ABOUT MICHAEL F. STEEN:
M. F. Steen has been a death care
provider for over 43 years. He has
worked in all aspects of the death
care industry.
He was born in Omaha, Nebraska
in 1946. His first job was in a local
family owned funeral home, as a
night student. He held the evening
visitations, made removals of
deceased clients, and drove the
various cars at funeral services.
In 1967 he moved to California to attend the California College of
Mortuary Science. He began his apprenticeship to become a licensed
embalmer in 1968.
While working on his apprenticeship he attend the California State
Polytechnic University at Pomona, California. He received state license
as an embalmer, April 1, 1971 and his Bachelor of Science degree in
June 1971.
In 1974 Mr. Steen was asked by the Pierce family to come to Westwood
Memorial Park and Mortuary as a funeral director and embalmer.
During the eight years he was there, he served a vast number of
Hollywood celebrity families.
In 1982, Tom Johnson, the president of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries and
Cemeteries asked him to join the firm as the Manager of the Pierce
Brothers Hollywood and Beverly Hills locations.
July 1986, Pierce Brothers purchased Westwood Memorial Park and
Mortuary from the Pierce family. He was asked to return as the
Manager.
In the spring of 1989 he was featured in Gentlemen’s Quarterly
magazine as the “Mortician to the Stars.”
Mr. Steen left Pierce Brothers in late 1989 to become the Cemetery
Superintendent for the city of Santa Monica’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
Celebrity Death Certificates was published in 2003 followed by
Celebrity Death Certificates 2 in 2005.
In late 2007 he relocated to the Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs.
He continues to serve families on a daily basis.
