EL SEGUNDO HERALD August 4, 2016 Page 7 TerriAnn in Torrance Fly Me To The Moon Story and Photos by TerriAnn Ferren Two weeks ago, I attended the ribbon cut-ting of Argos Funeral Services in the City of Torrance. It was the very first funeral business ribbon cutting I had ever attended. What surprised me was the overall tone of the event. It was joyful. Owner of the company, Judah Ben-Hur, and Shawn LaValleur-Adame, Managing Funeral Director, hosted a rooftop patio celebration complete with white doves, which were released from attendee’s hands simultaneously as the ribbon was cut. My interest in this company was peaked when I noticed a video on one of the tables showing a rocket launching into space. What could that have to do with a funeral business? I was about to find out. A week later I met with owner, Judah Ben-Hur at his offices at 22750 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 230. I was eager to find out more about the people behind this unusual, but necessary business. Born in Ohio, Judah traveled the world with his military parents, ending up in San Francisco, and eventually making his way to Los Angeles. Judah told me, “About fifteen, sixteen years ago, [I] decided to get into the funeral business by way of mortuary transportation. Mortuary transportation is where a transport company contracts with the area funeral homes in Los Angeles or Orange County – we then go into peoples homes, hospitals, convalescents, and we remove the loved one…we do the transport. We gave the company as a gift to the drivers when we started Argos Funeral Services in October of last year. Rather than selling it, or abandoning it…we let the drivers have it as a gift because of their good work ethic.” (Little did I know at the time that his idea of transport went much further than I imagined.) I asked Judah what prompted him into the funeral services business and he candidly told me, “I realized things mortuaries were doing didn’t really fit with what they were advertising. Making a long story short, I now know what not to do – overpricing, pre-need – and overcharging for services… our cremation is $590, which includes death certificate and a permit…we also work with peoples budgets.” In 2010, Judah served as President of the Orange County Funeral Directors Association and currently, Shawn LaValleur-Adame, serves on the board of the Association. But it was Portuguese-born and raised, Maria Costa Rodrigues, Judah’s wife, who encouraged Judah and Shawn into business. Judah told me that integrity is the cornerstone upon which his business is founded. Prices are listed for everyone to see, and there are no hidden costs. Judah excitedly ticked off the information, although not new to me, resonated because usually funeral costs are quite steep. “Argos Funeral Services is an in-novative mortuary that is creating a paradigm shift in funeral service planning and unique personalization,” said Judah. His passion for truth and turning the industry upside down connected with Shawn LaValleur-Adame, who was working at another mortuary when they met. It was the innovative spirit of Ben-Hur and LaValleur-Adame that has made Argos the only funeral company in California that offers Lunar Burials on the moon through Memorial Spaceflight Services provided by Celestis, Inc. You heard me right. Burials on the moon! “Our first launch, Luna 2, is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2017. This launch will become a historic moment for us all here in Torrance and the state of California and will change the funeral industry forever,” Judah said. Judah quoted John F. Kennedy’s 1962 speech given at Rice University, “We choose to go to the moon! We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard…” Okay, I know what you are thinking. How much would this cost? I checked out the brochure and if you would like the ‘Lunar Service/Launch to Lunar Orbit or Surface’, where you travel via Moon Express and Astrobotic Technology, Inc., where launch payloads containing ‘Human Cremated Remains’ that are dug into the surface of the moon – that will cost you $12,500. Of course the price rises if you choose more than 1 gram of cremated remains for the flight. Judah told me that, although this isn’t for everyone, some people really want to gaze at the moon from anywhere on earth and remember their loved one, “Celestis has been shooting cremains into space for up to 30 years and there is another company in San Francisco that has started up and they are also catching the bandwagon. These are two companies that contract with a launch company, like NASA, and then they put their payload on the payload that goes into space. What Celestis is doing is putting a payload on a rocket, I don’t know if it is a Saturn 4 or 5 or not, and then that payload, goes to the moon, lands on the moon, then a rover comes up to the capsule, pulls out the cremains and inserts it into the ground as an internment. Our first launch is next fourth quarter of next year…and we give you a telescope so every full moon you can look up and see your loved one. How romantic is that?” Argos Funeral Services is the first funeral home in the state of California to have a death certificate state: ‘memorial space flight to the surface of the earth’s moon’. So next year, Torrance, California will go down in history as having Argos Funeral Services in town as the first funeral home to launch cremains to the moon and bury it. Wow. Judah went on to tell me about his full body burial at sea. This company aims to please. “We also have the option to put remains in fireworks, a summit – like a volcano in Hawaii. There are so many different options you can choose,” said Shawn. They also offer a Nordic burial. You will have to ask them about that. It sounds like adventures in interment, so to speak. But wait, there’s more! Shawn then showed me mourning jewelry offered by closebyme Jewelry, located in Huntington Beach. Al-though mourning jewelry has been around for thousands of years - Queen Victoria brought it into the mainstream after her husband, Prince Albert died. The queen wore his mourning ring and dressed in black for the remainder of her life. Both Judah Ben-Hur and Shawn LaValleur- Adame are of the same mind when it comes to customer service. They are open 24/7 and lend an ear to all their clients. More than best friends, Judah and Shawn together are changing the funeral service business. Argos Funeral Services don’t advertise - they rely on word of mouth exclusively. “The reason we chose the name, Argos is because - Ar-gos is a city in Greece, and during all its history, whenever it was taken, the citizens never abandoned the city. They stayed and rebuilt for centuries. So we never leave our customers. We have friendships with many of our clients,” said Judah. Talking with Judah Ben-Hur and Shawn LaValleur-Adame was eye opening on many levels. I am still wrapping my mind around the whole ‘moon launch thing’. Did I mention you also have the option of having remains shot into space – and then returned, or launch into the earth’s orbit and then vaporized like a shooting star as you reenter the atmosphere? The possibilities are endless. Argos Funeral Services pride themselves on old-fashioned customer service. Torrance is a very special place, but who knew we would go down in history as the city having the company who sent the first documented ‘loved one’ to the moon! • El Segundo Roty Club Presents SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 Gates Open: 4:00pm • Movie Starts at Dusk Beer • Wine • Tacos • Pizza • Hamburgers Hot Dogs • Popcorn & more! Giant Movie Screen • Entertainment • Train Rides • Moon Bounce • Face Painting At Chevron Park, El Segundo - Parking at Illinois and El Segundo Blvd. Admission: $4 (kids 2 and under are free) bring blankets & beach chair - no high-back chairs please Tickets available now at Industrial Lock & Security, Big-5 El Segundo & the El Segundo Chamber of Commerce. For more information contact: information@movieinthepark.info. Or visit: www.movieinthepark.info McDonald's EL SEGUNDO POWER LLC Bonilla Family • Cars Muffler & Automotive, Inc • El Segundo Firefighters Association • El Segundo Dermatology • El Segundo Police Officers Association El Gringo Mexican Restaurants • Shiela Fowler, Beach City Brokers • Gina Hoffman, Palm Realty Boutique • The Mailbox • Mularz Construction Brian Magovern, M.D., Torrance Orthopedic & Sports Medicine • Eloise Mendez, Palm Realty Boutique • Ramey Roofing • Dr. Michele Rogers • Bill Ruane SAGA • Seligman Wealth Management • Clair Sinnett • SJM • So. Cal. Gas Company • Kevin Smith • Studio Printing • Team Handling Services A Fun Outdr Family Event! INDUSTRIAL LOCK & SECURITY The Reimann Law Group Good Ideas. Good Work. Solving Problems. Supervisor Don Knabe County of Los Angeles |Fourth District No Outside Alcohol Permitted No Drop-Offs or Pick-Ups Permitted No Pets Judah Ben-Hur and Shawn LaValleur-Adame - burials on land, at sea and on the moon. Modern Mourning jewelry.
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