Brian Dutton began his career in funeral service on June 1, 1974 when he joined the staff of Litwiller Funeral Home in Ashland, Oregon at the age of 19.  He finished his apprenticeship and went on to Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon with a major in funeral service education.  While working on his degree, he worked nights and weekends at Metro West Ambulance in Washington County, Oregon while also working for Fuiten Mortuaries in Forest Grove & Hillsboro.  After graduating from Mt. Hood, he then returned to Litwiller's in Ashland where he worked until he obtained a position with Young's Funeral Home in Tigard, Oregon which was operated in conjunction with Chapel by the Lake Funeral Home in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  He began working there on April 1, 1980 for the owner, Bob Deuth.  In June of 1984, he was promoted to manager of both of these firms and remained there for a total of 11 years.  On October 25, 1991 he purchased Lundberg's L.B. Hall Funeral Home in Grants Pass, Oregon from Gary & Debbie Lundberg.  He operated that firm very successfully until it was purchased by Stewart Enterprises in May of 1996.  After the acquisition, Mr. Dutton was a COO for the corporation and oversaw it's Southern Oregon operations.  In October of 1997, he resigned his position with the corportion as he saw for himself he did not fit in the corporate environment and he missed serving families rather than overseeing employees.  He then began offering vacation relief help to small town funeral home operators and traveled all over Oregon, mainly in the rural areas.  He eventually found himself providing vacation relief in Astoria for Jim & Renee' Caldwell of Caldwell's Luce-Layton Mortuary.  After approaching the Caldwell's about a full time job, he was hired and began full time there on May 1, 2001 and was offered the opportunity to open Abbey Granite & Bronze Company which marketed headstones & monuments to families, an arena that the Caldwell's had chosen not to participate in.  

While employed at Caldwell's, Mr. Dutton was active in the operation as it's daily operations manager, wrote most of the advertising, assisted in remerchandising the casket/vault displays and selections, training employees from apprentices to all other employees in funeral home management.    

On January 28, 2008, after much remodeling and preparation, Mr. Dutton opened Ocean View Cremation & Burial Service in Astoria to provide a low cost alternative to the traditonal mortuary system and it's accompanying lofty prices and rigid immediate payment terms. 

I offer everything that my competition offers except for our own chapel for ceremonies.  Frankly, the funeral home chapels are very rarely used and most families would be just as happy to use a church chapel, the ministers usually more happy, and the funeral homes simply do not need to own the "place" for a ceremony.  We are located right across the street from Peace Church in Astoria and they have graciously offered their sanctuary for families to use for funerals and memorial services.  No other funeral home in the area can match this beautifully remodeled and redecorated setting as a place for this use.  Additonally, there is a wonderful reception area and the church ladies will provide refreshments for a very nominal fee.  Other great values available to the community are the Clatsop County fairgrounds, maritime museum, school gymnasiums,  and a chapel at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton.

Families today are in search of smaller and more intimate services and describe them as simpler and less extravagant.  In searching for a slogan for our firm we considered things like "Back to the Basics" "Simpler is Better", or even "Your Low Cost Alternative".  We like them all because we think as a rule, $10,000 and up is too much to pay for a funeral today.  There is no reason if the funeral home will just try to assist families, and that is just what I intend to do.  Let us offer the exact same services and exact same merchandise for much less.  It is possible.  We may be the newest firm in town, but our staff has as much experience or more than any other funeral director serving the area. 

You are invited to put my years of experience in your corner and use it to your advantage.  If you just tell me what you want in terms of services, merchandise, and the cemetery arrangements, I know that I can offer a package to you at so much less cost than you will find elsewhere.  In the current economy, that is something you can bank on. 

We are proud to be starting a new tradition in Astoria which is long past due.

Brian Dutton, Owner & Operator