His full name is Robert Dixon Tips. Everyone who knowshim calls him “Dick,” and he’s a man who has literallygrown up in the funeral business. He knows better than mostthat death care is a subject many people are reluctant to discuss.But visiting with this man, who operates the largest privatelyowned funeral home and cemetery company in the UnitedStates, it becomes apparent that his passion and commitmentare not focused on the dead, but rather on the living.
"Mission Park has been my family’s calling for over 100years," says Tips, Chairman and CEO of Mission Park FuneralChapels and Cemeteries. "My great–grandfather, grandmotherand father taught me that when someone dies the person leftbehind struggles through the worst day of their life, trying todetermine what their loved one would have wanted."
"Our goal is to help people through these critical times, andassist with the decisionsthat in many cases havebeen postponed to theend of life. That’s why Iplace so much emphasison planning your funeralin advance. No oneintentionally wantsto burden his or herloved ones with thesedecisions at the time oftheir own death. I alwaysask the same questions,‘Have you made yourfinal plans? Will yourfamily have the moneyto cover the expenses ofyour funeral?’ MissionPark is here to help makesure the answer to both important questions is, ‘yes.’"
"It’s my responsibility as well as all the caring people I workwith to help families avoid the worst shopping day of their lives.One of the most thoughtful ways anyone can express their lovefor their family is to make his or her arrangements in advance.When your specific wishes are pre–planned, you and yourfamily can avoid hasty decisions and financial pressures whilethey’re grieving," Dick says.
"Having personally called on him in some of the most tryingtimes of my life, Dick has always been there for me and myfamily," says Vicki Buffolino, a well–known TV anchor at CBSaffiliate KENS–TV. "He has been in the business of helpingothers for many many years and it shows," she said. "He showsthe ultimate respect and care for the people who are oftentimessuffering and looking for guidance."
Veteran TV sports anchor Greg Simmons of ABC affiliateKSAT–TV says he’s been fortunate to witness and benefit fromDick’s generosity. Mission Park handled the funeral services forSimmons’ parents, who passed away in the 1990s. "Each time heassisted my family in getting through a very rough time in ourlives," he recalled.
"Recently, a friend of mine went through a tragedy in herlife. Her son was murdered. She had no insurance for him andwas faced with mounting bills including funeral costs. One callto Dick and he was extremely understanding and worked withthe family to not only get them through the process but to assistthem financially."
"That’s just the kind of person he is,” Simmons said. “We arelucky to have Dick in our community."
While San Antonio’s landmark family funeral companyis more than a century old, Mission Park has grown mostdramatically in the past quarter century thanks to Dick’s emphasison pre–planning and his vision for development, expansion andintegration of addedservices into MissionPark.
It’s interestingto note that Dick’s greatgrandfather,Will HarryChambers, an architectand builder by trade,founded Mission Parkin 1907. He presentedthe 200+ acres thatnow comprise theMission Park SouthCemetery to his wifeas a wedding gift. Theearly success of MissionPark was a result of WillChambers’ unwaveringcommitment to live bythe Golden Rule, not onlyin how he treated his employees, but also the families served bythe first Mission Park Cemetery.
In the early ’60’s, Dick joined his grandmother, Margaret;father, Fred; and uncle, Will, working summers and weekendsat the family–owned cemeteries. "I did it all" says Dick. He sweptthe roadways, emptied trash containers, mowed, watered,trimmed and learned how to dig a grave for burial. Dick’s fatherand uncle, his mentors, always instilled in him the belief thatwe shape our own tomorrows by what we do today. And, withan eye toward the future, the Tips–owned cemetery propertiesoffer a permanent, peaceful and pristine environment forfamilies to come and visit their loved ones. Where you rest indeath is just as important as where you lived in life from thestandpoint of your future generations. Sensitivity to familydignity, understanding of family traditions and respect for thespiritual needs of individual families are the goals of MissionPark.
In the late 1950s, Mission Burial Park North was establishedon approximately 200 acres adjacent to The Dominion onInterstate 10 West as a birthday gift for Dick’s grandmother.During this same time, Lockehill Cemetery was acquired on thecorner of Fredericksburg and Huebner Roads, which was once astagecoach stop. The early 60s brought about more change in thefuneral service industry in San Antonio when the first funeralhome and cemetery was established at one convenient locationat Mission Park South. Not surprisingly, it opened on June 25,1965, Dick’s parents’ wedding anniversary. In 1978, Will andFred Tips, responding to the demands of the north side, built asecond funeral home on Cherry Ridge Drive at Interstate 10 andLoop 410. To continue a familytradition, the funeral homeopened June 12, 1978, which isDick’s birthday.
In 1984, at the age of 29, Dickpurchased the company fromhis dad and uncle. At that time,there were two funeral homesand three cemeteries in the Tips family business. However, itwasn’t long before Dick started to expand. He wasted no time inpurchasing funeral operations throughout South Texas. A sharpdownturn in the economy in the early ’80s, coupled with thegrowing expenses of expansion led to financial challenges. Thecompany needed more cash to keep growing.
To raise more capital, in 1990 Dick sold 49 percent ofMission Park to Service Corporation International (SCI). Tipsretained control of the business, and with his new partnership,inaugurated plans to go national, and then international withhis cemeteries’ and funeral homes’ unique emphasis on takingcare of people in need. Dick soon learned that working with apublic company as his partner was foreign to the operating stylethat Mission Park was founded on. Having learned a valuablelife lesson, Dick turned to a friend, Steve Dufilho and his team atCompass Bank to help him buy back the SCI interest in MissionPark. With Compass Bank’s financial backing, SCI’s ChairmanRobert Waltrip, agreed to sell back its interest, which returnedDick to 100 percent ownership of Mission Park. Dick and Waltripremain close friends today.
After several years at the helm of Mission Park, Dick becameaware that families were much better off addressing the dreadedday of funeral arrangements by making those hard decisions wellin advance of a time when heartache and mourning cloudedgood judgment. To assist our community, he established MTMLife Insurance Company to fund pre–need funeral planningefforts, to ease the financial burden that comes with anunexpected death. MTM has been so successful that it acquiredTranswestern Life Insurance Co. and a substantial interest inNorth America Life Insurance Co. as well as Atlantic SouthernInsurance Co. in Puerto Rico. Together, these companies offerlife insurance, funeral servicecost coverage, mortgage loans,and funeral home financing toassist independently ownedfuneral homes.
Helping people throughthis difficult time of life is thedriving force behind MissionPark’s growing areas of service. When a family has the foresightto make arrangements ahead of time, Dick’s companies will offera supplemental benefit free of charge, which covers children,grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. And Dickcontinues to emphasize the message that no one should burdentheir loved ones with the decisions and plans that should havebeen made in advance.
Buckner Fanning, former pastor of Trinity Baptist Churchand founder of The Buckner Fanning Christian School, has beena Tips family friend "for as long as I can remember. I feel like I’vealways known him," says Fanning.
Having presided over more than 800 funeral servicesFanning said he views Dick’s work as a ministry. “You’re reallyhelping people through a difficult time and you never know whatthe circumstances may be," Fanning said. “There is a correlationto being a pastor because you never know, but you try to helppeople whatever the circumstances may be. You have to beflexible and understanding. He and his staff have always beenjust the epitome of compassion."
There have been speed bumps along the way for Dick inhis personal life, however. In 2001, between Thanksgiving andChristmas, his home in north San Antonio burned to theground. The silver lining? No one died. And as Dick says,"Although I lost my home, I still have what is most important tome: my family, friends, freedom and faith."
After that loss, Dick lived in a hotel in downtown SanAntonio, rediscovering the city where he was born and raised.That year the New Year’s Eve celebration was held in front ofthe Fairmount Hotel. Seeing that this jewel of San Antonio hadfallen into disrepair was disappointing. Dick located the owners,purchased the hotel, and renovated the entire property.
What do a Hotel and a Funeral Home have in common?"They’re both 24/7/365operations, and they’re bothall about Customer Service,"says Dick. Those who useMission Park have the luxuryof allowing the Fairmount tobe their “"spare bedroom" forfamily and friends during life’smost difficult time. "If youdon’t have a place to receivewell wishers? No problem, youhave the Fairmount," Dick tellseveryone. "We help peoplecoming in for a funeral with travel and lodging plans. Providethem with e–mail and phone service, connect the family to ourhousekeeping services and car wash. And we work with thefamily on the memorial folder as well as their video tribute. Myhome is your home," is Dick’s philosophy, and to help make it feelmore like a home, we have Luke Tips "Director of Pet Relations"the Fairmount’s concierge/live in Labrador retriever who wasrescued by the Tips Family.
"We handle receptions anywhere the family wants," Dicksays assuredly. "We will go to a house, hotel, to a park. Thesame is true of funeral services. We will go wherever the familywants. We know that funeral services need to be unique to theindividual. Not everyone wants hymns. Some prefer countrymusic, others jazz. Several times families have asked if theycould have bagpipes. One woman asked that we play ‘WaltzAcross Texas’ at the end of the service because she and her husbandloved to dance."
Dick always keeps the family’s needs in mind. Dick has madeprivate flight arrangements to get loved ones to their destination andhas picked up vacationing family members by helicopter when anunexpected death has occurred.
For many, cremation is preferred to burial. Because MissionPark owns the crematory, the loved one never leaves the premisesuntil they are inurned, or the ashes have been scattered over placesof special importance, such as at sea, a favorite view overlooking ariver, or laid to rest in an urn garden. "We are here to help them carryout their final wishes," Dick saysproudly.
Beyond catering to uniquefinal requests, Mission Parkoffers the only perpetual carecemetery for pets in all ofTexas. Established in the late1970s, when a new highwaywas going to disrupt the burialplace of a family’s beloved pets,the Tips family opened a petcemetery. "Our pets becomesuch an important part of enjoyment of life, that it is fitting that welessen our loss by putting them to rest in a place where they will beremembered", Dick says.
What is the secret of success of this century old business? "Wenever forget that our families’ needs come first and quality care andservice go hand in hand. That’s something my great–grandfatherestablished and it’s become our culture – to go above and beyond,do whatever it takes to assist our families," says Dick.
Dick knows that a company’s strength is its people. With the teamthat he has built over the years, he continues his family’s calling toserve his community in the way he was taught by older generations,as well as improve that care through innovative services. "At MissionPark, it truly is our mission to care." says Dick.
