Staff

Tim Burgman (Owner)

(1941 – 2019)
timburgmanTim is the owner and funeral director of Woodlawn Funeral Home and is the visionary behind the beautiful building and grounds of the cemetery.  Tim passed away on April 9, 2019 after being at the helm of Woodlawn Funeral Home. He was part of the 2nd generation of a funeral family and had been a funeral director his entire adult life. Tim had a passion for engineering and built Woodlawn Cemetery from the ground up, starting in 1976 when the cemetery was first dedicated. He designed all of the unique features in the cemetery, such as the star memorial in our veterans’ section and the beautiful natural rock waterfall and stream in Deer Creek Cremation Garden. In his spare time, Tim loved working with wood. Tim’s love for wood is reflected in the table that he and Jim (from the cemetery crew) designed and built for one of Woodlawn’s meeting rooms.

Since the passing of Tim’s wife, Ann Burgman, the Burgman family decided to carry on her legacy of community involvement and service by partnering with the Thurston County Council on Aging. Tim Burgman donates 1200 square feet of storage space for the Medical Equipment Bank at the Woodlawn Funeral Home location in Lacey. Items for the bank include wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, beside commodes, canes, crutches, etc. Email Tim.

Teresa (Goen) Burgman (Funeral Director and Ownership Team)
teresa_bioTeresa has been a funeral director since 1995. She returned to Lacey with her husband, Cory Goen, who is now retired from the army after completing his final duty station at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. They reside in the area with their two children after traveling around the world.

Teresa continues the family legacy as a 3rd generation funeral director to carry on the urgman in the funeral industry. Teresa is a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Her community involvement includes Holy Family School where her daughter and son attend school, Thurston County Council on Aging Medical Equipment Bank, North Thurston Kiwanis Club in Lacey, Senior Action Network of Thurston Mason and Lewis Counties. Teresa is also a member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, Post #94 in Lacey, WA.  Email Teresa.

Education:
2001 – Masters of Business Administration w/ emphasis in International Management from Baylor University
1991 – Bachelor’s from Western Washington University

Eric Rose
Eric-RoseSince 2005, Eric has been our Family Service Counselor at Woodlawn Funeral Home. He assists families with selecting cemetery property and provides expert knowledge when making “pre-arranged funeral plans” and also helps as a funeral director when needed. Families can pick and choose the services they desire and feel comfortable about these decisions, because Eric ensures that families are educated about all aspects of funeral and cemetery services and products. He is a member of Mountain View Nazarene Church where he plays the trumpet in their orchestra. Eric is also a member of the North Thurston Kiwanis Club (Committee Chair for Kiwanis Foundation Golf Tournament) and a board member for the Thurston County U.S. Bowling Congress. He is a member of the Senior Action Network of Thurston, Mason and Lewis counties as well. He always enjoys time with his family as well as pursuing his hobbies of bowling, golfing, and fishing. Email Eric.

Deb Christerson
debbie_bioDebie has been part of our team since 2009; she is in the accounting department and has experience in accounts receivable, accounts payable, and preparation of the dreaded quarterly taxes. In other words, money-wise, she keeps our office flowing. Debie adds her knowledge of small business management with over 30 years of office expertise. Outside of work, Debie and her husband enjoy hiking, particularly on Mt. Rainier, and photography. When the weather cooperates, she also spends time gardening. If the weather does not cooperate, Debie enjoys staying inside, reading a good book. Email Deb.

Charlie Kirry
CHARLIEVideographer and Photographer. Charlie preserves memorial events in video or in still photos. This allows family members who cannot attend a ceremony to watch and listen to a DVD and feel just like they were there; a DVD makes a treasured keepsake that will be viewed for decades. A video editor and producer for 23 years, Charlie’s experience ensures a quality presentation that is sensitively and discretely produced. Charlie’s discerning eye and expertise underpins production quality.Families assembled together create a unique opportunity for family portraits. With three decades of professional photography experience, Charlie uses the latest in high-resolution digital photography to record a family’s most significant moments.

A life-long resident of the Olympia area, Charlie’s commitment to the community runs deep. He chairs the Olympia High School alumni association, as well as a vocational education committee at Capital High School. Charlie is the founder of Puget Sound Rotary (formerly the president) and a Rotarian since 1986. He has served on two Olympia neighborhood association boards and on boards dedicated to historical preservation, hunter education and range safety, and in service to groups that protect the US Constitution. Email Charlie.

Andrew Fairbarin
Drew has worked at Woodlawn since 2008. A representative from Morningside, an employment service, matched Drew with our company. He works in janitorial services and makes sure that the building is ready for funeral services at all times. He always shows up with a smile on his face and is glad to see everyone. He loves everything with the John Deere brand, collecting scale models of all John Deere tractors and farming equipment. Drew also has a pet bird named Dudley that he takes care of in his spare time. He is a positive, thoughtful person who is kind to everyone he meets.

The Cemetery Crew
We would like to introduce our cemetery crew, which includes Francisco, Laur, Adolpho, and Raphael. The well-kept lawns and gardens of our beautiful cemetery are due to the effort and caring of this experienced team. Francisco does a spectacular job maintaining the gardens and making sure everything is prepared for graveside services. He has a young family that keeps him busy in his spare time. Raphael has been part of the team for 14+ years and can answer any question about the grounds.  Laur is a mechanic who can fix any piece of equipment in the cemetery. Adolpho is an exceptional all-around groundskeeper who makes the overall cemetery look picture perfect throughout the year. He is a devoted father with young daughters to keep him busy.