Our Staff

Keenan Knopke, President & CEO Keenan is a lifelong resident of Florida and resides in the Temple Terrace area. He is Past President of the Florida Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, five-time President of the Funeral and Cemetery Alliance of Florida, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association. He is currently Vice-Chairman of the Board of Funeral Cemetery and Consumer Services of Florida and is Past Chairman of the Board of Funeral and Cemetery Services of Florida. Keenan and his wife Rosemary have been married for 42 years and have two children Haley and Kolby, and two grandsons. In his free time Keenan enjoys golfing, fishing, shelling and boating. “We take great pride in being a family owned business. Being involved in our community is an honor to us.”

Patty Luque, Family Service Counselor Patty has resided in the Dunedin, Florida area now for several years but is originally from Fairfax, Virginia. She has an outstanding knowledge of the funeral industry and strives to always exceed a family’s expectations.  These qualities are enhanced by Patty’s passion to ensure each family finds the products and services that best suit their needs. Patty is married to her husband Pat and has a beautiful daughter, Lindsay. She enjoys spending time outdoors and playing golf in her free time. “I cherish being able to help families with the highest quality service from a family-owned company.”

Steve Harris, Funeral Director Steve, born and raised in Massachusetts, has been in the funeral industry for 37 years.  He is Past President of the Pinellas County Funeral Home Association and sat on the advisory board of the Funeral Service Department of St. Pete College.  Steve is also a Certified Celebrant and an ordained non-denominational minister. He has been married for 34 years to his wife Colleen and has two lovely grown daughters, Meghan and Courtney.  In his free time, Steve enjoys golfing, travel and cooking. “Curlew Hills being family owned allows me to truly put the needs of client families first and foremost.  That is so important to me.”

Denise Childress, Funeral Director Originally from Massachusetts, Denise has been in the funeral industry for over 11 years.  Her love of the business is driven by her strong desire to help others with compassion and dignity at a time when they need it most.  She lives with her husband Alan, who shares her great love of animals.  Together, they have three dogs and two cats.  Denise loves having an active lifestyle and enjoys fishing, hiking and playing with her dogs. “Helping a family at a time when they need it the most gives me great fulfillment.  I believe that I truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

Denise Goodwin, Controller Denise was born and raised in Windham, Maine, where she earned her degrees in Accounting and Business Administration.  She relocated to Florida in 2000 and resides in New Port Richey with her husband of 28 years, Roger, and their two children Robbie and Alyssa.  Denise brings nearly 28 years experience in financial management to Curlew Hills.  Outside of work, she enjoys family activities, boating and summer vacations in Maine.  Denise is currently involved in the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, along with the Chamber’s Golf Committee.   “I love the family-like atmosphere every day here at Curlew Hills.  There is no place else like this.”

Ericka McKibbin, Funeral Director Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Ericka has been in this area nearly three decades.  With a genuine heart for helping people, she strives to give compassion and attention to detail to each and every family she serves. Ericka chose the funeral profession so she could make a difficult time easier for families by lessening their stress and providing a service that celebrates the life of their loved one.  Ericka has an amazing young son, whom she adores and who keeps her busy. She also enjoys camping, fishing, boating and sporting events. “There is a true sense of family at Curlew Hills.  Everyone here shares a passion for serving those in need.”

Paul Blizard, Funeral Director Paul is originally from Dobbs Ferry, New York.  After spending 12 years in New Orleans, he moved to Florida in 2005. His strong desire to serve his community led him to the funeral industry, where he has been serving families for 15 years.  Outside of work, Paul has many diversified interests.  He enjoys horse racing, going to the beach, traveling and taking long trips on his Harley Davidson.   “Everyone at Curlew Hills genuinely cares about the families we serve and the services we provide.”

Darnell Lee, Funeral Director Darnell has been a licensed Funeral Director for nearly a decade and humbly believes that this is his true calling in life.  He dedicates himself to making a positive difference in the life of a family during their time of bereavement.  Darnell is also a dedicated family man.  He has been married to the love of his life, Lolita, for sixteen years.  Together, they have three beautiful children, Darnell, D'Undre and Raven.  Darnell's interests include fun activities with his family and date nights with his wife. "I am very proud to work at Curlew Hills.  They have a friendly, family-oriented atmosphere that is great not only for employees but the families we serve as well."

Cassandra Santilli, Intern - Funeral Director / Embalmer Just starting on her career path as a Funeral Director, Cassandra works from her heart and gives 100% to the families she proudly serves.  Since joining Curlew Hills this year, Cassandra has made a positive difference for families with her eye for detail and caring demeanor.  She passionately wants to help people through the tragedy of losing a loved one as well serve her community as a volunteer.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with the love of her life, Kevin and her beautiful daughter Magdelana.  Together they enjoy watching classic movies, shelling on the beach and going to art museums.   "The main focus at Curlew Hills is caring for the families that put their trust in us.  I am so proud to be a part of that."

Thomas “Tommy” Jenkins, Funeral Home Attendant Tommy is originally from Maryland.  He moved to Florida over 30 years ago and still loves every moment of being here.  Tommy is a retired firefighter with a heart of gold who has dedicated his life to helping people.  He has been married to his lovely bride, Marie, for 59 years and together they have a son and a daughter. The couple also has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Outside work, Tommy’s interests include the fire department, Jaguars and classic cars.   “I am so proud of everything that Curlew Hills stands for and all that the company does for our community.  It is the best funeral home in Florida.”

Luisa Grabianowski, Family Service Luisa has lived in diverse places in her life.  Born in Italy, she was raised in Buffalo, New York and moved to Clearwater in 1991.  Since that time, she has dedicated her career to the funeral industry.  She is Past President and is still active in the Italian American Women of Today.  She is also very involved in the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce.  Luisa has two grown daughters, Daniella and Michelle, and three beautiful grandchildren who are the love of her life.  In her free time, she loves to cook. “Curlew Hills is a hidden gem.  We all have a true passion for caring for families during their difficult times.”

Sam Covitz, Family Service Counselor Sam moved here from Indiana in 2007 and thoroughly enjoys the warm, relaxed Florida lifestyle. Helping people at a time when they need it most is what initially drew Sam to the funeral industry.  Working in this business for three years now, Sam believes it is the most rewarding career and strives to always exceed the expectations of a family.  Outside of work, Sam is an avid sports fan.  He enjoys golf, watching football, college basketball, fishing and boating. "Everyone at Curlew Hills is so friendly and works closely together like one big family.  I couldn't ask for anything more."

Kathy Devine Bergeron, Cemetery Administrator Born in Buffalo, New York Kathy loves being part of the Curlew Hills team.  As Cemetery Administrator, Kathy strives to help families and make a positive difference in the lives of those around her. She believes in working hard and enjoys being part of a team that helps families at a trying time in their lives. Kathy is a proud mom of a son and a daughter who keep her very busy outside of work. In her free time, she has many interests including cooking, interior design and home remodeling.     “I enjoy working with a team of professionals at one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Florida.  I am very proud of the exemplary service our company provides.”

Efrain Ortiz, Funeral Home Administrator Efrain has been graciously helping people in the funeral profession for over twenty years.  He has dedicated his career to assisting families in the hardest moments of their lives with great attention to detail and a highly positive attitude. Outside of work, Efrain enjoys spending time with his lovely wife of 33 years, Gloria.  Together, the couple have two beautiful grown children, Jessica and Josh and a five-year-old grandson named Lex who brings them great joy.  Efrain loves the beauty of all types of gardening, especially growing orchids. He also enjoys the freedom of being outdoors and kayaking.   "I feel so lucky to love my job so much.  It is a special luxury to be able to enjoy your workplace so much while getting to help people every day."

David Schramel, Grounds Manager David is a Florida native, born and raised in Safety Harbor.  In the funeral industry for over 25 years now, David takes great pride in caring for the grounds at Curlew Hills.  His keen eye for detail ensures that the grounds are maintained to the highest standards so that families can enjoy its lush beauty.  David has been married to his wife Debra for 20 years and has three children – Anthony, Jeffrey and Mary Alice.  He enjoys spending time with family as well as boating, diving and offshore fishing.     “It is a pleasure to work for a company that treats customers as well as employees like family.”

Clifford “Cliff” Meade, Jr., Groundskeeper Cliff came to Florida from the beautiful Paradise Island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  His love of being outdoors and enjoying nature’s beauty drew him to being a groundskeeper at Curlew Hills.  Cliff also loves sports and in his free time, he plays men’s league basketball.  Sharing his love of sports is important to him, so Cliff also coaches youth basketball at Countryside Recreation Center.  His other hobbies include computers and airplanes.   “Everyone at Curlew Hills is so friendly. It’s a great place to go to work everyday.”

Phil Denison, Groundskeeper A native of Woodbury, Connecticut, Phil has been a proud team member of Curlew Hills since 2006.  Since he was a young child, he has had a passion for the great outdoors and all the adventure that it holds. He is extremely proud of the work he does at Curlew Hills by creating a tranquil and beautiful setting for families.  Phil has been married for 24 years and has five step-children and four beautiful grandchildren.  His hobbies include fishing and spending time outdoors in the beautiful Florida weather. “I thoroughly enjoy the awesome team of people I have the privilege of working with at Curlew Hills. They all take great pride in what they do.”