Page 40 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021- Online Magazine

HONORING
The Story Behind
Lake Ridge Chapel
& Memorial Designers
by Laura Landes Restorative Artist / Preneed Specialist / Educational Director for WISE
ake Ridge Chapel and
Memorial Designers opened
Lits doors in June of 2007
and has since become a place to
share memories, honor those we
love, and provide a safe haven for
families seeking refuge and solace
in the months and years following
their loss.
When joining this team 11 years
ago (which then consisted of
only six members), I became a
part of a small group of deeply
dedicated individuals. Today,
we are 16 members strong, all of
40 Lubbock Senior Link
SMALL BUSINESSES
whom still share that same level
of dedication. Throughout the
years, while working alongside
Santos, I have developed a deeper
understanding of the vision that
started it all. Although many of
you have experienced Lake Ridge
Chapel and have come to form
personal relationships with Santos
and our staff, many of you may not
be aware of how it all came to be.
Despite having never experienced
close personal loss, Santos knew
his calling from a very young
age. He was an eighth grader
in middle school when
he made the decision that
would ultimately determine
his future. In May of 1988,
Santos graduated high
school and, by September of
that same year, was enrolled
in Mortuary School at Dallas
Institute of Funeral Services.
This venture would prove
to be the first step in the
pursuit of his dream. He
would go on to receive
a business degree from
Wayland Baptist University
to enhance his knowledge
base further.
At the age of 20, he began his
career at Rix Funeral Home
as an apprentice under
Whit Victory's direction, a man
who would prove to be a lifelong
friend and devoted mentor. It was
with Whit's guidance that Santos
truly learned how "to serve." One
essential lesson Santos learned was
the significance of Whit's motto,
"Press the Flesh" (which Whit
described as "shaking hands and
kissing babies"), in other words,
the power of human touch. As a
result of innate desire and along
with Whit's teachings, Santos
has devoted his entire adult life