Owners
Owner, Funeral Director & Embalmer
It is with great pleasure to announce that
we, Alex and Kayla Van Geest, have purchased B. Wilson’s Funeral Chapels. It is
our goal to bring professional, meaningful services to Lacombe and the
surrounding communities with honesty, integrity and hard work.
Alex and Kayla have been married since 2016 and have been blessed with their first child, Aiden J. in January 2018, and their second Child Nico A. in January 2020.
Alex and Kayla both have deep roots in the farming communities with Kayla still farming alongside her family in the Lacombe area and Alex growing up on a cattle farm in Taber, Alberta. Alex and Kayla attend Woody Nook Christian Reformed Church where Alex volunteers in many ways one being a Youth Elder. Both Alex and Kayla were born in Canada and are from recent Dutch immigrant families. This has instilled a great value on building relationships within community and therefore our neighbors are now our family, and as such we want to treat all who come through our doors as family.
Our two main goals are to provide a level of service that we are proud to put our names behind. This means having empathy toward families, understanding their situations and working to provide exactly what they are in need of. Second, to invest back into our community. We want to create relationships through being involved and supporting local. These relationships in the community are the best way to understand the needs bereaved families have within Central Alberta.
With the upmost appreciation we want to thank those families who B. Wilson’s Funeral Chapel has already served and to those we may serve in the future. We want to continue to serve the families of Central Alberta and earn their respect.
Family Focused, Remembering Those We Love
Thank You
Funeral Director & Embalmer
Wayne was born in Ottawa and raised in a military family. Upon his father’s retirement, the family settled in Airdrie, Alberta where Wayne completed his schooling. In 1990, Wayne began his apprenticeship with Prairie Winds Funeral Service in Trochu, Alberta. After graduating from the Alberta School of Mortuary Science in September of 1993, he accepted a position with Wilson’s Funeral Chapel working in the Lacombe Chapel until January of 1995 when he relocated to Rimbey to manage Wilson’s new funeral home in Rimbey.Funeral Director & Embalmer
Maryann was raised in Calgary, Alberta where she received all her schooling within the Calgary Catholic School District. After completion of Senior High School, she started her career in Personnel & Management. She received her Personnel Management Certification from the University of Calgary.
She entered her second career at 30 years old with McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes in 1987, a career she had been passionate about since Junior High School. She graduated from the Alberta School of Mortuary Science as a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in 1990, and moved to Central Alberta with her career in 1992 where she has remained since.
While working 31 years within the Funeral Industry in Red Deer and area, both full time and contract, she has taken several courses with Red Deer College in the Leadership & Management Program as well receiving the Highest Award of Achievement with Dale Carnegie and a Long Service Award with the Alberta Funeral Service Association.
Maryann started with Wilson’s Funeral Chapel and Crematorium in August of 2018 and has fallen in love with the community, its Sense of Pride, Value of History and Compassion it has for each other. She is very excited to be part of the Wilson’s Team, working with colleagues and sharing her 31 years of experience.
In her spare time Maryann is busy on her acreage surrounded by her gardens and animals, and helping her husband, Dwayne, with their home-based Construction company.
Funeral Director & Embalmer
Lynn was born and raised in Stettler, Ab and started with Funeral Service in 1983 in East Central Alberta working as a Bookkeeper, Funeral Attendant and helping with the Ambulance side of the Funeral Business. She started her apprenticeship in 1991 and graduated from the Alberta School of Mortuary Science in 1993. Lynn and her husband Allan, have two children and live in the Nevis / Erskine area.
Funeral Director & Embalmer
Ashley was
born and raised on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie, Ontario. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Science
at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, specializing in Anatomy and Microbiology,
before attending Law School at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. She moved west in 2008 and found her forever
home in Central Alberta.
In 2011, Ashley
took advantage of a job opportunity in the funeral industry and immediately
knew she had found her calling. She
attended Mount Royal University, obtaining her Funeral Service Diploma and
became a licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer. She was awarded the Dodge Top Embalmer Award
for her graduating class.
Ashley has had
the privilege of working as a funeral director in many different communities around
Alberta - large and small - and even spent a year as a licensed funeral director
in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Embalmer
Ross was born in Whitecourt, Alberta and moved to Red Deer, Alberta to attend high school. After high school he worked briefly with The New Apostolic Church becoming a Deacon. His funeral career began in 2013, where he found his true calling caring for the Deceased. He attended Canadian College of Funeral Service, and became a licensed Embalmer in 2017. He is very excited to be apart of the Wilson's Team, working with colleagues and getting to serve the community.
Funeral Attendant
Sheldon grew up in Lacombe, AB and graduated from the Lacombe Composite High School in 1989. Apprenticing as a Funeral Director/Embalmer from 1992-1994, Sheldon graduated from the Alberta School of Mortuary Science in 1994 and was received the highest academic standing in the Province of Alberta. Following his 20 years in funeral service in Calgary, Sheldon relocated back to Lacombe and joined the Wilson's family on a casual basis in December of 2012. Apart from his full time position with the Railway, his passion for serving and caring for families in their time of sorrow will always remain a strong desire that he holds close to his heart. Sheldon resides at Gull Lake and has a daughter, Kaylee. Being an avid outdoorsman, Sheldon enjoys campfires, fishing, motorcycles, and sports such as hockey and football.
After Care Specialist
Ralph was born and raised in Ontario. In 1987 he graduated with his bachelors degree in business administration and moved to Alberta that same year. Ralph managed the Adventist Book Center for a number of years.Apprentice Funeral Director and Embalmer
Kori-lyn
was raised in Kelowna, British Columbia and relocated to Central Alberta with
her daughters in 2018. Previously, she worked within various wineries of the region before graduating from Okanagan College in 2016 with certifications in
Accounting and Bookkeeping; she went on to work with an accounting firm, and
eventually opened her own bookkeeping company in 2019. Although she found
contentment in the business she grew, she knew for many years that her true
passion lay in Funeral Service.
Kori-lyn began
attending Mount Royal University in early 2023 working towards her dual license
as a Funeral Director and Embalmer and began working with Wilson’s Funeral
Chapel not long after as their First Year Apprentice. She is eager to advance her
career and honored to serve her community.
When Kori-lyn
is not busy with work or university she spends most of her free time with her
teenage daughters, Lexxi & Karrah, adventuring their way through Central
Alberta, making memories, and spending time with friends.