RICHARD BRYANT HIGHTOWER SR

RICHARD BRYANT HIGHTOWER SR of Bremen, GA died September 27, 2026 at the age of 89. A licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1958, he began his career at Hightower Funeral Home, working alongside his parents, the late Herschel Bryant “H.B.” and Ruby Hightower. In 1972, Richard purchased Hightower Funeral Homes in Bremen and Martin & Hightower Funeral Home in Carrollton from his parents. He acquired Haralson Memory Gardens in 1973, later renamed Forest Lawn Memorial Park, and consolidated the family’s funeral home and cemetery operations under Martin & Hightower Funeral Home, Inc in 1978. Richard continued to expand the business, acquiring Hillcrest Chapel in Newnan in 1992 and establishing Hightower’s Memorial Chapel in Douglasville in 1999. That same year, Richard and his son, Bryant, began developing West Georgia Memorial Park in Carrollton. A graduate of John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science, Richard served on its board of trustees for more than 38 years. He was president of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia and served on the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service from 1990 to 1998. Richard also held leadership positions with the Independent Funeral Directors of Georgia, Associated Funeral Director Service, and the Georgia Cemetery Association.