Working -- Bob Dowson

HE IS

Helping families celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

HELPING OTHERS COPE WITH LOSS

Bob Dowson knew even in college that he wanted to run a funeral home.

He has spent the last 18 years of his life getting there.

Dowson, who is currently the general manager of Pacific View Memorial

Park in Newport Beach, says it has been a “rewarding profession.”

“We have a family come in here at the worst time of their lives,” he

said. “And we see how their recovery takes place over the three days they

spend with us as we help them plan and conduct the service.”

PROVIDING A PERSONAL TOUCH

Dowson has a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science from the University

of Minnesota. He also has state and national licenses that qualify him as

an embalmer, funeral director, mortician and operator of a crematorium.

As the general manager of the funeral home, Dowson oversees all the

activities and also gets involved in some of the processes, including

embalming.

He says the job has evolved over the years. Today, services are less

traditional than they used to be.

“We encourage families to bring in objects that were close to the

deceased,” he said. “It could be a set of their favorite golf clubs or

something out of the ordinary but meaningful. The old organ music is also

more or less gone these days and is replaced by music that was important

to the individual.”

CELEBRATING LIVES

The job, however, does present a few grave challenges, Dowson said.

The big one is to remain professional and objective through a process

that may well turn into an emotional roller coaster ride.

“We really get bonded with the families because we work closely with

them,” he said. “And occasionally we get overwhelmed especially if it is

a tragic death or one that involves a child.”

If he is ever in that position, Dowson said, he tries to “step back”

or hands over the assignment to someone else so that he does not get “too

wrapped up” in his emotions.

But Dowson says there has never been a time when he got depressed or

disoriented about his profession.

“In my opinion what I do is not just a process of burying the dead,”

he said. “But it’s helping to create a process that celebrates a life.”

* Story by Deepa Bharath; photo by