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Husband and Wife, Truly A Great Team in Business

Wednesday, March 1st, 2006


Leon and Velma de Leon, a couple that has become successful in business due to their dedication and love for what they do.

Leon and Velma de Leon, are a couple who entered a business that always presents a monumental challenge because it involves emotional circumstances that for many are sometimes difficult to cope with. Velma and Leon are both licensed funeral directors from the prestigious Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. In 1994, they opened their first Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan and then a second funeral home in Edinburg in 2003. When Leon, a Mission native, met Velma in 1989 he already was a funeral director. Leon became a licensed funeral director right after he graduated from high school. Velma became interested...after she saw Leon's dedication and how compassionate he was ... His passion about his work was contagious to Velma and she soon decided to join him in the business. Velma became interested in the funeral business after she saw Leon's dedication and how compassionate he was with all the families who called on his services. "Emotionally, it is a very challenging profession but also rewarding especially because we have the opportunity to help families through very difficult times. Losing a loved one is the most painful situation that any of us will ever have to face," Velma explained. They spent a lot of time together and she saw what he did, meeting with families and decided that that's what she wanted to do. Velma should know about this as she mentions her personal experience of losing her mother describing this as the most difficult experience she had ever had to go through. Leon and Velma manage to carry the families they serve through this time of their lives and by their account, this is not easy. Even though some of the families they service are total strangers, the couple truly gets involved and tries to understand by offering compassionate time that helps all members of the family. Leon and Velma are so passionate about what they do that when they go home they continue talking about work. They share the same ... dedication for the funeral services they provide. Leon and Velma have become a great team together. They share the same ideal; a strong passion and dedication for the funeral services they provide. Because of the business both travel a lot. They attend all conferences, local and regional meetings, state and national conventions, leadership conferences and any conference related to the funeral business which keeps them up to date with the industry. They also have a hobby and that is socializing; both love to go out with their friends and have a good time. The two Memorial Funeral Homes are managed by the couple and they carefully plan the schedules of their time and their employees between both funeral homes. "All of our staff works at both locations, our time schedules are very flexible," Velma stated. San Juan and Edinburg Memorial Funeral Homes operate with eight full time employees; two of them are also fully licensed like Leon and Velma, plus all the support personnel needed to provide the service. Leon and Velma feel that living in south Texas is having the better of two worlds. "We have Mexico, the Island and we can get to San Antonio in four hours, we are in a perfect spot," the couple stated. According to them,, the secret of the success of South Texas is its people. Velma is the daughter of Chano Garza, a well known and successful businessman and from him she claims to have learned commitment and dedication. "He is personality plus," is how Velma describes her Dad. The couple offered some advice about starting a business. The first thing people interested in becoming independent need is to do their homework by analyzing the market and making sure there is a need for the service or product they are going to offer. There is a visible strength about Leon and Velma when you meet them, both are focused and they strive to provide the best service for the families they serve, and to better the services they provide is the theme of their daily conversations. The couple has been successful in business as husband and wife and their success discredits versions about starting a business which involves your better half. "It's been great; I believe that we complement each other. We stay together 24 hours a day and enjoy it. "Being a team is probably the best thing that has ever happened to us," Leon stated.

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