Our Professional Staff

We are united as a team in our Core Purpose: Healing Hearts, Inspiring Trust, and Comforting the Soul. We are here because of our deep desire to give each family an experience that uniquely helps them tell the story of their loved one.

DEPARTMENTS

Owners
Management Team	Funeral Arrangers
Service Staff	Administration
Care Center	Grief Support and Education
Advance Funeral Planners	Accounting

Owners

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Joseph G. Fitzgerald

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer

Trustworthy | Playful | Reliable

Joseph Fitzgerald grew up in Joliet, Illinois, then moved to California in 1984 after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

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Charles A. Ricciardi

President

Calming | Encouraging | Big Heart

Charles A. Ricciardi was born and raised in Pacific Beach, which used to be a small town near San Diego, California.

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Jeff E. Turner

Vice President

Mentor | Safe-Harbor | Dependable

Jeff Turner was born in Garden Grove, California and raised in Westminster, California, except for two years, 1964 to 1966, when his family lived in the village of Ollei in the Palau Islands.

Management Team

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Joanna

Leader | Loyal | Adventurous

After 3 years at a funeral home in Florida, Joanna made her way to O’Connor and started working ...

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Amy

Mom | Driven | Excellence

Amy came to O’Connor in 2010 after working at several other mortuaries, having at last found where she belongs.

Funeral Arrangers

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Teresa

Heartfelt | Dedicated | Servant

Her experiences with grief gave her a compassion for bereaved people and a desire to serve them.

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Erica

Inquisitive | Resourceful | Detailed

Erica has been interested by the death-care profession since a young age.

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Terese

Social | Bright |Inquisitive

Terese came to us as our Aflac Representative, and was definitively not looking for a career change.

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Stephanie

Wise | Invested | Creative

Stephanie had a successful career as a Product Marketing Manager in high tech and healthcare fields, but when her father died in 2010 she felt a dear calling to help people who were grieving.

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Amber

Amber has been a part of our Arranger team since 2022l

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Jennie

Hospitable | Thoughtful | Peaceful

Jennie is perhaps one of the most naturally gifted and beautifully qualified people to work in the funeral profession.

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Katlynn

Welcoming | Attentive | Positive

From an early age, Katlynn knew that she wanted to work in a profession that cared for people in need.

Our Professional Staff

Service Staff

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Mitch

Musician | Mindful | Warm Hearted

Mitch has been a Service Director at O’Connor Mortuary since 2010. He finds purpose in helping families ...

Our Professional Staff

Jenn

Thoughtful | Steady | Nurturing

When she first heard about a career in Mortuary Science, Jenn felt a deep, heart-connection to that calling.

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Natalie

Adventurous | Genuine | Kind

Natalie’s journey into the funeral profession began young in life with the sad death of her beloved grandfather.

Our Professional Staff

Julia

Sincere | Considerate | Passionate

In high school Julia first heard about the funeral profession in a Medical Program she was involved in. After a bit of research, she changed her major ...

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Alicia

Alicia has been a member of our Part-Time Service Staff since 2022.

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Cate

Linda has been a member of our Part-Time Service Staff since 2022.

Our Professional Staff

Sara

Sara has been a member of our Part-Time Service Staff since 2021.

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Mary

Mary has been a member of our Part-Time Service Staff since 2022.

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Gordon

Gordon has been a member of our Part-Time Service Staff since 2007.

Administration

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Ben

Ben has been a Care Coordinator on our team since 2022

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Linda

Supportive | Adventurous | Faithful

Linda is passionate about serving people. She came to us after 22 years of working with Special Education students at the suggestion ...”

Our Professional Staff

Erika

Active | Compassionate | Helpful

Erika knew from an early age that she wanted to live a life that served people in challenging times. A student athlete for 16 years ...

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Nicole

Connective | Relational | Optimist

Nicole made the choice to seek a career in the funeral profession because of a desire to care for families in need.

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Ann

Giving | Warm-Hearted | Safe

Ann is very community-minded and in her search for the right professional fit, it was important to her that the employer be pro-active ...

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Loretta

Loretta has been a Care Coordinator on our team since 2021

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Rosemary

Comprehensive | Efficient | Dependable

In 2007, Rosemary joined the team in the unique and supporting role of Director’s Assistant. Her position requires a detailed editorial ...

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Rebecca

Calming | Attentive | Centered

Rebecca has a remarkable background in counseling and psychology where she practiced as a therapist for 10 years ...

Care Center

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Susy

Bright | Genuine | Welcoming

Susy studied forensic anthropology at Cal State University of Los Angeles and from there decided to pursue her degree in Mortuary ...

Our Professional Staff

Jasmin

Creative | Dedicated | Considerate

Jasmin knew she wanted a career in a field that helped others. After considering following her mother into nursing, she found out about funeral service and never turned back ...

Our Professional Staff

Justin

Justin has been a member of our Care Center team since 2022.

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Jeremy

Kind | Understanding | Sincere

Jeremy’s one requirement for the work he does is that it leave a meaningful impact on other’s lives. He saw the funeral profession ...

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Angela

Reliable | Relaxed | Proactive

Angela completed her degree in Mortuary Science at Cypress College in 2015 and began her apprenticeship with us the same year ...

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Karla

Gentle | Enthusiastic | Steadfast

Knowing from a young age that she wanted to work with dying and grieving people, Karla spent 10 years as a nursing assistant ...

Grief Support and Education

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Becky Lomaka, MA, CT

Passionate | Enthusiastic | Book Lover

Becky signed on as the Director of Grief Support and Education in 2013, with a determined passion to bring education, encouragement ...

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Molly Keating, MA, CT

Passionate | Enthusiastic | Book Lover

Molly joined the O’Connor team in 2009 as a weekend receptionist without plans of a mortuary career. Over the years, as her job evolved ...

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Paulette

Generous | Thoughtful | Servant

Paulette learned about our mortuary while serving as a Bereavement Minister at St. Edward’s Catholic Church ...

Advance Funeral Planners

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Shawn

Attentive | Thoughtful | Father

Shawn has pursued a life and profession focused on serving families, one at a time. At O’Connor, Shawn found a place of work that aligned ...

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Luis

Believer | Patriot | Sportsman

Luis came to O’Connor with 15 years of insurance experience and a desire to care for the families in his community. Pre-planning quickly ...

Accounting

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Donna

Calming | Confident | Driven

Donna has an extensive and impressive background in Accounting and Human Resources, and while working at a mortuary had never ...