Our Staff
Our staff has over 30 years combined funeral experience in different areas of the funeral industry. We have worked in funeral homes, cemeteries, management and in independent business. Serving different cultures and religions gives Raincoast Funeral and Cremation Services an advantage, allowing us to guide you to make the best decisions for you and your loved one.
Michelle J. Vizena
Co-Owner, Principal, Funeral Director and Embalmer
Michelle started her path to become a Funeral Director in 2002 when she was hired to work in a cemetery in Ottawa where she grew up. This started the base of her knowledge in Funeral Services and it grew from there. Exploring a career in the funeral industry led her to study at Humber College in Toronto, where she received a diploma in Funeral Services Education and then receiving her full Funeral Director Licence in Ontario in 2006.
After working for a family owned Funeral Home in Ottawa for 3 years, she moved back to her home province of British Columbia in 2008. Michelle obtained a BC Funeral Director & Embalmer Licence in 2012 after a career pause and having her son. She worked steadily for a family owned funeral home in the Lower Mainland from 2011 to 2017, gaining experience in Chinese Traditional Services and rituals, Catholic Traditional Services and rituals and many other ethnic, religious and non-religious services.
Michelle decided it was time for a different journey in her career and partnered with Herb McDowall, to create Raincoast Funeral and Cremation Services in February 2017.
Family is very important to Michelle and each person that walks through her doors is treated as such! She is a very proud mom to her son, Lucas and dog-mom to Sushi and a proud parishioner in her church family of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in South Surrey.
Herb McDowall
Co-Owner & Principal
Herb has 14 years of experience in the funeral, cemetery and monument business. Prior to this he worked as a manager in the financial services industry for eighteen years. Herb founded Raincoast Memorials in 2008 and after 9 years of establishing a successful monument and casket supply company, created Raincoast Funeral and Cremation services as a result of our customer requests. Michelle was the perfect business partner for Raincoast Funeral and Cremation Services Ltd., because of her high ethics and her belief in providing families with services at reasonable prices.
Kay Lam
Kay’s responsibilities at Raincoast Funeral and Cremation Services is to develop a
pre need funeral consultant team, work alongside Michelle to educate the public
about the importance of pre need funeral arrangements and various at need
funeral and cremation services.
Kay also serve families in pre need funeral arrangements and interprets
Cantonese to English and vice versa as needed.
Manny Abuel
Pre Need Funeral
Manny has many years of funeral and cemetery consultant experiences. He
enjoys helping families. Manny is conversant in English and Tagalog.
Quynh Dang
Accounting & General Assistant
Quynh assist in general accounting duties and assist in taking care of families
and when needed interprets for families. Quynh speaks English, Cantonese and
Mandarin.
Kit Fong
Family Service
Kit has over 30 years of experience in the funeral service industry and has
expertise in the various Chinese funeral rituals. Kit brings with her a lot knowledge,
experience, and language abilities.