Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Vigil Jr.
Hi Richard, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2016 I was approached by another funeral home manager (Julie Tran- General manager of Cypress View Mausoleum) asking me what I thought about joining the funeral industry doing sales… I was so put off by the idea. Dealing with people that died… My eyes wide open thinking, ‘how weird’.
But, after moving back to San Diego from New Jersey, with a newborn and nothing to lose…. I decided, heck I’ll give it a try. I interviewed by what would become one of my best mentors ever (Rachel Varges)…. I got hired at Glen Abbey Memorial Park And Mortuary, doing Sales! Protecting families with preplanning their funeral choices as well as a beautiful final resting place in a top tier Cemetery in San Diego.
Fast forward a few years I decided that I’d love the idea of working directly with the family once their loved one passed. Creating an everlasting memory and a beautiful celebration of life in El Cajon at El Cajon Mortuary. Being surrounded by an amazing team and the best leadership anyone could ask for, I came to the understanding that I would love to manage and operate my own funeral home.
In 2022 I was offered to take the role of Funeral Home Location Manager of the newly renovated Pacific Beach-La Jolla Chapel in North Pacific Beach. What a blessing. Also, having an amazing staff that shared the ideas, creativity and wild imaginations, sure helped. I credit those that work at the funeral home to put ‘on a show’ and create something unforgettable for the families and their guests. We have a staff of many backgrounds, from Veterans to Veteran spouses to people just like you and me.
We and I love the community we serve.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Wow, what a great question!
At one point I figured I was completely ready to take on the industry and navigate from sales into being a General Manager of my own funeral home….. I was wrong! I was savvy and successful with the securing and protecting families in prearrangements for funeral and cemetery needs , however running a funeral home, that I definitely wasn’t ready for that.
I needed to be taught and learn how to help the families during the hardest time of their lives. And, that is exactly what my leadership and mentors did for me. Showing me the ropes and best ways to help a family. I figured, in a few months, THEN I’ll be ready….. 6 years later. I was ready!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I would say, Pacific Beach-La Jolla Chapel is NOTHING like a traditional funeral home. The idea of a dark, stinky, old outdated funeral home, we are exactly the opposite of that. We host celebrations! Honoring a loved one’s life. Memorial services, visitations, graveside services…..even weddings.
Have you ever seen a metal band or a comedy roast, how about a motorcycle in a service? We have!
We strive to create a show! Allowing our families to just go wild by letting their imaginations go run wild.
At the same time we can come back to our roots and have a beautiful dignified service that we’ve all been accustomed to.
The funeral home is bright with wide open areas. Dedicated reception room and chapel area. Modular with round tables throughout that can be removed and chairs be placed in rows. Plenty of table space for keepsakes, photos and memorabilia that defines the loved one’s life. State of the art sound system, TVs to showcase a custom slideshow and adjustable accent lighting.
Ever had a taco cart at a funeral? We do that too! Beer, wine, liquor? We can do that too!
How do you think about luck?
With so many options of funeral homes for a family to go, we just need the luck of a family experiencing what we have to offer. Many of times we’ve held a service for a loved one and a person that has come to the service ended up having a loss in their lives, and said “you remember that funeral home that we ate tacos and had a beer at?” Gave us a call to help them out. Or, came to one of our unique services and decided that they wanted us to take care of themselves at their time when it came, preplanned so that their friends and family had the same experience.
In my personal life, luck good or bad is in the hands of my savior Jesus Christ. I have an amazing family that’s beyond supportive and encourages me to keep learning something new every single day!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/california/san-diego/pacific-beach-la-jolla-chapel/9560?utm_source=google_my_business&utm_medium=organic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacificbeachlajollachapel?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
