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The Arlington Memorial Gardens team members are caring and experienced professionals who understand that each family is unique and has personal requests and traditions. These requests and traditions are of the utmost importance to our entire team.
Funeral Director, Celebrant & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Alecia joined the Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in September 2019. Although she worked in the City of Cincinnati assisting low-income families to become self-sufficient through job readiness, financial, and trade training, Alecia admits her passion has always been in the funeral industry. She often tells others that, “the greatest gift a person can give is the gift of pre-planning their final services.”
Alecia has recently served as a Cincinnati Certified Tourism Ambassador for many years as a Volunteer Usher for The Aronoff Center and Music Hall. She enjoys assisting others in obtaining comfort and pleasure in their day-to-day living. Alecia has a Bachelor of Psychology from Ashford University and an Associate of Applied Science from the Cincinnati School of Mortuary Science, class of 2014.
Alecia’s background as an ordained Elder and licensed minister in the State of Ohio has allowed her to be called upon by area churches and funeral homes to do eulogies for families without a eulogist. Her many years of experience in administrative and event planning will allow her to prepare logistics for families that are grieving a loss.
In July 2024, Alecia graduated from an intensive 4-year program at the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) University. Her dedication and hard work have earned her multiple certifications, such as Certified Celebrant, Certified Cremator Operator, Certification Cremation Arranger, and Certified Cremation Administrator.
Email Alecia: alecia.b@amgfuneralhome.com.
Funeral Director, Celebrant & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Funeral Director
Lezlee DuBois-Watson is a compassionate and dedicated Funeral Director with a deep commitment to supporting families during life’s most challenging moments. With a strong foundation in both funeral service and customer care, she approaches every interaction with kindness, empathy, and meticulous attention to detail.
Lezlee earned her Associate of Applied Science in Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications with a minor in Marketing from Walsh University. This unique blend of education and experience allows her to communicate effectively, manage sensitive situations with grace, and ensure every family’s needs are met with dignity and professionalism.
Whether guiding families through the planning of meaningful services or managing the behind-the-scenes logistics with care and precision, Lezlee is dedicated to making each person she serves feel seen, heard, and supported. Her work is not just a profession—it’s a calling rooted in compassion and respect for the journey of grief and remembrance.
Funeral Director
Funeral Director, Embalmer, Celebrant
Alexis graduated magna cum laude with her Bachelor of Mortuary Science degree from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in the fall of 2022.
Alexis first joined the Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in January of 2022 as a funeral attendant and transfer team member. After graduating mortuary school, she went back to her home state of Michigan where she served her apprenticeship with Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services in Marshall and was issued her Michigan Mortuary Science license in July of 2023. In 2024, Alexis is back with AMGFH serving families as a Licensed Funeral Director, Embalmer, Certified Celebrant and Crematory Operator.
In her free time, Alexis enjoys playing video games, cooking, shopping, walking, going to Reds games, and spending time with her family, friends, and two cats, Niko and Patchouli.
email Alexis at: alexis.k@amgfuneralhome.com
Funeral Director, Embalmer, Celebrant
Funeral Home Concierge
Ginny has dedicated herself to helping families with the cemetery/funeral arrangements for over 18 years. After serving as a Family Care advisor with Arlington, she has transitioned to the Arlington Funeral Home as the Administrative Assistant. Ginny’s compassion for those grieving fuels her dedication to helping families through difficult times.
She has lived in the Cincinnati area most of her life and now resides in the Mason area. She enjoys going to new places, hiking in Hocking Hills and getting together with family.
Email Ginny: ginny.t@amgfuneralhome.com.
Funeral Home Concierge
Funeral Home Support
Raye Ann Cosby, a life-long resident of Cincinnati, has worked in various positions during her work life but proudly enjoyed a 25-year career at Procter & Gamble before her retirement in 2002.
Following retirement, Raye Ann transitioned to work in death care at several Cincinnati-based funeral homes in various capacities, including Office Manager and Public Relations Manager. Her desire to serve families has been a driving passion after experiencing personal losses and surviving serious health journeys herself. Assisting and being there for others during their loss, pain, and grief is her way of serving and giving back. She has learned from many of what she considers the best death care providers, including the late Reverend Donald H. Jordan, Sr., Founder & Owner of Thompson, Hall, and Jordan Funeral Homes.
As one who believes in constant development and growth, Raye Ann is excited to be a member of The Arlington Funeral Home team.
Funeral Home Support
Vice President of Family Care & Community Outreach | CANA Certified Specialist
Cindy Hargrove joined The Arlington Memorial Gardens as a member of the Family Care Team in January 2013. A native of Oklahoma, she and her family lived in Chicago for ten years before relocating to Cincinnati. She was educated at the University of Central Oklahoma‘s School of Business and was a small business owner while living in Chicago.
Cindy’s passion and commitment to those seeking Arlington’s service arise from her battle with breast cancer. A two-time breast cancer survivor made her hyper-aware of the devastation of a cancer diagnosis.
Even though she is now cancer-free, the experience was decisively transformational. Serving families at Arlington responds to what Cindy calls “an internal impulse centered around helping others through troubled times.” She lives by Plato’s motto: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Cindy completed the coursework with ICCFA University and is a CANA-certified cremation specialist.
Email Cindy: cindy.h@amgardens.org.
Vice President of Family Care & Community Outreach | CANA Certified Specialist
Director of Family Care & CANA Certified Specialist
Sheila has served families in the Cincinnati area for over 20 years through her passion for helping advance the planning of cemetery and funeral arrangements. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Gary Rutz, and has two beautiful children, Megan and Matthew, and their VERY spoiled Goldendoodles, Ellie and Piper. Sheila grew up in the North College Hill community but now lives in Ross Sheila, and Gary enjoys traveling, boating and spending as much time possible with family and friends.
Brimming with an infectiously positive attitude, Sheila says she believes that in life there is ALWAYS a “positive” in any “negative” situation. She can be contacted directly at Sheila.r@amgardens.org.
Director of Family Care & CANA Certified Specialist
Training Coordinator Family Care & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Lauren joined Arlington as a Family Care Advisor in February 2018. A native of Cincinnati’s west side, Lauren has always been passionate about helping others in need. As a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, she volunteered for the Cincinnati Public School system as a translator for non-English speaking students. After battling an illness that limited her physical activity for several years, Lauren found a passion for yoga and spent five weeks in Los Angeles, gaining her yoga certification in 2013. She wanted to share yoga and its benefits with those who most needed it. Lauren owned a small pet-sitting business while teaching yoga full-time. She spent a year as the “Chaos Coordinator” to a former athlete and TV personality and worked as a personal assistant to a family of six. She believes these valuable experiences encompassed all the skills she needed to thrive at The Arlington Memorial Gardens as a Family Care Advisor.
After experiencing several deaths among family and friends, Lauren realized the critical role of a caring individual during a family’s time of need. While she enjoyed every previous job, she did not feel like she was doing her life’s work. As a member of the Arlington Team, Lauren knows she has found her purpose in serving others.
In April 2023, Lauren was certified as a Level 1 Pet Bereavement Specialist. She received this certification from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) and the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC).
When not at Arlington, Lauren enjoys teaching yoga at Modo Yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, and spending time with her dogs, Teddy and Zach. Email Lauren: lauren.c@amgardens.org.
Training Coordinator Family Care & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Family Care Advisor
Heather has been with The Arlington Memorial Gardens since 2014 in an administrative role. However, she joined the Family Care Advisor team in 2022 and is looking forward to helping families with preplanning their cemetery and funeral needs and helping those families that have experienced a loss make final arrangements for their loved one. The knowledge she has from her past role at Arlington will certainly help to serve the families she meets.
Originally from the West Side of Cincinnati and growing up mostly in Fairfield, Heather started her career in the travel industry with an airline and then a corporate travel agency at Procter & Gamble. During this time, she moved to White Oak to be a stay-at-home mom, volunteer for various non-profits and raise her 3 fantastic kids: Benjamin, Caleigh & Morgan.
When the kids started leaving the nest, Heather came to Arlington and found a love for the funeral & cemetery business. Helping people has always been a passion of hers and she is looking forward to helping our Arlington families in a different capacity.
Heather tries always to remember – “Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” We all have difficulties in our lives and you never know what someone else is going through, so always be kind!
Email Heather: heather.j@amgardens.org.
Family Care Advisor
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Celia has lived in the Cincinnati area most of her life and along with their father has raised 2 wonderful daughters: Lillian and Claire. She loves and values their family time together.
She comes to Arlington Memorial Gardens after 43 years in the Restaurant Industry and is very grateful for the privilege of building relationships with co-workers and families as they celebrate unions and successes, grow in joy, and eventually mourn loss.
Celia is a breast cancer survivor and understands that asking for help is more of a strength than a weakness. Her Faith, family, friends and co-workers (past and present) surrounded her with support and comfort during a time when “what’s next” didn’t seem quite as predictable as it once was.
As a younger woman, Celia experienced a great deal of loss of family members and friends. Some through illness, others through tragedy and still others who died by suicide. Each loss required a different level of grief that has again helped her to appreciate the value of time.
As a member of the Arlington team, Celia believes her life experiences have helped equip her to provide the care and guidance necessary to walk alongside individuals and families during a difficult time as well as the opportunity to preplan with confidence.
Celia enjoys cooking and baking and loves being around the flowers she grows for birds, bees and butterflies and usually has her camera nearby hoping for the perfect photo.
email Celia at: celia.m@amgardens.org
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Marcia is a lifelong Westsider and is proud of it! She has raised four amazing sons who have grown into fine young men and enjoys spending as much time with them as possible. Marcia loves to work in her garden, sit out on the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee, and look at the fruits of her labor. Over the years, as an active volunteer at church, school, and in the community, Marcia said “I saw how important it was just to let someone know how much you care. I believe we never know the struggles and hardships faced by those we encounter every day, and there needs to be more caring in our world. Something as simple as a smile or a thank you can bring light into someone’s darkest days.”
A church choir member and cantor for many years going back to high school, Marcia helped plan and then sang at countless funeral services, including her parents. “An only child, I was so grateful for the gift my parents gave me of pre-planning their cemetery and funeral services so that I could focus on myself and my family at the time of such a tremendous loss.” She says the best part of any job she’s ever had has been creating deep and lasting connections with those she serves. Being able to do that every day as part of the Arlington Memorial Gardens family allows her to have a career that she is truly passionate about.
Email Marcia: marcia.r@amgardens.org.
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Paulette was born and raised in the Cincinnati area. She comes from a very loving family and has two amazing sons. Family and friends are an integral part of her life. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in science and played varsity soccer. Paulette was the recipient of the Helen Norman Smith Award her senior year, and award that recognized her as the female athlete of the year. Soon after, Paulette was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduation, she devoted herself to coaching and mentoring young female athletes for many years.
Integrity, honesty, and reliability are extremely important to Paulette. She takes extraordinary pride in everything she does. She values the opportunity to educate and inform those needing guidance. She has the compassion families need during challenging times of their lives. Paulette genuinely loves helping others and values her role as an advisor.
Email Paulette: paulette.r@amgardens.org
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Amy Thie became a member of the Arlington team after nearly a decade of experience in the hospitality industry and over a year of experience serving families at other local cemeteries. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Amy studied in Mexico for a year before attending and graduating from the University of Cincinnati, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Residing in North College Hill with her husband and children, she considers herself a “connoisseur of Cincinnati parks and playgrounds.” She’s likely enjoying outdoor activities with her family when she’s not serving others at Arlington.
Amy empathically guides families through their funeral and cemetery journeys while emphasizing information and transparency. She states that “Whenever I meet with a family, my goal is always the same: enhance their understanding of the planning process while providing a warm, competent, safe, and comfortable experience.”
Amy believes that she has found her passion and that her experiences at Arlington continue to deepen her gratitude for life and for other people. As of 2022, Amy is a CANA Certified Cremation Specialist.
Email Amy: amy.t@amgardens.org
Family Care Advisor & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Comfort & Therapy Support
Teddy is Arlington’s favorite employee. Born February 26, 2019, he was adopted by Arlington Memorial Gardens on April 26, 2019. Teddy is a Goldendoodle. Teddy’s official name is Teddy Bear although he is known as Teddy around the office. His favorite activities are spending time with coworkers and Arlington families as well as waiting for human food to drop on the floor. He is available to the public most days. He spends his evening and weekends with his human mom, Lauren. Email Teddy: teddy@amgardens.org.
Follow Teddy on Instagram and Facebook: @teddy.the.therapy.dog
Comfort & Therapy Support
A seasoned group of professionals, the Leadership Team is responsible for the organization’s daily operations, including the care and maintenance of the grounds, the coordination and management of funeral services, family care, customer relations, marketing, sales and the financial soundness of the company.
President, CEO & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Dan Applegate has been with Arlington since 2001 initially serving as Vice President of Family Care until 2002 when the Board of Trustees appointed him as President. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, trustee of the Arlington Cemetery Association’s Board, President of the Arlington Funeral Home, and Chairman of the Arlington Funeral Home Board of Directors.
Applegate served as secretary/treasurer of the Ohio Cemetery Association for several terms and one term as president. He has served a term on the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission and is a member of the International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA). He has earned the designation as a Certified Cremation Specialist through the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Colerain Chamber of Commerce.
President, CEO & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Senior Vice President & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Ann Meyer has been with The Arlington Memorial Gardens since 1980 serving in various positions. She has watched and assisted in the development of the grounds and services as Arlington transitioned into the Tri-State’s best full-service cemetery, funeral home and celebration of life center.
Ann is currently serving a 3-year term as a Commissioner on the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission. The nine-person commission operates under Ohio’s Department of Commerce and is charged with resolving disputes between cemeteries and consumers or referring cases to the Ohio Attorney General for possible violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act or a local prosecutor for possible violations of certain cemetery laws.
Ann grew up in Springfield Township where she attended Finneytown High School and is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. In her spare time, she enjoys following the Reds and the Bengals as well as traveling, cooking for groups of people and listening to music.
Senior Vice President & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Vice President of Family Care & Community Outreach | CANA Certified Specialist
Cindy Hargrove joined The Arlington Memorial Gardens as a member of the Family Care Team in January 2013. A native of Oklahoma, she and her family lived in Chicago for ten years before relocating to Cincinnati. She was educated at the University of Central Oklahoma‘s School of Business and was a small business owner while living in Chicago.
Cindy’s passion and commitment to those seeking Arlington’s service arise from her battle with breast cancer. A two-time breast cancer survivor made her hyper-aware of the devastation of a cancer diagnosis.
Even though she is now cancer-free, the experience was decisively transformational. Serving families at Arlington responds to what Cindy calls “an internal impulse centered around helping others through troubled times.” She lives by Plato’s motto: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Cindy completed the coursework with ICCFA University and is a CANA-certified cremation specialist.
Email Cindy: cindy.h@amgardens.org.
Vice President of Family Care & Community Outreach | CANA Certified Specialist
Director of Customer Experience & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Lisa McClain joined Arlington in 2014 as an Administrative Team Member after years in a Customer Service position. She is currently the Director of Customer Experience which includes planning and overseeing the Community Events held on the Arlington Campus as well as participating in events throughout the Tri-State area. Lisa works across the entire Arlington organization to ensure that families and visitors experience excellence in their interactions with Arlington.
Lisa is a member of the International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA) and has graduated from the four-year University Program as a Certified Crematory Administrator, Certified Cremation Arranger, and Certified Crematory Operator. She has also earned the designation as a Certified Cremation Specialist through the Cremation Association of North America (CANA).
Lisa knew she had found her second “home” when she came to Arlington and is grateful for the opportunity to support our families and visitors in any way she can.
Director of Customer Experience & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Superintendent of Interment Services and Grounds & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
Jim began his career in death care in 1995 at St. Stephen’s Cemetery in Hamilton, initially as a member of the grounds team working as a string trimmer, mower operator, assisting with committal service set-ups and most other maintenance tasks that are commonly associated with cemetery maintenance work. Very quickly, his interest and abilities converged, and he became a back-hoe operator. In May of 2000, Jim joined the Arlington team as the primary back-hoe operator where he led the Interment Team for well over 900 burials per year. In 2014, Jim became the Grounds Superintendent, which continues to present new challenges and opportunities but “he enjoys coming to work every day.” With the opening of the funeral home in 2020, Jim became a Certified Cremation Operator. He enjoys working at Arlington and states that he looks forward to the next chapter of his Arlington career!
Superintendent of Interment Services and Grounds & CANA Certified Cremation Specialist
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