Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.
Rachel EssigExecutive Director
Rachel Essig joined River View in 2018 and enjoys being Executive Director because it marries three things that she finds important: service, tranquil places and community. She believes in providing a place for reflection but also serving everyone regardless of race, religion, gender or economic condition.
She began her funeral and cemetery career in 2008 managing fourteen local historic cemeteries. In 2013-2018 she expanded her career as a General Manager of a local funeral home and cemetery.
Growing up in rural southwest Michigan her mother made sure she and her brother enjoyed the outdoors, this also included visiting old cemeteries, creating her lifelong appreciation for sacred places and community. She obtained a BA in Spanish and art-history from Western Michigan University. Her board service includes 2011-2021 for the Cemetery Association of Oregon, 2011-13 helped form and served on the board of the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation and has returned as a board member. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Green Burial Council. She is an active volunteer with several non-profits in Guatemala.
Rachel enjoys her family, cooking, music, art, hiking and especially camping at the Oregon Coast.
Vincent Jones DixonBusiness Development Manager
A native Oregonian, Vince was raised as the fourth oldest of 10 children. Vince graduated from Portland’s De La Salle North Catholic High School in 2007 and continued to work while pursuing a degree in broadcasting and communications at Mt. Hood Community College. He was introduced to the deathcare profession at the age of 19 when Funeral Director, Von Bailey, approached him at work. Vince had already experienced the death of his father while in high school and met Von Baily while working at a convenience store in order to help support his mother and siblings.
Vince became a Licensed Funeral Director in 2012. Over the past 10 years his funeral service career has progressed from managing removal technicians to managing one funeral home to becoming a manager of mulitple locations in Portland. Vince’s vision for River View’s is enriching River View’s mission by incorporating the River View Cemetery Foundation and elevating our standing in the community by planned networking and outreach activities. His sensitivity as a funeral director correlates well with our service while also growing our foundation and community involvement.
Vince is married to his wife, Mesha, who was also raised in Gresham, together they are the proud parents of two children. As a family they enjoy spending time together at local community events and parks.
Laurel CarrascoFamily Service Representative
Laurel somehow managed to grow up equal parts in Manhattan and Seattle. After earning her BA in Spanish Literature at the Evergreen State College she moved to Portland in 2005 by way of Barcelona. Since then, she has been working with local families and the communities that support them. From 2006 to 2012, she owned a local children’s retail store, Bella Stella, where she balanced selling cute kid stuff with community events, family resources and education. If you need help getting a baby into a sling, you’ll want to ask her. After selling her shop, she continued to work for Portland families and the businesses that support them as Advertising Director at NW Kids Magazine.
Laurel arrived at River View in 2021 after working in two other local combination funeral and cemetery locations. She is grounded, practical, empathetic, and always ready to go above and beyond to care for her families. She considers it a great honor and privilege to be trusted by a family to plan their final wishes and to serve their families.
Laurel lives in SE Portland with her husband, two awesome kids, a terrible cat and a perfect dog. She is an aspiring potter, and a mediocre gardener but has had some success in transforming her backyard into something resembling the set of Jurassic Park.
Carmae O’ReillyFamily Service Representative
Carmae is a Portland native who, after extensive travel, decided there is no place like the Pacific Northwest as it truly feels like home for her. She has an extensive background in hospitality, working at many Hotels and Restaurants throughout Portland in private dining and event sales.
Carmae has a passion for providing caring and genuine service and feels grateful to be able to provide guidance to each person, whether they are pre-planning for their future needs or experiencing a loss. She is happy to be a part of the River View team as being able to help each family or individual through important moments in their lives is truly rewarding for her.
Carmae is most content spending her weekends camping at the beach with her husband and two adorable dogs or riding her bike on long adventures.
Anjelica Padilla Family Service Representative
Anjelica is a passionate and caring Latina woman who wants to help families navigate the process of planning at the time of need, or for their futures to ease the burden on their loved ones after they have passed. Anjelica relocated to Portland nearly a decade ago to get her B.S. in Business at Portland State University. While in her last year at Portland State, she started at Yahoo in Hillsboro, Oregon, and continued to work for four years post-graduation. Anjelica started in the funeral industry after losing her father unexpectedly and wanted to care for families like her own was cared for during that challenging time. Prior to working at River View Cemetery and River View Cemetery Funeral Home, Anjelica worked at a funeral home and cemetery in Happy Valley, Oregon. Anjelica desired to join the River View team after feeling aligned with their non-profit ethics and natural burial options. Outside of work, you can find Anjelica exploring the great outdoors. She enjoys backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, and being a "mom" to three wonderful pets.
Kathy SamuelsonFamily Service Representative
Kathy started working in the cemetery industry in 1986 when she worked for a local cemetery. In 1991, she moved to River View Cemetery to start the Family Service Department. Over the years Kathy has seen River View Cemetery grow and change with the opening of areas that were meeting the needs of Portland area families, from cremation scattering gardens to natural burial opportunities. Kathy was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and is a fan of the Oregon Ducks and Portland Trailblazers. Kathy likes helping families develop and complete a plan regarding their final resting place; helping families make decisions ahead of need. Today not tomorrow; together not alone. Many people are seeing the wisdom of making plans ahead of time.
Dorian SteinbrecherFamily Service Representative
Dorian came to River View with 5 years of experience as a cemetery and funeral home Family Service Representative. Her appreciation of River View’s history, reputation and on-going development have proved a happy match.
Dorian’s background includes a long association with fine dining and restaurant management. Her love of creating community through meaningful gatherings and her own family’s positive experience with pre-planning funeral and cemetery arrangements led her to seek a career, and a deeper calling, of serving families when a loved one has passed. Protecting families by having that difficult conversation and a plan in place ahead of time is an essential tool that Dorian personally stands behind, as well.
When not on duty at River View Dorian can be found traversing other lovely, wooded spaces with her husband, spending time with her son, reading a favorite book or playing with her Jack Russell, Ranger.
Sean WatersFamily Service Representative
Sean loves and appreciates helping families during a sacred time. He is exemplary in his customer service, always attentive in helping to remember and celebrate the life of someone who is dearly loved.
Sean graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in the sciences. His study of death in the anthropology discipline led him to a deep appreciation of how different cultures embrace the loss of a loved one. His experience as a research scientist at Harvard Medical School - The School of Urban Health - transformed his perspective on the adversity of life itself. The ethnographies he gathered in the field introduced him to the challenges people face and the resilience found to keep hope alive.
Sean would happily lead anyone on a tree tour of the collection at River View Cemetery. His experience leading tree tours at the Hoyt Arboretum for the lgbtq community and allies, was transformative. Just ask him for a tree tour while he helps you find space for your family.
In Sean’s spare time, he is a vegetable gardener, a birder, writes poetry, cooks, enjoys red wine and cycles throughout Portland year-round, including his daily commute to River View Cemetery. He also loves to reflect on the state of the Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet.
Rachel Essig
Executive Director
Rachel Essig joined River View in 2018 and enjoys being Executive Director because it marries three things that she finds important: service, tranquil places and community. She believes in providing a place for reflection but also serving everyone regardless of race, religion, gender or economic condition.
She began her funeral and cemetery career in 2008 managing fourteen local historic cemeteries. In 2013-2018 she expanded her career as a General Manager of a local funeral home and cemetery.
Growing up in rural southwest Michigan her mother made sure she and her brother enjoyed the outdoors, this also included visiting old cemeteries, creating her lifelong appreciation for sacred places and community. She obtained a BA in Spanish and art-history from Western Michigan University. Her board service includes 2011-2021 for the Cemetery Association of Oregon, 2011-13 helped form and served on the board of the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation and has returned as a board member. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Green Burial Council. She is an active volunteer with several non-profits in Guatemala.
Rachel enjoys her family, cooking, music, art, hiking and especially camping at the Oregon Coast.
Vincent Jones Dixon
Business Development Manager
A native Oregonian, Vince was raised as the fourth oldest of 10 children. Vince graduated from Portland’s De La Salle North Catholic High School in 2007 and continued to work while pursuing a degree in broadcasting and communications at Mt. Hood Community College. He was introduced to the deathcare profession at the age of 19 when Funeral Director, Von Bailey, approached him at work. Vince had already experienced the death of his father while in high school and met Von Baily while working at a convenience store in order to help support his mother and siblings.
Vince became a Licensed Funeral Director in 2012. Over the past 10 years his funeral service career has progressed from managing removal technicians to managing one funeral home to becoming a manager of mulitple locations in Portland. Vince’s vision for River View’s is enriching River View’s mission by incorporating the River View Cemetery Foundation and elevating our standing in the community by planned networking and outreach activities. His sensitivity as a funeral director correlates well with our service while also growing our foundation and community involvement.
Vince is married to his wife, Mesha, who was also raised in Gresham, together they are the proud parents of two children. As a family they enjoy spending time together at local community events and parks.
Laurel Carrasco
Family Service Representative
Laurel somehow managed to grow up equal parts in Manhattan and Seattle. After earning her BA in Spanish Literature at the Evergreen State College she moved to Portland in 2005 by way of Barcelona. Since then, she has been working with local families and the communities that support them. From 2006 to 2012, she owned a local children’s retail store, Bella Stella, where she balanced selling cute kid stuff with community events, family resources and education. If you need help getting a baby into a sling, you’ll want to ask her. After selling her shop, she continued to work for Portland families and the businesses that support them as Advertising Director at NW Kids Magazine.
Laurel arrived at River View in 2021 after working in two other local combination funeral and cemetery locations. She is grounded, practical, empathetic, and always ready to go above and beyond to care for her families. She considers it a great honor and privilege to be trusted by a family to plan their final wishes and to serve their families.
Laurel lives in SE Portland with her husband, two awesome kids, a terrible cat and a perfect dog. She is an aspiring potter, and a mediocre gardener but has had some success in transforming her backyard into something resembling the set of Jurassic Park.
Carmae O’Reilly
Family Service Representative
Carmae is a Portland native who, after extensive travel, decided there is no place like the Pacific Northwest as it truly feels like home for her. She has an extensive background in hospitality, working at many Hotels and Restaurants throughout Portland in private dining and event sales.
Carmae has a passion for providing caring and genuine service and feels grateful to be able to provide guidance to each person, whether they are pre-planning for their future needs or experiencing a loss. She is happy to be a part of the River View team as being able to help each family or individual through important moments in their lives is truly rewarding for her.
Carmae is most content spending her weekends camping at the beach with her husband and two adorable dogs or riding her bike on long adventures.
Anjelica Padilla
Family Service Representative
Anjelica is a passionate and caring Latina woman who wants to help families navigate the process of planning at the time of need, or for their futures to ease the burden on their loved ones after they have passed. Anjelica relocated to Portland nearly a decade ago to get her B.S. in Business at Portland State University. While in her last year at Portland State, she started at Yahoo in Hillsboro, Oregon, and continued to work for four years post-graduation. Anjelica started in the funeral industry after losing her father unexpectedly and wanted to care for families like her own was cared for during that challenging time. Prior to working at River View Cemetery and River View Cemetery Funeral Home, Anjelica worked at a funeral home and cemetery in Happy Valley, Oregon. Anjelica desired to join the River View team after feeling aligned with their non-profit ethics and natural burial options. Outside of work, you can find Anjelica exploring the great outdoors. She enjoys backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, and being a "mom" to three wonderful pets.
Kathy Samuelson
Family Service Representative
Kathy started working in the cemetery industry in 1986 when she worked for a local cemetery. In 1991, she moved to River View Cemetery to start the Family Service Department. Over the years Kathy has seen River View Cemetery grow and change with the opening of areas that were meeting the needs of Portland area families, from cremation scattering gardens to natural burial opportunities. Kathy was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and is a fan of the Oregon Ducks and Portland Trailblazers. Kathy likes helping families develop and complete a plan regarding their final resting place; helping families make decisions ahead of need. Today not tomorrow; together not alone. Many people are seeing the wisdom of making plans ahead of time.
Dorian Steinbrecher
Family Service Representative
Dorian came to River View with 5 years of experience as a cemetery and funeral home Family Service Representative. Her appreciation of River View’s history, reputation and on-going development have proved a happy match.
Dorian’s background includes a long association with fine dining and restaurant management. Her love of creating community through meaningful gatherings and her own family’s positive experience with pre-planning funeral and cemetery arrangements led her to seek a career, and a deeper calling, of serving families when a loved one has passed. Protecting families by having that difficult conversation and a plan in place ahead of time is an essential tool that Dorian personally stands behind, as well.
When not on duty at River View Dorian can be found traversing other lovely, wooded spaces with her husband, spending time with her son, reading a favorite book or playing with her Jack Russell, Ranger.
Sean Waters
Family Service Representative
Sean loves and appreciates helping families during a sacred time. He is exemplary in his customer service, always attentive in helping to remember and celebrate the life of someone who is dearly loved.
Sean graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in the sciences. His study of death in the anthropology discipline led him to a deep appreciation of how different cultures embrace the loss of a loved one. His experience as a research scientist at Harvard Medical School - The School of Urban Health - transformed his perspective on the adversity of life itself. The ethnographies he gathered in the field introduced him to the challenges people face and the resilience found to keep hope alive.
Sean would happily lead anyone on a tree tour of the collection at River View Cemetery. His experience leading tree tours at the Hoyt Arboretum for the lgbtq community and allies, was transformative. Just ask him for a tree tour while he helps you find space for your family.
In Sean’s spare time, he is a vegetable gardener, a birder, writes poetry, cooks, enjoys red wine and cycles throughout Portland year-round, including his daily commute to River View Cemetery. He also loves to reflect on the state of the Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet.