Page 11 - Cindy Salas Murphy San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

soldiers passed, he would take students looking for a second I would, so I packed up my Not only was Megan
care of dressing them, casket- career and wanting to com- clothes and returned home thrown into a business she had
ing them, and getting them plete their Bachelor’s degree. I without attending the master's not expected to be part of, but
home to their families. When signed up and attended Regent program. When I arrived back she had no idea what was to
he came out of the service, he University and completed my in Escondido my dad was very follow. Megan took over in
decided that he wanted to be in degree in Business.” sick.” 2013 and things were going
the funeral industry. He went After graduation, Megan Megan’s dad had a man- well. “In 2016 I had just had
to college and became a funer- decided to stay there and study ager running the mortuary my son, he was three weeks
al home owner. “He actually towards her master’s degree. “I for him, I was helping out old, and a car came crashing
owned multiple mortuaries through our building from
over his lifetime. My father the alley. Luckily no one was
grew up as I did, wanting hurt in the accident. There
nothing to do with the family were no family, employees, or
business. What is funny is that loved ones in that area of the
in his youth my dad wanted building when it happened.
to be a mechanic. He would The man who was driving the
work there to help out his dad, car had a seizure while driving,
as I did, and he realized very but he also walked away from
quickly that he wasn't going be the accident with no injuries.
a very successful mechanic.” The accident caused over
Megan’s grandfather a quarter-million dollars in
wanted to be sure his son was damages. I was new to all of
knowledgeable and profession- this, and I had no idea how to
al, so he insisted that he would handle insurance and where
have to go to college when he to even begin when it came
graduated and made him work to rebuilding. The accident
with another funeral home for took out our entire prep room,
some time before bringing him which is where we prepare
into the business. In the 1970s bodies for the services. Re-
her grandfather purchased the building our mortuary was a
Poway Bernardo Mortuary and huge task. What made things
father, and son ran it together. even tougher was that at the
Megan knew her future time the City of Escondido
wasn’t in the funeral home decided to obtain my master's doing the back-end billing and came to us and said, ‘I know
business, so she went to college in counseling. With all I had paperwork, but then his man- this building is 125 years old,
to pursue other interests. “I been through as a foster child, ager decided it was time for but you need to bring it up to
went to college to be a teacher I knew I could help other him to move on and he left to code today for ADA and sprin-
and I realized very quickly that foster children. I had also be- return home to San Francisco. klers, etc. We basically had to
I didn't want to be in a class- come a CASA, Court Appoint- “This was when my dad told rebuild the entire place.”
room all the time, it just was ed Special Advocate for foster me that I needed to take over It took almost five years
not my forte. I spent the next children through Voices for Alhiser-Comer. I was basically for Megan to accomplish all
10 years working for Gym- Children. So, I figured I would thrown into the business feet of this. “ In order to meet the
boree kids clothing store and get my master’s and just see first and knew I had to do this requirements, we had to add
became a store manager. I was where it took me.” for my dad, so I did.” new bathrooms and bigger
up for the position of district Megan was getting ready Since Megan had her and wider doorways. When
manager of San Diego County. to start this program when she bachelor’s degree she was eligi- you have a building that was
At that point, I was not loving received a troubling phone ble to get her funeral director’s built in the 1800s, it is not an
retail. I am not a very sponta- call from her dad. His kidneys license through the State of easy feat. We worked really
neous person, but on a whim, were failing, and he wasn’t California. “I took the test hard and, in the process, we
I decided to pick up and leave doing well. He asked Megan and became a licensed funeral tried to bring it up to today's
San Diego. if she would move back home director. At this point, most of standards as well. We added a
My aunt and uncle had to help him. “I function as the the staff were ready to retire reception hall, so people could
some friends in Virginia oldest in my family, and at this because they had been with have food, which we didn’t
Beach, and they invited me point, my parents had divorced my dad for 20-25 years. They have before. We also updated
with them to visit. While there and none of my siblings had all stayed on for two years and technology so we could play
I looked into colleges and remained in San Diego so, helped me learn as much as I family videos and have the
found one that specialized in my dad was alone. I told him could. And here we are.” capabilities of live streaming

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