Who We Are

Denise Martinez

Administrative Assistant

Denise was born and raised in Northern Kentucky. Her family lived in a large house situated on 12 acres of mostly wooded property. When she wasn’t in school or working for the family’s small businesses, she enjoyed hiking through the woods and experiencing the quiet and peaceful gifts nature had to offer. She was also in charge of tending the large family garden.

After graduating with a degree in computer technology and business, she worked for many years as a contractor teaching computer classes. In 2002, Denise began working as the church administrator for Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. Throughout her 19 years of service, Denise guided the business of the church in making great technological advancements. She retired in 2021.

While working for the church, Denise was introduced to Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary at the time of its inception in 2020. She is grateful for the opportunity to work for the area’s first natural burial reserve.

Denise currently lives in Anderson Township with her husband Ken. She enjoys cooking, gardening, puzzles of all sorts and especially spending time with her son, Jarrett and daughter, Marisa.

Patrick Sanders

Sanctuary Steward

Patrick cultivated a love for the outdoors from a young age, preferring to play in the woods instead of on the computer. While studying at The Ohio State University, he joined the Mountaineering Club and developed a love for outdoor recreation. He became the Safety Coordinator of the club, and led rock climbing, caving, and backpacking trips across the United States. After graduating with a degree in Ecological Engineering, he chose to pursue his dream to live internationally, and moved to Aotearoa, New Zealand. While there, he obtained his Permaculture Design Certificate and worked in the field of conservation.

During the COVID pandemic, Patrick returned home to Cincinnati and worked as the first (part-time) Land Steward at Heritage Acres. Eventually, Patrick’s adventurous spirit led him to move away again. This time, he was called to Maui, Hawai’i, to dive deeper into living in harmony with the land through sustainable agriculture. After that chapter, he moved to Southeast Asia and worked across various countries as a freelance outdoor educator for youth. After many years living abroad, Patrick is excited to return to Heritage Acres again as our full time Sanctuary Steward. He knows firsthand the tangible positive impact humans can have when they commit to preserving the delicate balance of the ecosystem in which they are inherently intertwined.

Bill Gupton

Cemetery Manager

Bill brought his dream of creating a natural burial sanctuary for Cincinnati to fruition in 2020, after more than a decade of hard work that began with an inspiration at the grave of the great 19th century naturalist Henry David Thoreau. He says, “In that moment, I realized that Thoreau had, indeed, become a vital part of the natural world that he so loved – but only because he, like all his contemporaries, had been buried in a way that today we would call ‘green’ burial.” As the Tri-State’s leading spokesperson for green burial, Bill has appeared in numerous local, regional and national publications, as well as in broadcast media, advocating for a return to more natural and traditional human burial practices. He has long been active in the “Death Positive” movement, is a Friend of the Green Burial Council, and is a member of the National Home Funeral Alliance. Bill has also served as minister of the Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church in Anderson Township since 2002.