6906 Miramar Road, Ste. C-142, San Diego, CA 92121

Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation

A final tribute to the Veterans of our Armed Services who gave their all.

Capt. Bill Heard, USNR (ret.)

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Capt. Bill Heard, USNR (ret.)

As a member of the Board, Bill Heard also serves as the Foundation’s Public Information Officer.  He is a retired Navy Reserve captain with almost 30 years’ experience in Navy public affairs. Earlier, he served eight deployments in Vietnam from October 1966 to May 1968, while his ship was operating along the coast of Vietnam. Heard’s decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Naval Reserve Medal.

Heard’s professional background includes 40 years’ experience in public relations counseling in government, corporations, and advertising and public relations agencies. Early in his career, he was a newspaper, television and radio reporter and editor.  He is a journalism graduate of [Continue Reading]

Richard T. Sells

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Richard T. SellsSecretary / Chief Financial Officer

Richard Sells graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., in 1961. He served in the U.S. Army, Armor Corps from 1962 until 1969, attaining the rank of Captain, USAR.

Sells qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in California, and worked for Arthur Anderson & Co. He also worked for thirty-three years as an executive in the Cemetery Industry. He retired from Service Corporation International (SCI), the world’s largest owner of funeral homes and cemeteries, having served as a Senior Vice President for Domestic and International sales, and President of SCI’s Western States operations.

Sells devised and constructed the traveling replica Vietnam Memorial Wall and introduced the Homeless Veterans Burial program for San Diego [Continue Reading]

Catherine Fiorelli

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Fiorelli attended the University of Arizona, and is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

She worked as a Court Clerk at the Flagstaff Municipal Court in Flagstaff, Ariz., before moving to San Diego in July 2000 to pursue a Masters Degree in Forensic Science. She currently is General Manager of Evergreen Mortuary, Cemetery & Crematory in Tucson, Ariz.

Fiorelli is a Licensed California Cemetery Manager, Cemetery Broker and Funeral Director. She enjoys spending her free time with her miniature schnauzer, Bella, and her Goldendoodle, Fozzie Bear, who currently is in training to be a therapy dog for Evergreen Mortuary.

Fiorelli is the [Continue Reading]

Victoria A. Nenner

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Board Member

A Vietnam era veteran, Victoria A. Nenner served four years as a staff and charge nurse in an Air Force hospital at Tachikawa AFB, Japan, where she treated soldiers wounded in battle. She met her late husband, Paul, while serving in Japan. She left active duty as a captain, and continued in the reserves until 1977.

Nenner comes from a long line of nurses – her grandmother, mother, uncle and sister were all nurses, and another sister is a physician. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in nursing science at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Tex., and a Master’s degree in family health nursing from the University of San Diego.

Following military service in 1974, Nenner was named Director of Continuing Education at [Continue Reading]

George Fellows

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Board Member

George Fellows

George Fellows is a native of the Pacific Northwest. He graduated from Yakima High School in 1947, and received a congressional appointment to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y., that same year. He graduated from Kings Point in 1951, receiving a BS degree in Nautical Science, a commission in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and a Coast Guard license to sail as an officer on any steam or motor vessel of unlimited tonnage in any ocean.

He sailed as a deck officer with American Export Lines until late 1952, when he volunteered for active Navy duty during the Korean War. He was assigned to the Special Projects Office of the Military Sea Transportation Service at [Continue Reading]

LtCol. Benjamin Lawrence Williams, USMC (Ret.)

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Born on April 26, 1944 in Atlanta Georgia. He received a BS degree in biological science from San Jose State and MA degree in business management from Webster University.

He served as a Park Ranger at Grand Canyon from whence he joined the USMC in 1966. Ben was commissioned a second lieutenant on April 1, 1968 and was directed to the Army Helicopter School. He received his Army wings in December, 1968 and was reassigned to MCAS (H) Santa Ana, CA, where he was designated a Naval Aviator. Ben was sent to Vietnam in June, 1969 where he flew 863 combat missions in the CH-46D Seaknight helicopter. He received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 44 Air Medals for valor. Later Ben [Continue Reading]

Dr. Tom Splitgerber, Capt. USN (Ret.)

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Tom assumed the position of County Veterans Service Officer May 23, 2003. Previously he was Chief Executive Officer of the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center located in Balboa Park, San Diego. He developed an on-going working relationship with the San Diego County Veterans Service Office, the VA Healthcare Systems San Diego, VA Regional Office San Diego and California Department of Veterans Affairs in Sacramento.

Dr. Splitgerber concurrently held the position of local exhibit manager of the World War II through Russian Eyes exhibit located in Balboa Park from February 1999 through July 1999. He spent 30 years as a practicing dentist in the United States Navy in which 15 years were devoted to directing innovative leadership in the health care and [Continue Reading]

Guy Stroscher

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Guy attended Iowa State University where he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees. After graduating from Iowa State, he began a career in Aerospace and Defense, while also engaging in real estate transactions. He joined the Board of Directors in 2005, and served for five years. In 2010, he became a Director Emeritus when he left the Board to attend law school.    He received his Juris Doctorate in 2014. Guy resides in Austin, Texas.