History & Staff

Sylvia Guerrero-Dean, President/Director

Sylvia Guerrero-Dean is a native of El Paso, TX, where she graduated from Canutillo High School in 1987. She enrolled and graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1988. Sylvia has had a desire to be in funeral service since the age of seven.

As a dual licensed embalmer and director, her goal is to make every family as comfortable as possible. Her skills as an embalmer and in cosmetics for more than thirty years are well known in the funeral industry. She has trained many provisional directors in the funeral profession.

Sylvia's bilingual skills enable her to communicate with the large Spanish speaking population in the local area. Memberships include Heartland Church of Carrollton, Grand Prairie Metro Rotary and Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce. Sylvia is wife to Mark, mother to Alexandrea and Dillon, step mother to Alison, and grandparent to Clayton Eldridge and Luke Flores.

Dennis Mark Dean, Vice President/Director FDIC

Mark Dean is a native of Killeen, TX where he graduated from Killeen High School in 1978. He attended college in Jackson, MS. at Jackson College of Ministries before enrolling and graduating from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1987.

A licensed embalmer and funeral director, Mark has been employed at funeral homes in Killeen, Irving and Ft. Worth. The son of a retired minister and brother of 4 pastors, funeral service comes easily for him. Memberships include Heartland Church of Carrollton, Past District Governor of Lions MD2-X1, member of the Grand Prairie Host Lions Club, Dallas County Funeral Directors Association and North Texas Funeral Directors Association.

Mark is husband to Sylvia, and father to Alison Dean Eldridge, Alexandrea Dean Flores, Dillon Dean, grandfather to Clayton Eldridge and Luke Flores.

Carmelo Cantu, Maintenance/Transport

Carmelo Cantu was born in Phoenix, Arizona, relocating to San Angelo, TX with his family at a young age. They would then move to Grand Prairie where he attended middle school, and graduated from Grand Prairie High School in 1971.

He would join the US Marine Corp in 1972. He served in various locations across the world for a total of 8 years. Shortly after his discharge, he would begin a career in funeral service, graduating from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, class of 1991.

Carmelo would work for various funeral merchants, meeting customers all across North Texas. He has been associated with Guerrero-Dean Funeral Home since 2001.

He is father to Christopher Cantu and Clarissa Cantu; grandfather to 5; Lindsey, Lauren, Gabriel, Icis, Julius; great-grandfather to Luka and Camilla.

Alison Eldridge, Funeral Assistant

Aaron King CFSP, Director

Aaron King, CFSP is a lifelong resident of Grand Prairie and a product of Grand Prairie schools, class of 2003. He attended Calvary Baptist Church growing up until his father Dennis King took a church as senior pastor in Irving, Texas at Hope Irving. After graduation, Aaron attended Dallas Institute of Funeral Service to become a Texas Licensed Funeral Director. In 2015, Aaron obtained a CFSP certification (Certified Funeral Service Practitioner) and distinguished himself among his peers within the funeral service profession, as he continues his education to exceed the highest standards of care. This achievement is especially notable because he has voluntarily elected to participate in quality educational and service opportunities that far surpass what the funeral service licensing board in Texas requires.

Alongside being a funeral director, Aaron is also a certified crematory operator and works at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens in Irving, Texas as General Manager and President of the Board. He currently serves as the President of the Grand Prairie ISD School Board and chairs the Keep Grand Prairie Beautiful Commission, as a way to give back to his community. He also enjoys serving as Secretary on the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service Advisory Board and serves on the Dallas County Funeral Directors Association Board as Vice President. As the father of a child with special needs, Aaron is happy to serve as the current President of the Irving Ambucs Club, which creates mobility and independence for people with disabilities. He is a Life Member and past Master of George B. Dealey Masonic Lodge, and also an endowed member of Thomas B. Hunter Masonic Lodge, Mountain Creek Masonic Lodge, and Oak Cliff Masonic Lodge.

Aaron married his high school sweetheart, Brandie, in October of 2004 and has 4 children which are 5th generation to be raised in Grand Prairie: Cade, Addie, Laynie, and Stevie. His family has two adopt-a-streets in Grand Prairie for city beautification and litter pick up. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, building wheelchair ramps with Texas Freedom Ramp Builders and Grand Prairie Rotary Club, and serving the community in multiple capacities.

Vanessa Lambright, Funeral Director/Embalmer

Vanessa Lambright is a native of Mesquite, TX where she graduated from West Mesquite High School in 1997. Having a strong desire to become an embalmer in the funeral industry, Vanessa graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, earning a degree in Applied Mortuary Sciences with the fall class of 2004.

After completing her apprenticeship in Fort Worth, TX, she not only practiced proudly as a licensed embalmer and funeral director, but also continued to broadened her knowledge. She added expertise in various areas, including Clinical Embalmer, Crematory Operator, Clinical Preceptor, Autopsy Technician and Restorative Artist. She is highly respected and well known in the funeral industry for her years of exceptional and tireless work, serving families of North Texas and West Central Florida.

After years of a strong third-party working relationship and Guerrero-Dean Funeral Home, she was invited to become a member of the team. She gladly accepted and can be quoted, "I am proud to be a part of such a family-oriented establishment to truly cares for families they serve. The staff fully grasps the importance of what we do and the impact it has on those we care for. It is an honor to be able to make a living in such a rewarding career and to help people at a time they need it most, when no one else can. What a blessing!"

Vanessa also devotes many hours in community services, including an active membership in the Grand Prairie Host Lions Club.

Lolita B. Le Bon, Receptionist/Funeral Assistant

Lolita B. Le Bon is a receptionist and funeral assistant who works at Guerrero-Dean Funeral Home to support and assist families during a difficult time in their life. Her warm and gentle way is key to helping families feel at ease when walking in the door for the first time. She has been working in the funeral business since 2014.

Lolita, the daughter of retired Naval Master Chief Benny Le Bon and Registered Nurse Dolores Peña-Le Bon, was born in Kingsville, Texas in 1962, and graduated from Central Senior High School in Washington, D.C. She has held a license in cosmetology since 1984.

Lolita worked as a cosmetologist for 12 years before taking on the role as a receptionist for a fortune 500 Mortgage Company in Irving for 12 years.

She has been working in the funeral business since 2014. She believes it is as rewarding as is essential to understand others losses from the perspective of the cultural and family traditions, unique to that individual.

Lolita has shared 33 beautiful years of marriage with Mark Vanderhoof, a Curriculum-Content Developer. She loves reading and shares a love for animals with her husband, rescuing rabbits, rats, cats and dogs that need a loving home.

Idaly Najera, Office Manager

Idaly is a native of El Paso and longtime resident of Arlington, where she graduated from Bauder College in 1993 with a degree in interior design, a trade which gave her a career for fifteen years in the Dallas Design District in various showrooms.

When her daughters began school at Pope Elementary in Arlington, Idaly made a choice to leave her design work and become a para-professional at Pope in 2009. She was first Family Representative, a liaison between the school and parents, then Guidance Technician and finally the school’s secretary. As her daughters moved on to junior high and high school, Idaly and her husband embarked on taking over a full service insurance agency as owners. As part of that plan, she also became licensed to offer pre-need products for our funeral home and eventually would join our staff as office manager, which she is today.

Idaly has held various volunteer positions at Arlington ISD with PTA and booster clubs at Pope, Shackelford and Lamar. Whatever activities her daughters have participated in, she has been there to support their growth and education.

Idaly is wife to Javier E. Najera, and mother to Itzayana, Aytana and even Snowball, their Shi Tzu.

Javier Najera, Director

Javier E. Najera is a native of El Paso and longtime resident of Arlington, where he attended UT-Arlington from 1992 to 1994. In 1994, he became a licensed insurance agent and was a pre-need counselor for a small funeral home in Fort Worth, upon which he enrolled in Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, graduating in 1997. While there, he earned the Bill Pierce Award and served as president of his class.

Javier served his apprenticeship under Mark and Sylvia, while members of the staff at a firm in Fort Worth. Javier continued to serve at that firm until 2015, where he left to run and operate his own insurance agency in Arlington. Currently he is also on the staff of Guerrero-Dean Funeral Home as one of the directors. Javier’s calling of funeral service will be a lifelong commitment to our families and communities.

A very active member of the Arlington community, Javier has held numerous positions including member of the Latino Advisory Council at the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Director for the Arlington Margarita Society, booster club and dad club board member and president for various clubs from Pope, Shackelford and Lamar, and various citizen’s committees with Arlington ISD.

Along with Idaly, his wife and our office manager, Javier is father of Itzayana, Aytana and Snowball, their Shi Tzu.

Hugo Salazar, Precare Specialist

Hugo lives in Irving, TX where he attended and graduated from High School. He received a soccer scholarship to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and a football scholarship to Southeastern State University, Oklahoma.

He is father to a beautiful daughter who is also attending Irving Schools. He is active in the community, previously serving as Chairman of the Irving Independent School District Improvement Committee, and is currently serving on the Board of Directors at the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Hugo is active in print modeling and commercial acting for the Clutts Agency in Dallas. He has been a licensed Insurance Agent for 10 years and serving in the funeral/cemetery industries since 2017. https://www.facebook.com/hugosalazarlicensedfuneralplanningadviser