Staff

We are proud of our highly qualified staff who provide the service that our communities need and expect. All of our Funeral Directors are licensed and experienced in all aspects of funeral and cremation services. 

 

 

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Ann S. Groff Licensed Funeral Director
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Kara C. Groff President & Licensed Funeral Director
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Kurt M. Kresser Manager / Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer
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Andrew T. Kucner Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer / Operations Manager
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Richard J. Krafty Funeral Associate and Facilities Coordinator
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Haley L. Chavarria Funeral Administrator
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Tammy A. Holland Accountant
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Pastor Wally Gilbert Funeral Associate & Minister
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Aimee R. Sloan Remembrance Center Store Manager
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Carol A. Zieigler Remembrance Center Sales Associate
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Sherry L. Bolton Remembrance Center Sales Associate
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Jacquelyn R. Williams Pet Care Director
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Geoffrey A. Cleveland Cemetery Grounds Manager
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William C. LaCourse Cemetery Grounds Crew
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Lincoln C. LaRose Cemetery Grounds Manager
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Morgan R. Savage Community Manager
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Lori A. Roth Legacy Center Event Hostess
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David B. Porcher Transfer Team Member
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Irisa N. Gosson Transfer Team Member
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Norma J. Scally Greeter
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Leon J. Groff In Loving Memory

Ann S. Groff

Licensed Funeral Director
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Ann Groff, licensed funeral director, operates The Remembrance Center & Gift Gallery, which is a gift store that offers unique gifts and tributes for any occasion.  Ann graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School and the University of Dayton.  She obtained her funeral directors license in 1989.

Ann is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sandusky, Plum Brook Country Club, Sandusky Yacht Club, National Funeral Directors Association, Ohio Funeral Directors Association, and the Firelands Funeral Directors Association.  Ann is the wife of the late, Leon J. Groff who passed away in 2020.  She resides in Sandusky with her son, Ashton.  She also has two daughters, Kelly and Kara, and three grandchildren. 

 

Kara C. Groff

President & Licensed Funeral Director
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Kara C. Groff, third generation funeral director, is the President at Groff Funeral Homes and Crematory and Meadow Green Memorial Park, and the owner of Groff Pet Loss Services. She is a 2003 graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Sandusky. Kara received a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Xavier University in 2006 and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in management from John Carroll University in 2011.  She received her Funeral Director's license in 2013.

She is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sandusky, Sandusky Rotary Club, International Referral Network of Sandusky, Plum Brook Country Club, Ohio Cemetery Association, National Funeral Directors Association, and Pet Loss Professional Alliance.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Erie County Chamber of Commerce, and the Oakland Cemetery and Memorial Park, and was a past Board Member for the Sandusky State Theatre.  She is the recipient of the Volunteer Center's Women of Excellence Award. Kara resides in Sandusky with her children, Macie and Drew.

Kurt M. Kresser

Manager / Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer
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Kurt M. Kresser, funeral director and embalmer, serves as the Manager of the Groff Funeral Home in Sandusky.  Kurt is a highly valued member of the Groff team.  He began working for Groff Funeral Homes in May of 1990.  Kurt coordinates the day to day operations at our Sandusky location, and is highly skilled in the art of embalming and cosmetology.  Kurt graduated in 1985 from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Sandusky.  He received his Bachelor of Mortuary Science Degree from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1994.

He is a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Sandusky, the Sandusky Lions Club, Sandusky Yacht Club, Sandusky Elks Lodge, Knights of Columbus, National Funeral Directors Association, Ohio Funeral Directors Association, and The Firelands Funeral Directors Association.  Kurt resides in Sandusky and enjoys being outdoors, biking in Downtown Sandusky, and spending time on Lake Erie.

Andrew T. Kucner

Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer / Operations Manager
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Andrew “Drew” Kucner, funeral director and embalmer, serves as Operations Manager.  Drew graduated in 1992 from Huron High School.  He received his Bachelor of Mortuary Science Degree from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 2001.  Drew is highly skilled in the art of embalming.  He spent 23 years in Cincinnati as a funeral director, embalmer, and manager until he recently returned back to northern Ohio.  He is a member of the Ohio Funeral Director’s Association, Ohio Embalmers Association, and National Funeral Director’s Association.  In his spare time Drew enjoys motorcycling, watching Cleveland sports teams, Ohio State Football, and the Huron Tigers.

Richard J. Krafty

Funeral Associate and Facilities Coordinator
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Richard J. Krafty is a Funeral Associate with Groff Funeral Homes and Crematory.  He serves at the discretion of the Funeral Directors and Office Staff. In addition, he works as a Facilities Coordinator ensuring all locations are kept well maintained. He was born in Sandusky, OH and graduated from St. Mary Central Catholic High School class of 1994.  He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from the University of Toledo in 1998.  
 
Richard is also a 1999 graduate of the Sandusky Police Academy and the NASA Federal Security/Police Bridge Course in 2019.
He worked 25 years in Law Enforcement serving Cedar Point, Sandusky, Huron, Bay View and NASA.  He was also employed by Erie County Juvenile Court in probation and corrections.  He lives in Huron, OH with his two children Nicholas and Megan. 
 
Richard enjoys island life, boating and classic cars.  When he is not working you may see him out driving “Midge” his 1970 MG Midget.  He is an avid fan of Cedar Point, downtown Sandusky, and being with his family and closest friends.

Haley L. Chavarria

Funeral Administrator
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Haley L. Chavarria joined our team at Groff Funeral Homes & Crematory in 2023 as a Funeral Adminstrator. Haley was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio. She was a graduate of St. Mary’s Central Catholic High School in 2009. She attended BGSU for college and spent 12 years in Law Enforcement for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office in the Jail Division, and in the summers she also enjoys working at Mulvin Farms. Haley and her husband, Paul, have a son that they enjoyed spending all their time with. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, the lake, vacationing anywhere with a beach, shopping, painting and doing anything crafty.

Tammy A. Holland

Accountant
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Tammy A. Holland is an Accountant with Groff Family Services. Born in Fort Braggs, NC and graduated from Pickerington High School, Class of 1987. She went on to earn her Associate Degree in Accounting from Columbus State Community College and a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Franklin University. Tammy now resides in Sandusky, Ohio. She has 3 grown children and 1 grandchild. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, quilting, hiking and sailing, and is looking forward to becoming more involved in her wonderful community.

Pastor Wally Gilbert

Funeral Associate & Minister
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Wally Gilbert is the former Pastor of NorthPointe Baptist Church in Sandusky.  He has been a part of the cemetery maintenance crew and worked as a staff associate at our funeral homes since 2012.  Wally began his funeral director apprenticeship in April of 2021.

Aimee R. Sloan

Remembrance Center Store Manager
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I'm Aimee Sloan, a proud graduate of Edison High School in Milan, Ohio. For 17 years, I managed a dedicated team of ten people at Osterman Jewelers in the Sandusky Mall, refining my leadership skills and fostering a thriving work environment. Seeking new challenges, I transitioned to Erie Community Federal Credit Union, where I started as a teller before becoming a Financial Operations Specialist. My attention to detail and problem-solving abilities ensured smooth operations within the institution. Both of my children Amanda and Michael are proud graduates of St. Mary Central Catholic High School. I balance my professional commitments with my adventurous spirit, enjoying bike rides, scenic explorations, and spontaneous weekend trips.

Carol A. Zieigler

Remembrance Center Sales Associate
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Carol A. Ziegler is the store manager at The Remembrance Center and Gift Gallery.  Carol was born and raised in Sandusky.  She is a 1969 graduate of St. Mary's High School.  After marrying her husband, they moved to Huron to raise their family.  She and Wally have a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Elizabeth.  When the kids left the nest they purchased a condo and moved back to Sandusky.

Carol began working at The Remembrance Center in 2001 at its inception.  She always provides customers with an amazing shopping experience along with her fellow worker, Sherry Bolton and Aimee Sloan.

Sherry L. Bolton

Remembrance Center Sales Associate
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Sherry Bolton enjoyes working with customers as a sales associate at The Remembrance Center and Gift Gallery.  She and her husband, Bill. have been in the Sandusky area since 2000.  She worked at Curves as a fitness before joining Carol Ziegler at The Remembrance Center in 2014.  

Sherry enjoys spending time with her two childrens and five grandchildren in Louisiana and Illinois whenever possible.

Jacquelyn R. Williams

Pet Care Director
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Jacquelyn R. Williams joined our team in Janaury 2020 and is the Managing Director of Groff Pet Loss Services, as well as an administrative assistant for our cemetery grounds crew at Meadow Green Memorial Park. She is a 1994 graduate of Elyria West High School, and attended LCJVS in Wellington, OH her senior year for Administrative Services.   She went to LCCC in 1996 to become a certified dental assistant, and worked in the dental field for 22 years. 
 
Jacquelyn has always had a passion for the funeral industry, and her caring personality is a light for the families she serves.  She is excellent as a Pet Care Specialist as her empathy and compassion for pets and their owners runs deep.  Jackie has had pets her whole life, from cats and dogs, to bird and turtles. She currently resides in Huron with her 13 year old maltese/shihtzu dog, Ms. BabyGirl. If she's not at work, you can guarantee they are spending quality time together!  

Geoffrey A. Cleveland

Cemetery Grounds Manager
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Geoffrey Cleveland is the Meadow Green Memorial Park Cemetery Grounds Manager.  He is a 1998 graduate of Huron High School and attended Bowling Green State University where he studied sociology and communications.  He is also a Certified Peer Recovery Supporter.  He began working for Meadow Green Memorial Park Cemetery in 2018 and became the grounds manager in 2021.
 
He is an active member of the Artisans Recovery Community Center and the recovery community.  He resides in Milan. 

William C. LaCourse

Cemetery Grounds Crew
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Bill LaCourse joined the Meadow Green Memorial Park Maintenance Crew in 2019.  He has had over 30 years of experience in cemetery groundskeeping and forestry.  Bill graduated from Sandusky High School in 1975 and is a Hocking Tech Certified Arborist.  He has been affiliated with the Masonic Lodge for over 40 years.  When not at work, he enjoys downhill skiing and antique cars.  Bill resides in Sandusky.

Lincoln C. LaRose

Cemetery Grounds Manager
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Lincoln joined the Meadow Green Memorial Park Maintenance Crew in 2021. Lincoln is a 2015 High School Graduate from Sandusky Central Catholic. He was on the Varsity Baseball team for four years. He is an active member at St. Mary’s Church. In his spare time, he plays on a traveling softball team, golfing, and enjoys fishing on the lake. Lincoln is trained in CPR and Water Restoration Damage. Lincoln resides in Sandusky.

Morgan R. Savage

Community Manager
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Morgan R. Savage joined the Groff Family Services team in 2023 as our Community Manager.  Morgan's passion for connecting with people allows her to help families and organizations coordinate events at our Legacy Center, and soon at Work Space in Sandusky.  

Bio coming soon!

Lori A. Roth

Legacy Center Event Hostess
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Lori A. Roth is an event hostess and has been working with families to coordinate events of all occasions at The Legacy Center since October 2016.

David B. Porcher

Transfer Team Member
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David B. Porcher joined the Groff Family Services team in 2023.  He assists with transfer care as well as maintence around our facilities. David lives in Sandusky with his family. 

Irisa N. Gosson

Transfer Team Member
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Irisa N. Gosson joined the Groff Family Services team in 2023 as a member of our transfer team.  She has a number of years working in the funeral industry, and is working on completing her education to begin her funeral apprenticeship. Irisa lives in Sandusky with her husband and beautiful daughter. 

Norma J. Scally

Greeter
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Norma J. Scally has been a greeter at our Sandusky Chapel since June 1998.

Leon J. Groff

In Loving Memory
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In loving memory of Leon J. Groff, our former President and CEO, who passed away unexpectedly on April 14, 2020.  Leon was a second generation funeral director and embalmer, and dedicated his life to serving the Sandusky, Huron, Milan and surrdounging communities thorughout his 47 year career. 

Leon was a lifelong resident of Sandusky. He graduated from the St. Mary’s Catholic High School and Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

He began working at Groff Funeral Home in 1972, and developed Meadow Green Memorial Park Cemetery in 1988. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sandusky, Plum Brook Country Club, Sandusky Yacht Club, National Funeral Directors Association, past president of Ohio Funeral Directors Association, the Firelands Funeral Directors Association, Knights of Columbus, Sandusky Elks and Exchange Club. Leon resided in Sandusky with his wife, Ann, and their son, Ashton.  They also have two daughters, Kelly and Kara.