FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 7/19/2007

Contact: Samantha Pinner

Virginia Funeral Directors Association

(804) 264-0505

spinner@vfda.net

Virginia Funeral Directors Association Elects

Bettye F. Miller, President

            RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Funeral Directors Association (VFDA) welcomes the 2007-2008

Board of Directors.  The association held its 119^th Convention in Virginia Beach, Virginia June 18-20, 2007. 

At the banquet held on June 20, 2007 the association introduced the new board members.

            The 2007-2008 president of the Virginia Funeral Directors Association is Bettye F. Miller.  Mrs. Miller is

owner and president of Gate City Funeral Home in Gate City, Va.  Mrs. Miller was raised in the funeral business

and has taken over the family business in recent years.   She joined the funeral business when she was licensed

in 1967.  Mrs. Miller apprenticed under her mother, Juanita S. Falin of Gate City Funeral Home.  Mrs. Falin and her

husband Gene [Falin] had been in the funeral business in Scott County, Va. since 1954.  Upon the death of

Mrs. Falin’s husband in 1964, she proceeded with his plans and built the current Gate City Funeral Home. 

“As my mother taught, I have always had the love of the community and the funeral business. 

I rely on the Virginia Funeral Directors Association to keep us informed of the challenges and changes of the

funeral industry,” says Mrs. Miller.  Her goal for the upcoming year is to visit as many funeral homes across

the state as possible.  She wants the members to benefit from the quality of excellence brought by the VFDA. 

 Mrs. Miller hopes to revisit and ignite the passion of the profession as many of the older generation professed.  

Miller is the second woman to serve as VFDA president.  The first woman served as president in 1989-1990.

            The 2007-2008 Board Members and their positions are listed below:

Click Here for Calendar (with updated District Officers)

·         Bettye F. Miller, President, Gate City Funeral Home, Gate City, Va.

·         Michael E. Rorrer, President-Elect, McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg, Va.

·         C. Keister Whitt, III, First Vice President, Wrenn-Yeatts Funeral Home, Danville, Va.

·         Todd W. Wolfe, Second Vice President, Jefferson Funeral Chapel, Inc., Alexandria, Va.

·         Leslie W. Powell, III, Secretary-Treasurer, Powell Funeral Home, Inc., South Boston, Va.

·         Robert H. Johnson, Immediate Past President, Johnson Funeral Service, Inc., Bridgewater, Va.

·         James L. Paitsel, Jr., Blue Ridge District,  Paitsel Funeral Home, New Castle, Va.

·         J. Michael Williams, Central District, Joseph W. Bliley Company, Inc., Richmond, Va.

·         Matthew J. Buscher, Northern District, Murphy Falls Church Funeral Home, Arlington, Va.

·         Mark Clarke, Shenandoah District. Henry Funeral Home, Inc., Staunton, Va.

·         Robert L. Finch, Southside District, Finch & Finch Funeral Home, Altavista, Va.

·         Mark Singleton, Southwest District, Singleton Funeral Home, Cedar Bluff, Va.

·         Michael Smith, Tidewater District. Holloman-Brown Funeral Home, Inc., Virginia Beach, Va.

·         Tolleison Morriss, At-Large Member, J.T. Morriss & Son, Inc., Petersburg, Va.

·         Robert A. Givens, At-Large Member, Givens Funeral Home, Pearisburg, Va.

·         Bobby L. Gardner, Jr., At-Large Member, Gardner Funeral Home, Floyd, Va.

·         Robert “Bob” Oman, At-Large Member, Oman Funeral Home, Chesapeake, Va.

 Unlike many organizations, the Virginia Funeral Directors Association also has a Sergeant at Arms and a Chaplin. 

 This year the sergeant at arms is Bobby L. Gardner, Gardner Funeral Home, Floyd, Va.

Norton and the Chaplin is Marty Hagy, Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home, Inc., located in Norton, Va.

About Virginia Funeral Directors Association:

The Virginia Funeral Directors Association was formed on September 20, 1887 in Richmond,

Virginia.  The VFDA is a voluntary association with membership affiliation in

the National Funeral Directors Association.  For more information on VFDA go to www.vfda.net.