Palm Mortuary has been serving the community since 1926. It has grown from one funeral home owned by Anna Roberts Parks to today having 10 funeral homes and six cemeteries. In less than two years, it will be marking its 100-year anniversary in Southern Nevada.
Its president, Celena DiLullo, discussed its future, water conservation, the Holocaust Memorial Plaza and more.
How has Palm expanded over the years?
Our former owner Kenny Knauss witnessed our city’s growth and had the insight to purchase land to serve families in every corner of the Las Vegas Valley, including Henderson, Green Valley, the Southwest, Summerlin and even a mausoleum in Boulder City. We have over 200 associates serving families every day.
What are the future plans?
Palm, now owned by SCI, a network of funeral homes and cemeteries across the country, continues to look for ways to serve families. We have plans to build a new funeral home and potentially a cemetery in the near future. Additionally, as our population grows, we will continue to support the community in multiple ways, whether it’s donating to good causes or growing and continuing our special events we hold annually to support community members.
How does Palm support the community?
Palm supports multiple nonprofit organizations within the community and has several employees that volunteer their time with these organizations as well. Some that we support include Nevada Ballet Theatre, Jewish Nevada, Trauma Intervention Program of Southern Nevada, LVMPD Foundation, Nathan Adelson Hospice, Nevada Donor Network, Make A Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, Asian American Group Las Vegas, and the Injured Police Officers Fund. We also hold many annual events at our properties to show support for families, including our very popular Dia De Los Muertos events.
Can you explain the water conservation efforts?
We have recently opened a desert landscaped garden at our Palm Northwest location. We have placed evergreen lawns, or artificial turf, in many of our private gardens and areas in which we will not be performing interments. And we also partner with a company that measures the moisture of the soil with censors to keep us from overwatering. This measure has proved to reduce thousands of gallons of water being used annually. We are proud to help with important water conservation efforts.
What is the Holocaust Memorial Plaza, and where is it located?
The Holocaust Memorial is a tribute and educational memorial commemorating the lives of those lost during the Holocaust as well as a timeline of that history. It is located at our King David Memorial Chapel and Cemetery off of Eastern Avenue. We are extremely proud of opening this first Holocaust Memorial Plaza in the state. It allows visitors to learn about this devastating time in our history, while also giving them a peaceful place to reflect.
What are your goals and initiatives as President of Palm?
My goal for our community would be that we have the opportunity to educate as many Southern Nevada residents as possible about the importance of writing down your final wishes and considering preplanning for those final arrangements to save family members the financial burden and give them that peace of mind. I also plan to support the efforts, along with my company and our funeral home partners in the community, the first mortuary science program at College of Southern Nevada. This program will bring new opportunities to students and youth in our community and will help develop professionals in our industry. During the pandemic we saw the great need for this program and are grateful to see it finally come to fruition.
What does “turning 100” in 2026 mean to you?
It means the legacy of serving families, while also supporting and protecting our community, continues to be our passion and purpose. Our associates are so proud to be a part of such a historic organization that has been in the valley longer than most businesses, and is the longest in our profession. It is an honor to all of us every day that work at Palm that we can be a part of such a legacy.