By JIM VALLET
Moapa Valley Progress
When death knocks at the door, it is not something that can be ignored. At the times of greatest sorrow and confusion, making decisions and plans that many don’t want to even talk about, becomes necessary. In those times, people need sympathy, compassion, empathy, friendship, family, and competence. Brian Rebman, owner of Moapa Valley Mortuary in Logandale, offers all of those things to grieving local residents.
One doesn’t have to go far to find people who have been helped by Rebman. The common thread is gratitude for his sensitivity and compassion in difficult circumstances.
“Being a funeral director seems to be his calling,” said Chris Applegate of Logandale. Applegate explained that Brian was a great comfort to her at a time when she needed it most.
“It is a blessing to have Brian serve our community,” said Logandale resident Bryce Hardy who serves as bishop of the Logandale 4th Ward of the Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “He seems to have a special gift and ability to show love and compassion to people in their time of need.”
Mrs. Marion Hass, whose husband passed away during a visit to Moapa Valley in 2005, echoed some similar thoughts. “I don’t know what we would have done with Brian Rebman,” Hass said. “He was very competent and made me feel as if my husband was his friend.”
These statements represent dozens of similar feelings expressed by members of our community.
After speaking with Brian, observing him work on several occasions, and speaking to many people, it is clear that he is able to read people very well, and has an innate sense of what to do. He knows when to make a joke, and he knows when being serious is better. I heard stories of people hysterically laughing, intensely crying, and experiencing in-between, yet all were comforted.
“I like to serve people,” Brian explained. “I think I can sense the needs of people — when to make a joke and when to provide comfort. I feel like I provide an important service to people at a time when they need it most.”
“I feel like I do make a difference in people’s lives, and that is more rewarding than a paycheck,” Brian added.
When asked if he ever gets depressed in his line of work he responded, “Sometimes, with some parts. But I get immediate feedback that I am impacting people’s lives and that makes me feel good inside.”
Talking with Brian is very easy. He is great at making people feel at ease, and it seems to me we talked more about me than about him during the interview.
Brian expressed appreciation for the community where he has lived and served.
“There are lots of people in this community who saw more in me than I think I deserved,” Brian said. “There have been a lot of people here that have given me a chance.”
But it hasn’t always been easy. When Brian was in school in Salt Lake City in the early 1990s, he was a husband and father who needed a job to support his family. To pay the bills, he found a job at a funeral home that offered free housing. It was while working there that he realized, with the help of his wife Lisa, that maybe he could become a mortician himself.
Brian enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon to learn how to be a funeral director. Upon completion of his education, the Rebmans moved back to Moapa Valley where a unique opportunity arose. The mortuary in the valley had financial issues and was purchased by Metcalf Mortuaries. Owner Ron Metcalf needed someone to run the Moapa Valley Mortuary.
In 2004, Brian purchased the building and went to work.
But in 2007, the business hit a major snag. After Brian had invested his family’s entire savings in the purchase of the building, a fire completely destroyed it. “What do I do now?” Brian remembers asking himself at the time.
For the second time, the Moapa Valley community chose to support Brian Rebman. “I was humbled and grateful for the love and support the community showed me after the fire,” he said. “Even without our building, people paid the same prices for my services without complaint, and I had no lost business. We were able to rebuild and reopen in 2009. I will always be grateful.”
In 2014, Brian was able to purchase the business. Sitting in his comfortable office, a long way from the flames of 2007 and two years of struggle, the man who receives the gratitude of many has tears of gratitude of his own.
The people of Moapa Valley hold Brian Rebman in very high esteem. I know of his caring and competence. But it seems to me that Brian Rebman loves his community at least as much, and possibly even more, than it loves him.
