Our Team | Return Home
The Team That Makes It All Happen
Micah is singularly obsessed with building a company that makes our world a better place. He founded Return Home in January of 2019, assembling an ‘Oceans 11’ team of engineers, funeral directors, HVAC specialists, death doulas, general contractors, and soil scientists.
Micah has been an entrepreneur and business owner since 1995. He has over 25 years of experience leading rapidly growing companies, both internationally and in the United States. A Seattle-native and experienced international entrepreneur, Micah spent years living in Asia running several online technology companies before founding AsiaWise, an international real estate investment company. Micah is a graduate of Oberlin College, and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, The Seattle TImes, The Los Angeles TImes, Buzzfeed, , Inc. Magazine and on National Public Radio.
Micah’s time at Return Home has unquestionably been one of the great privileges of his life. The families that come to Return Home are truly remarkable. It has been his great honor to see families laugh, cry, hold impromptu dance parties, and cover their loved one’s vessel in LED lights. He has seen a woman sing next to her recently passed wife like an angel. He will never be the same.
“It is our great privilege to ensure that our last act on this planet is to give back to it.”
Brie is responsible for overseeing all operations and services at Return Home, ensuring that every process throughout the facility is optimized and organized. She is also the “voice” of Return Home, delivering our message of sustainable death care to both traditional media and social media alike.
Brie has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Washington State since 2014. After graduating with honors from Mesa Community College’s mortuary science program, she uprooted and made a pointed move to surround herself with the beauty and awe of the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, she wanted to be near her family and the beautiful resident orca pods.
After beginning her work in the funeral industry in 2011 doing death calls, she quickly found a passion for helping people during one of the most challenging times of their lives. With an immediate knack for gentle guidance and a complete lack of judgment, Brie found herself feeling deep compassion for every single decedent and each one of their family members. Because of this sincerity, she has been able to continue providing excellent support to each family that she encounters.
While Brie originally joined the Return Home team to challenge her professional aptitude, she quickly found herself passionate about the science behind the natural breakdown of the human body. Always up for a new adventure, Brie has been given the opportunity to dive deep into the process of composting. She takes joy in learning about the intricacies that make each terramation successful. Her passion to deliver an industry leading standard of care, combined with her vigor to learn and adapt to difficult situations, has made her a skilled leader of our team.
Outside of work, Brie can be found alongside her husband in their garden, seeking whales from the coastline, or reading books on patio lounge chairs with their dog Pepper May. They regularly spend time exploring the incredible beauty of the PNW..
“Leading the team at Return Home is one of the great accomplishments of my life, and it’s an honor to be trusted with each and every loved one that’s brought into our care. I do not take these responsibilities lightly, and hope to inspire my team by holding myself to incredibly high standards.”
Katey’s responsibilities include meeting with families at their time of need to create an experience as unique as the loved one lost. She physically cares for the decedents in our care ensuring their terramation journey is completed with love and care. She also leads Return Home’s educational outreach within the funeral industry.
Katey is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the state of Washington and also her home country of England. She is a certified celebrant and serves on the board of the Washington state funeral directors association.
After 10 years in traditional funeral service Katey desired to align her personal life with her career and Return Home offered her the opportunity to be a good steward of the earth while serving families in a new and unique way. Being able to simply offer a service and space for families to create rituals that are meaningful to them allows Katey to guide families through the toughest times without the pressures of sales or outside schedules. Over the 60 day process the true relationships Katey is able to build with her families give her the love and light to continue to meet people at their darkest points.
Since joining the Return Home team Katey has found confidence in reconnecting people with their death experience and encouraging family participation. The company culture at Return Home has allowed her to be comfortable with the skills she brings to the table as exactly the person she is and encouraged her to explore talents previously undiscovered.
Outside of work Katey can be found with her doggy sidekick Dixie Barbara tending to their vegetable garden, participating in local advocacy groups close to her heart, exploring the PNW with her two adorable nephews and reading as many books as she can.
“I am passionate about equal and easy access for everyone in every walk of life to quality, approachable deathcare and death education. Knowing you can make you last act on earth one that heals is empowering”
A key member of Return Home’s operations team. Chris helps manage the Terramation process and coordinate supplies and equipment.
Prior to Return Home, Chris spent three years at one of Washington state’s leading funeral service companies working directly with funeral homes, hospitals and medical directors, as well as in cremation services.
“Before transitioning to the funeral industry my background was in customer service,” says Chris. “I can’t think of a better use for my skills than serving families during what is a very difficult time for them.”
Jake is our pre-planning manager, which means he specializes in helping families get their death care wishes purchased ahead of time.
Jake was born and raised in the PNW and therefore enjoys the predictable PNW boy hobbies such as snowboarding, hiking and visiting local breweries. Naturally, he is exceptionally friendly. When he is not dressed to the fives in Patagonia you can find him out on the golf course enjoying a round with friends and family.
Jake is what many would call a cradle funeral professional., He started working in the death care industry at the tender age of 16. beginning in grounds crew, and continuing all the way up to funeral director intern. Jake has experience in every aspect of the funeral business which gives him unparalleled perspective when it comes to helping families plan exactly what they want for end-of-life care.
After joining the Return Home team, Jake quickly learned to leave behind his prim and proper attitude. He is now a partner in all our escapades, and is often featured in our Tiktoks. Jake has joined the Return Home family of funeral professionals finally allowed to express themselves and who they are.
Jake is excited to talk about gentle sustainable funeral options - how to both make that accessible for you and your family, and to create the perfect goodbye.
Martin is an operations technician here at Return Home and one of the individuals who make the "magic" happen behind the Scenes. With nearly ten years of experience in the funeral industry, he knows how crucial it is to treat loved ones with the utmost care and respect. At the terramation facility, he applies the same level of attention and dedication to ensure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
Martin enjoys spending time with his wife and son when he's not busy at work. He's an avid music lover and prefers listening to fast-paced music, even though listening to music is also his preferred way of unwinding after a tiring day at the facility.
Martin is not only passionate about music but also board games. He enjoys playing his favorite game, Arkham Horror, in his free time as it presents him with both strategic and tactical challenges. Playing games allows him to disconnect from daily life and transport himself into a different world. Martin brings his valuable experience, energy, and thoughtful approach to everything he does at Return Home. We're grateful to have him now that he is setting his sights on the new world of terramation!
Daniel has been working in deathcare for five years now, and this journey has naturally led him to landing in green burial. Working in deathcare has been the most eye-opening experience of his life, and he wouldn't trade it for the world. One of his biggest motivators is giving the deceased a respectful and considerate sendoff. He also currently splits his time between Return Home and tissue recovery to improve the lives of people with corneal blindness.
When not at work, Daniel enjoys mostly musical-related activities. These include discovering new music, going to shows/concerts, record collecting, and even playing the violin. He also enjoys physical fitness, going on hikes, and going to the gym. On his chill days, he enjoys gaming, reading, and going on short walks with his cat, Ike. He has also been vegan for almost five years, which seems apropos for working in green burial.
Being in such a new and innovative industry relating to deathcare is very exciting for Daniel; there's no telling what each day brings. He loves talking about what he does and the processes behind what he is working on, so do not be shy if you see him walking around your local Return Home. Or you can just talk to him about music or any other topic you want!