Sarah Lee-Ellena - Manager, Co-Owner, Licensed Funeral Director

Sarah Lee-Ellena is an early casualty of the auto industry downsizing. Her plan was to continue the family business, Bill Lee Oldsmobile. But General Motors eliminated the brand and the business closed in 2004. Thinking she was too young to retire, she settled upon funeral service as a new career. Her inspiration came from her experiences following her mother's unexpected death five years before. Wanting to create meaningful final farewells for loved ones in a facility custom built to soothe and comfort, Sarah decided to become a funeral director. She enrolled in Wayne State University's Mortuary Science program and graduated in 2006. After serving a required apprenticeship and passing the State and National Board exams, she was licensed as a funeral director in 2007.

While at school, Sarah and husband Mark became aware of the new movements in funeral home architecture. Adopting ideas from the hotel and hospitality industry, Sarah envisioned a funeral home built for the modern consumer. The result is Lee-Ellena Funeral Home, which opened its doors in March 2008. The building offers a soothing and comforting atmosphere enhanced by the latest in technology.

Sarah is currently President of the Mt. Clemens Rotary. The Lee-Ellena Funeral Home is proud to host the BRAG group of Sterling Heights Utica Shelby Chamber of Commerce. The firm is also a member of the chamber, the National Funeral Directors Association, Michigan Funeral Directors Association and the International Order of the Golden Rule.

Along with husband Mark, Sarah attends St. Peter Lutheran Church in Macomb, where she serves on the Parish Fellowship Board. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys swimming and vacationing at her cottage in Canada. She has one daughter and two cats.

Mark Ellena - Co-Owner

Mark Ellena has made a career of helping those in need. He graduated from Lutheran High School East in Harper Woods, and then entered the automobile industry. There he spent twenty-five years designing transportation solutions for the physically and mentally handicapped. Mark currently attends Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Macomb. He is a self-professed car nut.

Jeff Ellena - Director of Operations

Jeff is the administrative assistant. As such, he makes sure the day-to-day operations of the Lee-Ellena Funeral Home run smoothly. He works behind the scenes, running our complex computer, audio and video systems as well as assisting on funerals. Jeff is finishing his Bachelor's degree of Business Administration at Wayne State University and is a graduate of Livonia's Stevenson High School. Jeff says, though he's young, he has learned being compassionate and emphatic are most important when he is serving families.

Christina L. Stanley - Licensed Funeral Director

Christina Stanley has over a decade of professional experience in funeral service. She is a member of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Michigan Embalmers Society.

Christina comes from a strong German background; her grandparents settled in Michigan in 1956. As a young girl, she grew up playing in her uncle's funeral home. After graduating from St. Clair Shores Lakeview High School in 1996, Christina attended college at Wayne State University. There she earned her bachelor's degree in mortuary science in 2004.

In her spare time, Christina enjoys boating, the outdoors, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Maxine Cambron - Receptionist

The first person you're likely to meet at Lee-Ellena Funeral Home is receptionist Maxine Cambron. Max has a long history working with the Lee family: she worked at Bill Lee Oldsmobile from 1991 until the dealership closed in 2004.

Max has three children and two grandchildren. She is an avid Detroit Tigers fan and enjoys spending time with her grandsons Dylan and Logan, and her two labradoodles Sydney and Alice. She has a delightful sense of humor.

Tom Kowalski - Embalmer and Funeral Director

Tom is our master Embalmer. Having performed over 7,000 cases, he brings considerable skill and dedication to each decedent entrusted to his care. As a licensed funeral director, Tom received his Bachelor of Science degree in mortuary science from Wayne State University and his Associates degree in nursing from Macomb Community College. Tom has also done post-graduate embalming work through the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalmer Program. Tom's great skill is choosing the correct fluids to create a life-like appearance without the need for heavy make-up. What makeup is required is done by air-brushing, not manual brushing, which further enhances the natural appearance.

Laurie Orlando - Aftercare Coordinator

Laurie is a licensed professional counselor, with a specialization in couple and family counseling, and wealth of experience in grief and loss issues. As a long time hospice volunteer she has been involved in Sandcastles as a facilitator of both children and adult groups, and started a "Growing through Loss" grief group at Treeside Psychological Clinic in Lake Orion. She maintains a private practice in Shelby Township.

In addition Laurie is an attorney with an office in Harper Woods, Michigan where she had been practicing law in Michigan for over many years. This combination of talents allows her to access and provide many resources for Lee-Ellena clients.

On the home front, Laurie is married with two children, two dogs, and one live in mother-in-law. She is an active member of St. Isidore parish in Macomb, where she teaches catechism and premarital classes. Laurie enjoys finding (and sharing) the humor in life's situations, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Joshua J. Turzak - Apprentice

Joshua J. Turzak is the apprentice at Lee-Ellena Funeral Home and is ready and willing to help and assist families in need under the supervision of a funeral director. Josh had the thought of becoming a funeral director ever since he watched "My Girl" with Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis. The best part of the job to him is the opportunity to serve each family in such a way that they receive closure from the entire experience. Josh has grown up in the Macomb Township area since he was thirteen years old. He graduated from Lutheran High School North in 2007, spent four years in the National Guard, and now is a full-time student at Macomb Community College. Josh plans to transfer to Wayne State University's Mortuary Science program in the future. In his free time, Josh enjoys reading, learning Arabic, and passing the time with his family and friends.