Who We Are

As you meet and get to know us, the owners & staff of The Springs Funeral Services, you will notice that serving people during the difficult time of death has been our passion for years. Combined we have over 150 years of funeral service experience and over 20 years serving families in the Colorado Springs area.

 Our Staff

Terri Flores-Brown, President

Terri is the president and CEO of The Springs Funeral Services. She has over 30 years experience in funeral and cemetery operations. Terri is a Certified Crematory Operator with more than 10 years experience auditing, and inspecting funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Terri’s experience includes serving as Quality Assurance Manager for Service Corporation International (SCI) the largest funeral service provider in North America and as Manager for Compliance, Safety and Environment and Senior Compliance Auditor for Alderwoods Group, Inc., the second largest funeral service provider in North America.

Terri was the Prearranged Funeral Trust & Insurance Administrator for Sentry Group Services, Inc. for 2 years where she established and operated a general agency for preneed products and was the liaison between company insurance agencies and major insurance companies such as CNA, Great Western, FDLIC and Fortis.

Her operational experience includes being Director of Administration and Office Manager for SCI’s Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona Markets. Terri has held a Prearranged Funeral License in Texas as well as Cemetery Real Estate License, and Prearranged Trust License & Insurance Licenses in Arizona. In addition to her funeral and cemetery experience, Terri worked as Office Administrator/Legal Assistant for Banzhaf & Watkins law firm in Tucson, Arizona

Terri serves on the Board of Executive Women’s International – Colorado Springs & is a member of the Senior Resource Council

Paul Wood, Executive Vice President and CFO

Paul is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner with the Academy of Profession Funeral Service Practice and a Colorado Certified Mortuary Science Practioner.  He has held a funeral director and embalmer’s license in Oklahoma since 1989.  He received certification from the Cremation Association of North America as a Crematory Operator in 1996 and earned a Master’s Degree in Human Relations with emphasis in grief counseling from the University of Oklahoma.

Paul began his funeral service career in 1977 just out of high school and while attending Hillsdale Bible College in Moore, Oklahoma.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Theology in 1980 and has more than 10 years of pastoral ministry experience having pastored churches in Oklahoma and Washington State.  In 1987 Paul moved to Dallas, Texas, where he gradated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1989.

Paul’s funeral service career includes serving as General Manager for a group of 4 independently owned funeral homes in Northeast Oklahoma. In 1990 he moved to Norman, Oklahoma to complete his Master’s degree and to work with Mayes Funeral Directors.  In 1993 he was promoted to General Manager of Guardian Midtown Funeral Home, Oklahoma City Regional Embalming Service and to serve as the Regional Compliance Director. 

On April 19, 1995 he was managing the funeral home 5 blocks from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City when a bomb exploded killing 168 people.  Paul assisted with the gathering of information from families who had a loved one missing and later help to coordinate and supervise the notification of the families once the medical examiner had identified the remains.

Beginning In July of 1995 he developed the compliance and safety program for the Alderwoods Group, the second largest funeral service company in North America.  He was responsible for developing operational procedures, compliance programs and training to meet the requirements of federal and state regulations as well as company initiatives.  He remained in this position until November of 2006 when Service Corporation International, (SCI) purchased the Alderwoods Group.  Paul remained with SCI as Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance, Special Projects until March of 2008.

Paul serves on the Colorado Funeral Service Board.

Arlen J. Brown, Vice President

Arlen is a Colorado Certified Mortuary Science Practioner with over 50 years funeral service experience. Arlen began his career as an apprentice at Chapel of Memories and Swan Funeral Home in Colorado Springs in 1956 & 1957 prior to attending and graduating from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1960. He was licensed as a Funeral Director / Embalmer in Colorado in 1960

Arlen worked 20 years with Service Corporation International (SCI), the largest funeral service provider in North America. During his time with SCI he served as District Manager, Assistant Regional Manager and Regional Vice President. In his various roles with SCI, Arlen managed all aspects of funeral home and cemetery operations including customer service, general operations, budget development and execution, human resource management, preneed and at-need sales and business development.

He served 3 years as Executive Vice President/COO for Sentry Group Services, Inc. Prior to joining SCI Arlen was General Manager of Swan Funeral Home in Colorado Springs for 15 years. He also owned and operated Farnum-Brown Mortuary in Glenwood Springs, Colorado from 1972 – 1977.

Arlen serves on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Funeral Director’s Association.

Hal Tumbleson, Director of Operations

Hal is a Colorado Certified Funeral Director. He served his funeral director apprenticeship at Hahn-Cook-Street & Draper Funeral Home in Oklahoma City, OK and received his Oklahoma Funeral Director and Embalmer’s license in 1978, a Colorado license in 1981 and Texas license in 1983. Hal’s funeral experience includes 10 years of progressive management with Service Corporation International (SCI). His service with SCI included Swan-Law Funeral Home and Chapel of Memories in Colorado Springs, and Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors in Houston, Texas. As General Manager of Resthaven Mortuary and Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Hal managed and coordinated the construction of a new funeral home facility. He also managed various other funeral homes in Oklahoma.

In addition to funeral and cemetery experience Hal has 8 years experience in the Mortgage and Finance Industry. He served as Assistant Vice-President for Intermountain Mortgage Company in charge of loan servicing, acquisitions and secondary marketing as well as development of third-party broker relations and marketing. During Hal’s tenure Intermountain Mortgage Company became the largest independent loan servicing company in the Mountain State Region servicing over one billion dollars in loans.

Hal serves as Business Manager for the National Council of Corvette Clubs.

Mark Bowers, Director

Mark is a native of Colorado Springs and graduated from Widefield High School. He received his Business Management degree from Colorado Christian University. He graduated from Dallas Mortuary School of Science and is a Nationally Board Certified Funeral Director & Embalmer.

He has worked for Service Corporation International (SCI) in Denver Funeral Director & Director. He has also worked for USAA Insurance and Compassion International here in Colorado Springs.

Mark lives in Security with his Wife Camille and his daughters, Rachel & Catherine. He enjoys spending time in the mountains, working in his yard and working with children.

Mark and his wife currently attend Woodman Valley Chapel.

Shelby Shafer, Intern

Shelby is the daughter of Arlen and Terri Flores-Brown. She recently earned her Associate of Science degree from Pikes Peak Community College and is currently attending UCCS, majoring in Biological Sciences on a career path to become a physical therapist.

Shelby is currently serving a funeral director and embalmer’s internship.

She is active in and serves as our liaison with the Fort Carson Mock Crash Program.

Bob Garrett, Courier

Bob is a native of Colorado Springs and a graduate of Palmer High School. He attended Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs.

Bob worked for S & S Amusement Company which later became Eagle Coin Company for over 32 years. Bob also worked for and managed Plaza Ice Chalet in the Plaza of the Rockies for over 10 years. Bob became acquainted with Arlen Brown when Arlen purchased S & S Amusement Co. After Bob retired Arlen asked him to join The Springs Funeral Services.

Bob regularly attends Rocky Mountain Calvary Church.

Francisco Flores

Francisco Flores, Floral Designer and Consultant for Flowers Remembered at The Springs Funeral Services for a year now is new to Colorado Springs, and is originally from Tucson Arizona. Flores has brought over 20 years of design experience to his beautiful new home of Colorado Springs. He is a graduate of Salpointe Catholic High School and attended Pima College where he Majored in Business and Interior Design.

Flores values include quality products; focus on taking care of customers, good taste and quality of design (especially when it comes to color combinations). "I realized how much flowers can affect a person. They're part of every stage of life - birth, death, weddings, funerals, memories, romance. And I saw how good designs make a stronger impact. I saw floral design as a way to help people renew, recover, express sympathy, fall in love, and share friendship. And in doing that, I understood that I could actually do something I love, and touch people's lives.

Kim Grabove, Administrative Assistant

Kim was born outside Buffalo, New York and has made Colorado her home for over 20 years. She has over 25 years of experience in Hotel Management to include Personnel Manager at the Crowne Plaza in Colorado Springs, Director of Hotel Operations at the Double Eagle Hotel and Casino in Cripple Creek, and General Manager of the Bradford Homesuites in Colorado Springs, where in 2003 Kim was awarded General Manager of the Year by Intervest Companies, LLC. Kim also has experience in the Mortgage and Finance Industry as a closing assistant for Wells Fargo Mortgage, Title America and Security Title in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs.

In 2008, she began her funeral industry career with Service Corporation International (SCI) processing death certificates for the five Dignity funeral homes in the city. She joined The Springs Funeral Services in November 2011.

Kim and her husband Dan reside in Colorado Springs.

Karla Bates, Intern

Karla is currently serving an internship in funeral directing and embalming. She moved to Colorado Springs as a military spouse in 2006. Karla’s husband is stationed at Fort Carson with 10th Special Forces Group. Karla has three daughters who attend Pikes Peak Community College and Widefield schools in Security. She graduated college in 2008 after attending Pikes Peak Community College and Fayetteville State University. She is currently a children’s instructor at Black Lotus Kung Fu and avid student of martial arts.