"Our loved ones die only when we, whom they loved, forget them." ~anonymous

Our Staff

Edward Leon

Owner, Funeral Director and Embalmer

Edward "Ed" Leon purchased Duggan's Mission Chapel in December 2016 after the retirement of Marilyn Duggan Caselli (who managed the family business for decades). A native of Windsor, CA, Ed enrolled in the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science about a year after graduating from high school and has worked in the industry since. Ed has worked in Petaluma, Mill Valley, San Anselmo and Sonoma. He is one of the last funeral home owner-operators left in the Bay Area, as more and more mortuaries are corporately-owned. He is a member of ICF St. James Branch 161 of Larkspur. Ed enjoys traveling and adventuring around the world.

Embalmer's License # EMB8320

Funeral Director's License #FDR1633

Brian Hood

Funeral Director, Embalmer and Crematory Manager

Brian has been in the funeral business for 23 years. A graduate of San Francisco College of Mortuary Science, Brian and his wife live in Mill Valley, and when not working, enjoy traveling, their beagle and epicurean delights throughout the Bay Area and the world.

Embalmer's License #EMB8471

Funeral Director's License #FDR1799

Crematory Manager's License #CRM357

Kirk Cheda

Funeral Director and Embalmer

Born and raised in West Marin, Kirk graduated from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1984. After working in the funeral industry for many years with his uncle, Leroy Cheda, in Mill Valley, he continued his profession in Petaluma, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa and now Sonoma.

Embalmer's License #EMB7460

Funeral Director's License #FDR1369

Cemetery Broker’s License #CEB1391

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Melanie Flores

Funeral Director

Melanie spent a decade working in various care settings from being a Medicine Technician to teaching in an afterschool program for children with special needs. She received her Bachelors in Cultural Anthropology but wasn't sure how to intermingle her interest in the human experience with her drive to help people. It wasn't until the unexpected loss of her sister that she realized that Funeral Directors have a profound responsibility to those they serve and they have to do it with great sensitivity. Within her first year, Melanie worked as a preneed counselor, arranged funeral services for families of different faiths while training new employees and operating a funeral home. She realized that her need to help people, her interest in different therapeutic techniques, and education in cultural anthropology would impart the compassion people deserve during these difficult times. She is looking forward to serving the community of Sonoma.

FDR 4499

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