Shun Newbern, MS, CFSP

has over 25 years of dedicated funeral service experience. As a licensed embalmer and funeral director he presently owns and is a full-time manager at the Metropolitan Mortuary in Southern California. He is a motivational speaker on personal leadership and funeral service practices; he has a long litany of subject matters related to funeral service.  While well respected for his funeral service training sessions and articles, he has become a well-recognized presenter in the funeral service profession. These credentials and skill sets, brand him a competent and respectful consultant.  Shun Newbern provides a service that offers the legal community expert and consultant support for plaintiff and defendants nationwide in funeral service, embalming, cremation and cemetery related issues.

 

 After graduating from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1991, he obtained his licenses as a funeral director, embalmer, crematory manager and cemetery manager, then later his Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Master of Science in Leadership and Management at the University of La Verne. Prior to owning Metropolitan Mortuary, he worked as a supervisor for two large high-volume mortuaries in Southern California as a licensed embalmer.  He was also an adjunct instructor for Cypress College, Mortuary Science Program in Cypress, CA.


As a funeral home operator, other funeral directors around the globe contact Mr. Newbern and Metropolitan Mortuary to represent their out of state funeral home to transport loved ones back home (including international repatriation).  His level of care has caught the attention of families and legal representatives in regards to nobles and celebrities for the sake of privacy and extreme care.

 

Mr. Newbern's credentials include Nationally Certified by the National Examining Board of Funeral Service and Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) from The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice.  Over the years he has been a presenter for American Society of Embalmers, Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity, International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association, National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, National Funeral Directors Association and several state associations. 

 

As an avid writer; he has published a series of articles on embalming and prep room management in the Director, Funeral Home and Cemetery News, The ICCFA, The Dodge Magazine, The Austrian Funeral Director, The Canadian Funeral Director and The American Funeral Director.  Mr. Newbern has represented his fellow professionals through various elected positions that include National President, Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity, President, Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association, Nu Chapter President, Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity, California Ambassador for The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and Los Angeles Chapter President, California Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association.

 

Partial (short) list of focus areas:

  • Mortuary Law and the Standard of Care

  • Cremation / Cemetery Law

  • Matters of Misidentification

  • Funeral Home Malpractice

  • Transportation / Removal Protocol

  • Decomposition

  • Domestic and International Shipping Issues

  • Embalming Standard of Care

  • Gross Negligence

  • Unprofessional Practice