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Page A15
JANUARY 2015
FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
S ec t i on A
ready had the mindset that they would not view their son, but
would remember him as he was. “I asked them to just listen
to what I had to say and then go home, digest what I said and
get back to me in a few days,” Stout remembers. As Milissa
fondly recalls, “That’s the reason we chose East County Mor-
tuary, because Brian Stout was so professional, compassionate
and didn’t try to rush us into anything at all.”
Even though the Lyons family was going to have a memo-
rial service, later on without the help of East County Mortu-
ary and only wanted a direct cremation, Stout started educat-
ing the family on the possibility of witnessing the cremation
process. That’s when Milissa Lyons started telling Stout about
wanting to honor her son’s wishes by having a “Viking funer-
al.” She went on to say how one night her family was watch-
ing a movie called “The First Night” with Sean Connery as
a Viking. They watched as Sean Connery shot an arrow into
the air landing on a Viking ship, with only the deceased on
board, which started the ship afire as it sailed out to the ocean.
This is how the Vikings cremated their dead. Their son, Zac,
after watching this, spoke up and said how cool that was and
that’s what he wants done when he dies. No one knew at that
time they would be faced with that dilemma so soon.
The Lyons family had no idea if this was even possible or how
to go about making this a reality. Stout did some research on
East County Mortuary
Holds Viking Send-Off
colleagues have dedicated themselves to. In 2003, Kim
became a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and was
inducted into
Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity Inc
in 2013. She is a member of the
National Funeral Direc-
tors Association, Texas Funeral Directors Association, Na-
tional Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Hous-
ton Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association
and the
100
BlackWomen of Funeral Service.
Grounded by her faith in
God, Kim says, “serving in this profession is my ministry
and although challenging, it is most rewarding!”
Phenomenal Texas Women