Our Team

Directing the day-to-day operations for Radiant Heart allows Bobbie Ruth to combine her love and respect for pets and the people who love them with her varied education and professional background.

Bobbie Ruth earned a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from Millikin University in Decatur, IL. She spent her junior year of college studying and working in Milan, Italy. From 1992-1994 Bobbie Ruth was a full-time student working toward a Masters of Divinity at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park, IL. She interned at churches in Oak Park, IL and St. Louis, MO, helping children, elderly and disabled shut-ins, terminally ill persons, and survivors of loss. Ultimately Bobbie Ruth realized that ministry was not the right path for her, and she left the University of Chicago prior to earning a degree. However, she took with her a keen interest in the topic of grief — the actual timelines of grief, the vastly different ways in which humans grieve, and how this information can help individuals and families move through the grief process with compassion for each other and themselves.

From 2006 to the 2015 Bobbie Ruth owned and managed The Placid Pet, Inc. (dba Placid Pets) a pet care organization that at its peak employed 13 pet care providers and actively cared for more than 350 pets across 200 households in and around Whatcom County. Bobbie Ruth personally provided care for hundreds of animals, earning the trust of pet owners in our area.

While her daughter, Tatiana, was still in primary school, the Langly family fostered more than 60 dogs and puppies and Bobbie Ruth served as a case manager for the Alternative Humane Society and Happy Tails, Happy Homes. Tatiana and Bobbie Ruth cleaned horse stalls on Sunday mornings at the Whatcom Humane Society Farm. Currently (keeping volunteering for WHS in the family), Bobbie Ruth’s wife, Ann Newman, makes two trips every week out to the Wildlife Animal Shelter delivering fresh fruit and vegetables from the Cordata Co-op.

Bobbie Ruth is an International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC) Registered Pet Funeral Director, Certified Pet Bereavement Specialist II, Certified Pet Crematory Operator and Certified Pet Alkaline Hydrolysis Operator. She is also a Therm-Tec Certified Crematory Operator.

Ann and Bobbie Ruth live in Bellingham, WA with their dogs Butterscotch and Spike.

Mary Jo Peterson is a life-long Washingtonian. She came to Bellingham in 1995 to attend WWU and met her husband, Steve. They live together in Whatcom county with their two girls, dogs Donnie and Rocket and cats Midnight and Jasper.

Mary Jo joined Radiant Heart in September of 2021. She loves pets and appreciates having the opportunity to help people.

Kathy’s family often tell stories of her dressed sweetly in little sundresses but always covered head to foot in hair from the numerous outdoor cats that lived on the family’s property in Meridian, Idaho.  She loved storybooks but only the ones about animals and fervently wished she lived on a farm.  One of the most treasured gifts she ever received was a set of encyclopedias called Animals of The World.  She would spend hours pouring through the pages looking at the pictures and memorizing many of the amazing traits of each animal.  She has those well worn books to this day.  Kathy dreamed of being a veterinarian when she grew up.

Kathy’s anti-pet childhood home made her yearning for pets of her own nearly unbearable.  Kathy was very adept at taming feral kittens which her family then reluctantly fed.  During the summer of her 12th year, Kathy won an “invisible dog” (leash with wire running down it attached to a stiff dog harness) at the fair.  After months of her walking that around the neighborhood, her parents were finally convinced (shamed) by neighbors into letting her have a dog of her own.  When Kathy moved out and on her own, the pet floodgates opened.  Over the years her pets have included, numerous cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, birds, rats, mice, chinchillas, sugar gliders, spiny mice, dormice, possums, hedgehogs, snakes, lizards, fish, sheep, pygmy goats and horses.  She and her daughter raised and showed both rabbits and guinea pigs for many years. 

In March of 2000, Kathy took a job in the social services sector and moved with her spouse and youngest daughter to Whatcom County.  The move was a serious undertaking considering it included three dogs, a cat, two Mourning Doves and approximately 60 purebred show rabbits.  After losing three dogs of her own starting in 2019, each of whom was cremated at Radiant Heart, Kathy joined Radiant Heart part-time. Kathy was grateful for the compassionate service she received and was looking for a way to help other grieving pet parents

Kathy has 2 adult daughters and 8 beautiful grandchildren.  She and her spouse share their home currently with 4 dogs plus 1 foster dog, a cat, 2 parrots and several tropical fish tanks.  Her hobbies include caring for her pets, baking, antiquing and buying and selling vintage toys and dolls.  

Kathy joined Radiant Heart in April 2022.

Vale moved to Whatcom County in 2017 and brings with him an eclectic background. Vale is a U.S. Army Veteran, serving his country from 1996 until his discharge in 2003 (Ft. Benning, GA; Ft. Lewis, WA; Kuwait). He is a graduate in Culinary Arts from le Cordon Bleu France and once owned and operated a catering business. Vale has also worked professionally in the television and movie industries in art and special effects.

Vale has been a long-time friend of Radiant Heart having worked in the human funeral industry for serveral years, specifically for a local funeral home who offers pet cremation service to their clients.  Vale is a CANA/IAOPCC Certified Pet Crematory Operator.

Vale resides in Maple Falls, WA with his beloved wife (who he met while she was working at Radiant Heart), cat Elvirus and dogs Maxx and Sassy.

Vale joined the Radiant Heart team in April 2023.

gillian (who prefers her name in all lowercase) lives in Whatcom County with her husband, son, dog Conan and a cat.

Having felt the loss of a pet (which coincidentally led her to Radiant Heart as a client), gillian understands the deep connection people have with their animal counterparts and just how devastating it is when that connection is lost. gillian is happy to be a part of something that allows people to say goodbye to their loved ones in their own time. By being a part of the Radiant Heart team she hopes to help pet parents honor their pets memory in whatever way they chose.

gillian’s free time is spent with her family, in nature and/or creating something out of nothing.

gillian joined Radiant Heart in January 2024.

A long-time animal lover, Amy worked for a Canada-based pet rescue organization in Blaine, WA before joining Radiant Heart.

Amy’s primary duties include the highly-detailed work of scanning and digitally cleaning each ink print, as well as machine and hand-sanding each clay paw print.  However, if Radiant Heart ever had a MVP it would be Amy, who is always willing to step in where needed to help get the work done.

Amy joined Radiant Heart in April 2024, but was a friend of the staff for several years prior — as both a client and as the wife of Kathy Smith (see Kathy’s bio above).

Kaylin creates truly beautiful ink and fur memorials for Radiant Heart clients.

Note from Bobbie Ruth: “Kaylin came to Radiant Heart based on the recommendation of another team member. During her initial interview/training week, she explained to me that she didn’t know how to work fast — rushing work, just to get it done, is not in her work vocabularly.  At Radiant Heart we are much more interested in a top-knotch end product, so the fact that Kaylin takes her time has never been an issue. The quality of her work is amazing! Since we established the company in 2013, many people have tried to fill the role of ink print facilitator, and none were able to produce the quality of ink prints that I believed was needed, except for me, and while I’m pretty darn good, Kaylin exceeds my ability with her patience and careful attention to detail.”

Kaylin is an avid volunteer for the Alternative Humane Society, specializing in cat rescue.  She and her partner frequently foster cats who are in need, including felines with special needs.
Kaylin joined Radiant Heart in July 2024.

Rowan Elizabeth was born and raised in Washington State and holds both a BA in Philosophy from Portland, Oregon’s Lewis & Clark College and an MA in Western Esotericism from the University of Amsterdam.

A lifelong animal lover and vegan for over a decade, Rowan navigates her role as Radiant Heart’s Aquamation Facilitator with utmost compassion, care, and consideration.

When she isn’t at home working on an art project or watching movies, Rowan enjoys browsing Bellingham’s used bookstores, reflective walks around Bayview Cemetery, and investigating unexplained “High Strange” phenomena.

Rowan is a CANA Certified Pet Crematory Operator.

She joined Radiant Heart in December 2024.

Nicole was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and Port Orchard, WA. She studied at San Diego State University for two years and then transferred to Western Washington University (WWU). She will be graduating from WWU in 2026 with a Bachelors of Sociology. 

Nicole believed that she would go directly into law school to study international law, but after starting work with Radiant Heart (initially as a part-time summer job), she realized that her heart belongs with animals and pet parents experiencing the loss of a pet — loss she is familiar with. She is grateful to have the opportunity to use her personal experience with pet loss, along with her now professional experience and training (she has completed the IAOPCC Pet Bereavement Certification Level I), to help others move through the steps associated with their pet’s after-care.

“My ultimate goal is to become a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and eventually go to law school and study wildlife conservation and animal law and spread the word about the importance of conserving wildlife in our world,” says Nicole. Her ultimate goal would be to open her own animal sanctuary and/or rehabilitation center.

Nicole volunteers at a farm sanctuary in Canada as well at the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. She is also a driver for the WHS Wildlife Transport and Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Nicole enjoys golfing, skiing, hiking, working out, and time with her cat Zesty, though her busy schedule leaves little free time.

Nicole joined Radiant Heart in September 2025.

Karen came to Radiant Heart through the human side of the death care industry, where she worked as an intern funeral director and licensed crematory operator.

She calls Bellingham home, where she lives with her young adult kids and a wide variety of critters. The current line-up includes a chihuahua that thinks he runs the show, two bunnies (who rule the roost) and three cats.

Karen has been a longtime volunteer with Whatcom County Search & Rescue and is currently a member of the 4×4 off-road unit. In her spare-time she enjoys getting out on her motorcycle and working on her current project — rebuilding her ’93 Jeep Wrangler.

Karen joined Radiant Heart in November 2025.