Richard F. Merlau

309 Devonwood Court

Taylors, South Carolina 29687 864-417-2708/864-201-0570

Professional experience / 10/2012 – Present Stonemor Partners LP/Graceland Mortuary Greenville, South Carolina
Regional Manager: Jerry Hart
540-972-1709 Location Manager
  • Performing all duties as manager: Actively build pre-need and at-need revenue/volume,
Plan and participate in community events and as a member of Community Organizations,
Effectively manage all expenses, Ensure all administrative functions are completed in an
accurate manner, Ensure that the accounts receivable process is implemented and all
monies collected for services of families upon delivery, Maintain appropriate inventory levels,
schedule staff to balance the needs of the business and needs of employees, Train
staff and provide coaching to ensure that all staff meet/exceed the needs of the family,
Manage staff performance issues in a constructive manner, Responsible for staff recruitment
and termination.
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Responsible for educating, advising, counseling and helping families to pre-arrange and pre-fund their funerals, burials and or cremations based on their specific needs.
  • Licensed in the State of South Carolina to sell Pre-Need Insurance.
1/2012 – 9/2012Stewart Enterprises, Inc/Cannon Memorial Park Funerals & Cremations Ftn Inn, SC
Asst. Manager: Stan Stone
864-862- 9298 Funeral Director
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
7/2010 – 1/2012 Comfort Inn Millennium Greenville, South Carolina
General Manager: Naren Vivek
864-288-6900
Maintenance Supervisor
  • Performing all repairs and maintenance on HVAC units, electrical and plumbing. Handling all construction maintenance with drywall, spackle and painting. All repairs & maintenance of Onity/Tesa electronic key card locks. Maintaining outside pool and lawn maintenance, and troubleshooting all other maintenance issues at hotel.
11/2009 – 06/2010 Family Choice Funerals & Cremations Roanoke, Virginia
Manager: Tom Meritt
540-491-9994
Funeral Director/ Embalmer
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Responsible for educating, advising, counseling and helping families to pre-arrange and pre-fund their funerals, burials and or cremations based on their specific needs.
  • Licensed in the State of Virginia to sell Pre-Need Insurance.
1/2009 – 11/2009Carriage Services, Inc./ Rader Funeral Home Daleville, Virginia
Manager: Tom Meritt
540-992-1212
Funeral Director/ Embalmer
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Responsible for educating, advising, counseling and helping families to pre-arrange and pre-fund their funerals, burials and or cremations based on their specific needs.
  • Licensed in the State of Virginia to sell Pre-Need Insurance.
3/2006 – 12/2008 SCI Corp./Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home & Crematory Marble Falls, Texas
Manager: Chris Wilson
830-693-4373
Funeral Director/ Embalmer / Crematory Manager
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Responsible for educating, advising, counseling and helping families to pre-arrange and pre-fund their funerals, burials and or cremations based on their specific needs.
  • Responsible for the selling of Grave Markers and Headstones.
  • Responsible for the scheduling and cremation of human remains in a professional and caring manner. The cleaning and general maintenance of the crematory and its retort.
  • Dignity Escape School Presenter: Community organizations, church groups, scout troops and schools would request me to present this safety program to children. The program teaches children how to differentiate between good and bad strangers; the common lures abductors use, how to "get away, right away," and how to find help when needed. In addition to teaching key concepts in an entertaining and non-threatening manner, I enlist the aid of children from the audience to demonstrate several simple yet highly effective techniques for escaping dangerous situations.
9/2002 – 3/2006 Vaughan’s Funeral Home Boerne, TX
Owner: David Vaughan
830-249-9128
Manager/ Funeral Director/ Embalmer
  • Performing all duties as manager: Actively build pre-need and at-need revenue/volume,
Plan and participate in community events and as a member of Community Organizations,
Effectively manage all expenses, Ensure all administrative functions are completed in an
accurate manner, Ensure that the accounts receivable process is implemented and all
monies collected for services of families upon delivery, Maintain appropriate inventory levels,
schedule staff to balance the needs of the business and needs of employees, Train
staff and provide coaching to ensure that all staff meet/exceed the needs of the family,
Manage staff performance issues in a constructive manner, Responsible for staff recruitment
and termination.
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Funeral Home was the sexton of the Local Cemetery and we were responsible for showing potential grave sites and selling of the grave sites to families in need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • Responsible for selling cemetery property in local city cemetery and marking the grave location for burials.
  • Responsible for the selling of Grave Markers and Headstones.
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Responsible for educating, advising, counseling and helping families to pre-arrange and pre-fund their funerals, burials and or cremations based on their specific needs.
  • Licensed in the State of Texas to sell Pre-Need Insurance.
1/2001 – 08/2002 Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home, Inc. Hilton, NY
Owner: Tom Burger
585-392-7100
Funeral Director
  • Make arrangements with families at time of need.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.
  • Responsible for pre-need sales and aftercare.
  • Responsible for maintaining:
- Casket showroom appearance.
- Casket Inventory.
- Veteran Markers.
- First Calls and Embalming
- All other Funeral Home aspects.
  • Managing Funeral Home while owner is on vacation; duration 3 months.
5/1999 – 1/2001 Bartolomeo and Perotto Funeral Home, Inc. Greece, NY
Owner/Manager: Mike Perotto
585-720-6000
Resident and Funeral Director
  • First Calls and Embalming.
  • Memorializing and personalizing a families’ loved one by celebrating their life.
  • Conducting funeral and memorial ceremonies in a professional, organized and caring manner.

Education
And
Training / 1998 – 1999 Simmons Institute of Funeral Service Syracuse, New York
Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies
  • Funeral Service Arts and Sciences
12/7/2007 Texas Cemetery Association- Matthews Crematory Operators Training Seminar
  • Crematory Operators Certificate
11/15/2007 SCI/Dignity Memorial Escape School Training Program. Which is an abduction-prevention program that empowers children and parents by teaching proactive escape strategies in a fun, non-threatening manner.
  • Dignity Memorial Escape School Certificate

Interests and activities / Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Cooking, Singing and Public Speaking. A member of the Lions Club. In my years as a Funeral Director I have taken the initiative to be a presenter at various Elementary Schools, High schools and Colleges.

References: Donna Mae HarperFriend/Colleague 864-449-1442

Jerry Stepp Friend 864-414-0584

Buck Simmons Friend/Colleague 540-580-9508

Tom Meritt Friend/Colleague 540-589-4164

Steve Shannon Friend 719-447-7341

Byron Hobbs Friend 512-755-4703