral Director and administator at Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel. She is currently enrolled at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta and is looking forward to graduating this summer.
Shane Hein
Apprentice Funeral Director and Christian Services Chaplain
Shane Hein is an apprentice Funeral Director and is currently enrolled at Mount Royal Unriversity in Calgary, Alberta and is looking forward to graduating in the Summer of 2024.
Celby Cotten
Apprentice Funeral Director and Embalmer
Celby is an apprentice Funeral director and embalmer at Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel. She received her education at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta and graduated in the Spring of 2022.
Mike Tivadar
Funeral Director and Embalmer
Michael began his career in funeral service in 1971 and has been a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1975.
He co-owns a retail monument shop, Shannon Monumental Ltd. (conveniently located on the same lot as Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel) as well as Saamis Prairie View Cemetery & Crematorium, a privately owned cemetery, located on the #3 Hwy in Medicine Hat. Michael is married to Pat and they have a daughter, a son, and one granddaughter.