Lisa Bos-Atchison
Manager of Gray’s Funeral Chapel and River Park Funeral Home
For Lisa Bos-Atchison, the goal has always been to help make a difference in the lives of others. She found that calling in Funeral Service as a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and Certified Celebrant. Her newest challenge and greatest reward has been leading others who have been called to serve in the profession, and helping them discover their own ways to make a difference. She is able to do just that as the Funeral Home Manager of River Park Funeral Home and, more recently, Gray’s Funeral Chapel, by Arbor Memorial.
Arbor Memorial was a natural fit for Lisa when she joined the company in 2017 in Saskatoon; the company values aligned with her own commitment to service excellence and compassionate care. “It is truly amazing to be able to provide high-quality, compassionate services, and topnotch amenities, all with the support and resources of a nation-wide company that allows us to give back so much to our local community.,” she says.
For the team at Arbor, we understand that families are looking for funeral and cremation options that suit their needs and budget. As a trusted Canadian family-owned company, we serve a wide range of faiths, cultures and traditions in personalized and meaningful ways. We are proud to be the only provider in Prince Albert that offers complete funeral home and crematorium services, and our own cemetery, all locally right here in the city; thereby providing Prince Albert and area comprehensive death care.
Funeral Service has only in recent years been seen as a profession for women, but it is the perfect fit for natural caregivers. Lisa felt right at home serving the profession and caring for families, getting her start in 2009, working for Gray’s Funeral Chapel. She is also active in giving back to the profession as a committee and elected member to the provincial regulatory board, FCSCS. She has been a resource to many students, and is constantly looking for ways that she can contribute to the growth of others. In 2021 she returned to Prince Albert, along with her husband, Cemetery Manager, Austin Atchison. She is now proud to lead a team in which the majority of licensed staff are ladies, which was almost unheard of in the profession only a few years ago.
Over the years and across the province, Lisa has had the opportunity to work closely with families of various backgrounds, creating a deep understanding of the importance of culture and tradition, and also the drive for innovation. “It is such a privilege to work with a family to find special ways to remember and celebrate their loved one. It might be a toast to a life well lived, or a Harley Davidson in our chapel- we are not just acknowledging loss, but we are remembering and honouring life.”
Lisa and her team are also committed to giving back to the community that they all feel so fortunate to be a part of. This includes volunteering, serving on various committees and boards of service groups, and providing free community events throughout the year, such as the always popular “Duck Launch” at Prince Albert Memorial Gardens. Most recently this was by being involved with ‘This Girl Can’, hosted by the Prince Albert Raiders, which encourages leadership amongst girls and women.
To be successful and to make a difference, the key is passion. And so, most of all, Lisa is passionate not only for funeral service, but in helping other’s find the value in caring for their communities and each other.
Lisa and the Arbor team truly believe the small things make the biggest difference. So… How do YOU want to be remembered?
