We've learned a lot about caring for families over the years. We realize that we aren't just caring for a loved one, but the entire family.
People come to us during their most difficult times, and we respond with kindness, understanding and expertise. Our goal is to make everyone feel at home as we work with them to create a memorable service in honor of a beautiful life.
Cary Boisvert
General Manager
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Cary, a former Bay Area resident of 16 years, joined the Chapel of the Chimes location in Oakland in July 2019 as the general manager. Cary is a proven leader with over fourteen years of experience in operations leadership and team development.
As a leader of multi-functional teams, he emphasizes nurturing a service culture mentality and continuous process improvement in order to achieve the highest satisfaction for the families being served.
He has been involved in several nonprofit organizations throughout his career, including the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce and at the Living Desert Zoo in the animal rehabilitation department. He also loves cooking, cycling, RPG gaming and is an amateur mixologist.
Ed Brail
Location Manager
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Ed serves Chapel of the Chimes Oakland as the location manager. He has been a licensed funeral director/embalmer since 1996, serving families in Chicago and Los Angeles.
As the location manager, it is his quest to bring the highest quality customer service to our families in the Bay Area. "Hearing a family tell me that I made the most difficult time in their life easier means more to me than a paycheck," Ed says. "Our goal is to achieve this with every family we serve."
"We will strive to make the beautiful, historical and architecturally amazing Chapel of the Chimes Oakland a true pillar of our community," he says. "I’m a firm believer in sharing this significant jewel as an asset for our community. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for a cup of coffee and enjoy this amazing Chapel of the Chimes with me."
Esther Simpson
Location Office Manager
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Esther, a life-long Bay Area resident, began her career in the Oakland area with a local Alameda firm ten years ago. Beginning as a receptionist, she later moved into assisting in the office, working services, and processing death certificates. Esther says, “This is when I fell in love with the profession.”
Esther joined NorthStar at our Skylawn location in San Mateo, California in 2012 in the Administration Department. Esther relishes the challenge of overcoming obstacles, particularly when there is an opportunity to learn something new. She became a key trainer of others in the department in many vital roles. She was promoted in 2018 to senior clerical and administrative specialist and in November of 2019, Esther was promoted to be the office manager for Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. Wherever she is, Esther believes passionately in creating a great customer experience for every family.
Tom Kelsey
Superintendent