Staff at Cherokee Memorial
Park & Funeral Home

With hundreds of years of combined experience amongst our funeral and cemetery staff we are uniquely qualified to serve all of your funeral and cemetery needs, whether a death has occurred or you are planning for the future to ease the burdens from your family members, Cherokee Memorial staff is here to help.

CHEROKEE MEMORIAL : FUNERAL HOME DIRECTORS

Victoria "Tori" Monforte

Victoria "Tori" Monforte began her career in the funeral industry in 2003 and graduated from mortuary college in 2005. Tori has been a licensed funeral director since 2005 and an embalmer since 2007. She holds a current embalmer license, funeral director license and pre-need insurance license with the state of California. Tori has been with Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home since 2005. She was promoted to general manager of Cherokee Memorial Funeral home in 2015.

Lisa Tran

Lisa Tran began her career in the funeral industry in 2013 and graduated from American River College in 2015. She holds a current funeral directors license since 2018 and earned her embalmers license in 2019. She has been with Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home since 2015.

Caroline Jimenez

Caroline Jimenez graduated from American River College in 2018 and is currently serving her embalmer’s apprenticeship. She has been with Cherokee Memorial for over 4 years and is working toward her preneed license test in order to better serve our families. Caroline earned her funeral director’s license in 2019.

Porfirio “Porfi” Cisneros

Porfi joined the Cherokee Memorial team in 2022. A licensed funeral director, Porfi grew up in the Lodi area and is proud to serve his community.

Scott E. Gatze

Scott is a fifth generation Californian and is native to San Joaquin County. He attended San Joaquin Delta College and is planning to attend American River College in the future. Scott has worked in the funeral & cemetery profession since 2008, mostly in San Joaquin County and parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. He currently holds a Funeral Director and Crematory Managers license. When not serving families, Scott enjoys Traveling, being with his family, trying new restaurants and doing genealogy. Scott joined Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home in September 2023.

Valerie Prieto

Valerie Prieto is excited to join the Cherokee Memorial team. More on Valerie to come!

CHEROKEE MEMORIAL : FAMILY COUNSELORS

Ton Saechao

Ton grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and began his cemetery career in 2013 serving families with pre-need cemetery property in the East Bay. He has worked with multiple cemeteries in the East Bay where he held management positions and developed successful teams to serve the community. Ton eventually found his way to Sacramento, CA in 2017 where he was a Family Service Counselor for a local cemetery and funeral home. He took on the role as Director of Sales at Cherokee Memorial Park in December of 2022. Ton enjoys traveling and the outdoors. When he’s not helping his team serve the greater Lodi, Stockton and nearby communities, Ton enjoys spending time tending to his little farm on the outskirts of Sacramento.

Claude “Matt” Bryant

Claude "Matt" Bryant. Matt is a native of Stockton and attended local high school. He graduated college, receiving a bachelor's degree in business. Matt has worked in the funeral industry since 2001 and has been with Cherokee Memorial since December, 2014. Matt works as a trainer for pre-need and family service counselors for those new to the industry.

DaMaris Brose-Helton

DaMaris Brose-Helton is a native of North Dakota. She attended local high schools as well as San Joaquin Delta College and Fresno City College. She has been a family service counselor with Cherokee Memorial Park since 1994.

Adam Lopez

Adam has been a resident of Lodi for 20+ years. He enjoys helping the community that raised him and is excited to take on a new opportunity here at Cherokee. With an extensive background in customer service he looks forward to helping as many people as he can in an industry he has found passion in.

Stacy Staggers

Stacy Staggers is a native of Stockton, CA. She joined the Cherokee Memorial family in 2024 as a family service counselor. Stacy comes from the aviation industry where she spent 16 years as a flight attendant, traveling the world. On her journey for a change in career, Stacy was intentional in finding an opportunity that would provide meaningful and heartfelt work. That search landed her at Cherokee Memorial Park. Stacy is eager to put her passion for community service to work by providing resourceful, attentive and compassionate support to families in need, and educating our community on the importance of funeral pre-planning.

NIckcole Northcraft

Nickcole Northcraft is a 20 year resident of Lodi California, graduating from San Joaquin Delta College in 2020, and currently studying at American River college majoring in Funeral Services. Nickcole Is committed to educating her community about pre-planning. New to the industry Nickcole is very passionate about helping families in their times of need.

Fatima Ochoa

Hablo Español
Fatima Ochoa is a native to French Camp. Was raised in the Galt. Attended Galt high School. Then continue her studies in Business Administration and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising. Then transitioned to the Insurance industry has been licensed since 2014. Started with Cherokee Memorial Park in 2023.

Nancy Aguilar

Hablo Español
Nancy began her career in the funeral industry in 2016 and has since had the privilege of supporting families across California during their most challenging times. Her dedication to providing compassionate care has allowed her to build lasting relationships with those she serves. Nancy takes great pride in offering meaningful assistance and support to families in their moments of need, reflecting her deep commitment to their well-being and comfort.

Emmanuel Rios

Se Habla Español
Emmanuel is a native of Northern California. Recently moving to Lodi from Sacramento. Emmanuel has traveled to fifteen countries.
Czech Republic being one of is favorites. Emmanuel enjoys snowboarding six months out of the year and trying every restaurant possible. Emmanuel is excited to join the Cherokee memorial family and bring pre-planning awareness to the community.

Vann Suon

Vann Suon has been a resident of Stockton, California since 1985. He attended Tokay High and graduated in 1997. He also went to college and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management (2012). Vann has been in the car business for about 10 years. He found a new opportunity with us here at Cherokee Memorial and started in May 2024.

CHEROKEE MEMORIAL : EXECUTIVE TEAM

Walter Scheffer

Walter Scheffer began his funeral service career in 1973 and graduated from mortuary college in 1976 in California. He attended Delta College as well as Pacific Union College in the Napa Valley. Walt has been licensed as a funeral director since 1977. He holds an embalmer license, funeral director license and insurance license in California. In 2015, Walt became president and Chief Operating Officer of Cherokee Memorial Park & Funeral Home after serving as the founding manager of the funeral home since 1998.

John Silvestri

John Silvestri grew up in Southern California and attended Pacific Union College in the Napa Valley, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in management. John began his work in the non-profit sector in 2008 and, in 2015, he joined the Cherokee Memorial Park and Funeral Home team as chief financial officer.

Marc Gabrys

Marc Gabrys, vice president of operations, began at Cherokee Memorial Park & Funeral Home in 1995 after graduating from UC Davis with a degree in landscape architecture. Marc's specialty is space planning and design and he has developed all gardens and features at the park since joining the management team. In addition to landscape architecture, Marc received a degree in business administration.