JOHN CHARLES RILES of Vicksburg, MS died March 30, 2022 at the age of 75. A longtime funeral director, he was the former owner and operator of Charles Riles Funeral Home, which later merged with the Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home to form Fisher-Riles Funeral Homes.
MARJORIE “MARGIE” COLSON of Indianapolis, IN passed away on March 29, 2022 at the age of 74. She entered the funeral industry by establishing a third party marketing company representing funeral homes. In 2014, she and her husband, Tony Colson, purchased Harper’s Community Funeral Home near Ft. Wayne, IN and in 2017 they purchased Halo International in Twinsburg, OH.
ROBERT L. “BOB” GROVES of Union, WV died March 26, 2022 at the age of 69. A funeral director and embalmer, he worked at the Broyles-McGuire Funeral Home in Union, Wm. S. Broyles Funeral Home in Peterstown, Tyree Funeral Home in Oak Hill and in 1994, Bob and his wife Carol established the Groves Funeral Home in Union, where he...
NINA GREENE of Alexandria, VA died March 24, 2022 at the age of 54. She has worked within Greene Funeral Home, Inc on and off for over twenty-five years. Nina was currently serving as a funeral service assistant, where she provided administrative support and was instrumental in helping families with memorial tributes and life insurance.
FREDERICK CHARLES LOCKE of Wilmington, NC died March 24, 2022 at the age of 87. A longtime funeral director, he was the owner and operator of Locke Funeral Home in Waterloo, IA until his retirement.
JOHN JOSEPH WHITAKER of Cloverdale, IN died March 24, 2022 at the age of 81. A funeral director, he worked with his father, Charles at the Whitaker Funeral Home for many years. Whitaker was active in the Independent Funeral Directors of Indiana for many years, serving on the board as president and other various positions until his retirement.
JAMES R. “JIM” FORNOFF of Greenfield, IN died March 24, 2022 at the age of 79. He worked as a funeral director at Pasco Memorial Mortuary for many years. A 1965 graduate of the Indiana College of Mortuary Science, he was a member of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association and the Independent Selected Funeral Directors.
CHARLES E. STRODE of Tompkinsville, KY died March 21, 2022 at the age of 83. A Kentucky licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1959, he began his career at the John Edd Yokley Funeral Home in the early 1960’s. In 1966 Strode started what was Strode Lyons Funeral Home. It then became Strode Funeral Home, where he served the Monroe...
ROBERT “BOB” GRAY WASSON of Siloam Springs, AR died March 19, 2022 at the age of 87. He worked at Wasson Funeral Home with his parents, and since 1974 has owned and operated the business. A graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, he was a past president of the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association and was a recipient of...
WILLIAM “BILL” J. LAUBER of Milford, NE died March 17, 2022 at the age of 59. He purchased the Moore’s Funeral Homes of Friend, Milford and Beaver Crossing in 1992. In 2018, he opened Blue Valley Crematory as an addition to Lauber Funeral Homes. Bill graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mortuary science from the University of Minnesota. He served...