Meet Our Staff - Metairie, LA

John B. Appel Jr., Esq.

Managing Partner/Funeral Director

John has been helping families since 2005, having joined the industry thirty days before hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana.  He attended Jesuit High School, Loyola University and Loyola Law School, is married to Jean Newman and is the father of John III and Patrick and step-father to Scot, a student at Jesuit High School.  He changed careers after the unexpected death of his father.  Going through that experience revealed to him the need for preplanning and the importance of educating families that their burial property and funerals can be handled before the loss of a loved one.

Marilyn Strecker

Funeral Director / Embalmer

Marilyn has been serving families for twenty years, since 1998.  The funeral industry wasn't her first choice for a career; however, it did seem to suit her calling to care for others.  Considering her job to be a type of ministry, she finds it quite rewarding to know she can make a difference to families during such a grievous and tumultuous time.  Having lost both of her sons (and only children) very much before their time, Marilyn is particularly empathetic to parents who have suffered a loss.  She hopes to continue her dedication to families for many years to come.

Carrie Kippers Bruno

Funeral Director

Carrie has been serving families since 2008, joining the industry after losing her great-grandmother and having to assist with making her funeral arrangements.  She is married to Brad and is the mother of Cameron and Dagan, both students at John Curtis Christian School.  She is a lifelong resident of River Ridge, Louisiana.  Carrie's first role in the funeral and cemetery industry was as a Family Service Counselor at Garden of Memories, assisting families with making cemetery property selections, both pre-need and at-need.  The more experience she gained the more she knew she wanted to focus on helping families at their time of loss, so she became a Funeral Director.  Carrie enjoys serving her community by helping families have a meaningful funeral and celebration of life for their loved ones.  

Karen Terrell

Funeral Director

Toni Palestina

Funeral Director

Marc Gelpi

Manager - Family Services

Matthew Hayes

Family Service Counselor

Matthew has been serving families since 2013.  He is married to Laine and is the father of Benjamin and Charlotte.  He enjoys being able to serve families and help impact them in a positive way by informing them of ways to protect their family before their time of need.

Tanya Angelo

Family Service Counselor

Tanya has been assisting families since 2002, is a veteran of the United States Air Force and a Purple Heart recipient.  She is the proud mother of Alexandria, a student at the University of Louisiana - Lafayette, and Caleb, graduate of Slidell High School Class and an enlistee in the U.S. Army.  Tanya believes her strength lies in helping families make the difficult decisions they cannot on their own.

Stephanie Manos

Family Service Counselor

Eric McCrossen

Family Service Counselor

Raquel Duarte

Family Service Counselor

Catherine Alesich

Manager - Advanced Planning

Gail Calderone

Advanced Planning Counselor

Gail has been serving families since 2012.  While she has previously worked in the travel industry and furniture and design industry, nothing comes close to her current position here at the Garden of Memories.  Gail finds the most rewarding aspect of her job the ability to help her families with some of the most important decisions of their lives, to offer them direction and to guide them in what will be in their best interest.  She knows making decisions on the day you have lost a loved one can be very difficult and having someone there to assist you is crucial.