Coleen Ellis

About Coleen.Rocks 

As an avid pet lover and a caregiver, being a part of the pet industry specializing in death care has allowed Coleen to share both of these characteristics to the thousands of families that she has companioned through the loss of their beloved furry friends. In 2004, she founded Pet Angel Memorial Center, the United States first stand-alone pet funeral home due to the personal experience and death of her beloved Mico. 

Since then, Coleen has been deemed by publications such as Kates-Boylston’s Pet Loss Insider as the “United States most well-known pet funeral director” and “The Pet Loss Pioneer.” A recognized leader within the world of Pet Death Care through organizations
such as the National Funeral Directors Association, the International Cemetery, Crematory and Funeral Association, and numerous veterinary and vet tech teaching hospitals and clinics, her work within the pet death care industry spans the world to others who share in her passion for pets and their respectful treatment in death. In April 2009, she was awarded the first Death & Grief Studies Certification with a Specialty in
Pet Loss Companioning from Dr. Alan Wolfelt, an internationally known grief educator and counselor. During this year she also completed the necessary requirements to be Certified in Thanatology through the Association for Death Education and Counseling. 

In April 2009, she founded Two Hearts Pet Loss Center, a consulting business designed to guide people who also want to provide death care services to their communities. Through Two Hearts she also established herself as an educator in the pet loss and grief discipline as well as authored numerous resources dealing with Pet Death Care. Coleen played an integral part as founder and past co-chair of the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance, a pet death care association specializing in providing resources, education, and accreditation to those in pet loss. Here she assisted in creating the Certified Pet Loss Professional accreditation program, of which she holds a current certification in. She extends her work in end-of-life care services for pets by currently serving as the Executive Director and as past president of the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. 

In the fall of 2011, Coleen released her first book Pet Parents: A Journey Through Unconditional Love and Grief. Pet parents and pet care professionals nationwide are using the book as a resource, as an educational teaching tool and a source of comfort. Coleen is also a sought-after international speaker, coach, mentor and consultant for pet and death care professionals and organizations. 

Coleen is also the founder of Coleen.Rocks, a business whose focus is inspiring and motivating entrepreneurs, woman business owners, and those looking to further their own personal development plans. Presentations center around nature’s lessons learned from animals, creating easy to remember personal and professional lessons to execute changes in life and in business.

In addition to her many years in pet death care, Coleen’s work experience also spans over 18 years in the human funeral business. Most of her career has been spent with Forethought Financial Services, the nation’s largest insurance and trust provider to the funeral industry for funding funerals in advance. While at Forethought, Coleen served numerous roles and received many sales awards, including being the first woman inducted into Forethought’s prestigious President Club for her work within the industry. Coleen is a native of Kansas where she graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing with a minor in Business Administration. Part of her philanthropic work is through financial contributions and as a speaker, educator and mentor to the new Dane G. Hansen Scholarship Hall and the Robbins School of Business and Entrepreneurial Studies. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Fort Hays State University as well as being the 2018 recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award, the college’s highest recognition of their graduates. She’s also on the Board of Trustees for the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. She resides in Dallas, TX, with her husband, Chris Burke. They have three four-legged children, Albert, Beulah and Rudy. 

In the fall of 2011, Coleen released her first book Pet Parents: A Journey Through Unconditional Love and Grief. Pet parents and pet care professionals nationwide are using the book as a resource, as an educational teaching tool, and a source of comfort. Coleen is also a sought-after international speaker, coach, mentor, and consultant for pet and death care professionals and organizations. In 2022, she co-authored with Dr. Mary Gardner, co-founder of Lap of Love, two children’s books titles Forever Friend, one for the loss of a dog and the other for a cat.