WEST FAMILY FUNERAL SERVICES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Funeral Service Assistant
Alan is a native and lifelong resident of Buncombe County, NC. He retired from Buncombe County Emergency Services in 2014. Alan has been with the West Family since 2015. He is the son of Willard R. and Louise Maney Sawyer and is married to Barbara Roberts Sawyer. They have two sons, Corey and Jeff. Alan and Barbara reside in Barnardsville.
Alan was born in Northern Virginia and has lived in Weaverville since 1998. His father was an engineer building the Blue Ridge Parkway and they lived in Asheville twice while he was growing up. When Alan left the Air Force he came back to Asheville and worked for Applied Industrial Technologies for 34 years. After retirement he volunteered and worked for Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries North Office. He and his wife, Sandy, are members of First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville where he sings in the choir and is a deacon. They enjoy traveling and church activities.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Service Assistant
Allen is a native and life-long resident of WNC. He is a 1980 graduate of Clyde A. Erwin High School and a 1982 graduate of A-B Technical College with an Associate & Applied Science Degree in Drafting & Design Technology. Allen is the son of the late Robert and Anita Pounders. He and his wife, Brenda, attend Newbridge Baptist Church in which Brenda leads the Church Praise Team. Allen is very active in Ministry. He serves on the Buncombe Baptist Association Leadership Team in which he is Chairman of both the Partnership Mission and Baptist on Mission Teams, while also being a member of the Properties Team. Allen also serves on the Shepherding Council at Reynolds Mountain Christian Academy. His previous places of employment include being a design drafter for the US Navy, Thermo Fisher, Byers Precision, working as an assistant manager for Ingles, Inc. & Church Administrator at Newbridge Baptist Church for the past 16 years. Each summer Allen leads a Buncombe Baptist Summer Mission Team to Vermont. His other interests include model building, painting, cooking, fantasy baseball and college football.
Job Titles:
- Office Administrative Assistant
Beverly loves living in the mountains and spends as much time as possible outdoors. She's an avid photographer and enjoys taking photos of the beautiful landscapes of the area.
Beverly brings a variety of experience and expertise to West Funeral Home. She worked for many years in both commercial and residential real estate. She has experience as a mortgage loan officer and also worked for an appraisal firm.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Office Administrator
BJ is a native and lifelong resident of Buncombe County. She graduated from Clyde A Erwin High School as well as St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines Secretarial College. She is retired from local and state government agencies with 33 years of public service to various counties.
She is the oldest daughter of Gene and Carta Freeman of Leicester, having three siblings, four nieces, four great nephews and a great niece, with lots of emphasis on "great". Family is a very large and important part of her life. Faith, family and friends come first to her.
She has been with West Family Funeral Services since July 2020. BJ is very much a people person, enjoys DIY projects, small town ventures, loves southern gospel and bluegrass music, plays piano a bit.
She and her sweet rescue kitty, Pretty Girl, share a home where she's in charge and that's ok.
Job Titles:
- Weaverville 's First Dentist
Job Titles:
- Funeral Service Assistant
Eddie, a life-long resident of Buncombe County, joined the West Family in February 2013 after a 41-year career with the U.S. Postal Service. Eddie and wife, Linda have been members of First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville for 40+ years. Eddie serves as a church officer and he and Linda participate in the music ministry. Both Eddie and Linda enjoy playing together in the Asheville Community Band. They have been members of that organization for over 20 years.
Eddie is a native of Gloucester, NJ and a resident of Weaverville for the past 32 years. He joined the West Family in 2008. Eddie is married to Sue Hensley Fisher and they have four children, and seven grandchildren. In his spare time he enjoys pulling for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a member of Mount Herman Masonic Lodge #118 A. F. & A. M.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Valued Staff Member
Gary is a native and life-long resident of Weaverville. The son of the late Emily Jo Bishop West and Glen West, Jr., he is the fourth generation of the West family to provide funeral services to our communities.
A 1975 graduate of North Buncombe High School and 1976 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Services, he is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, a cemetery counselor, and received his crematory operators training in 2001.
Gary is married to Vicki DeWeese West and a member of Weaverville United Methodist Church.
Gary enjoys running, and gardening.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Service Assistant
Jim has lived in Weaverville since 1978. He joined the West family in 2002.
He retired from Moser/Bolton Mechanical in 2011 after 32 years. He also works part time at The Billy Graham Training Center, The Cove.
Jordan is from Barnardsville, NC and graduated from North Buncombe High School. In his free time, he enjoys hunting and fishing.
Kelly is a native of Weaverville, NC. She has been with the West Family since August 2013. Kelly is a 1987 graduate of North Buncombe High School and attended A-B Technical College. She is the daughter of the late Gene and Margaret Higgins Kuykendall. Kelly married Rodney McDaris in 1992. They have two daughters, Baylee and Rylie McDaris. They both attend school in the North Buncombe district.
Levi is a native of Barnardsville, NC. He is married to Cynthia "Cindy" Russell and they have two children, Landon & Chelsea. Levi enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and fishing. He is a Sunday school teacher and he and his wife are both youth leaders at their church, Paint Fork Missionary Baptist in Barnardsville.
Meredith grew up in High Point, NC and has lived in WNC since 2006.
She earned her BA in Literature and Spanish from Duke University in 1999, and degree in Funeral Service Education from Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Meredith has been licensed as a funeral director and embalmer since 2018, and is a certified crematory operator.
She enjoys reading and practicing yoga, and her family are members of Skyland United Methodist Church. Her husband, Kelly, works for the USDA and they adore their two sons, Wilder and Cohen.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Valued Staff Member
Steve grew up in western Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. degree in Communications Media.
After several years of working in radio in Charlotte, NC, Steve returned to Pennsylvania to pursue a new career in funeral service. He attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, graduated with highest honors, and returned to North Carolina. Steve is licensed as a funeral director and embalmer since 2006, and is a certified crematory operator. He is also a former Secretary of the North Carolina Crematory Authority, a 7 member committee of the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service.
He has played guitar for over 35 years and performed throughout the southeast with a professional variety band.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Service Assistant
Terry is a native of Weaverville and resident of Buncombe County, N.C. He is a 1972 graduate of North Buncombe High School and attended A-B Technical College, UNC and NC State, where he received a degree in Criminal Justice. Terry retired as Troop Commander with the NC State Highway Patrol after thirty years of service throughout the state. He later retired again as Deputy Chief from The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office after twelve additional years of service.
He enjoys listening to "Golden Oldies" 60's & 70's music, along with southern gospel and bluegrass. Terry has been with the West Family since 2005.
He is the son of Jim and Barbara Rogers of Weaverville and married to Carolyn Edwards Rogers. They are both members of First Presbyterian Church, Weaverville.
Trent is from Alexander, NC and enjoys riding horses and team roping.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Valued Staff Member
Vicki is a native of Alexander and a resident of Weaverville since 1981 when she married Gary.
She is a 1976 graduate of North Buncombe High School and a 1980 graduate of Mars Hill College with a B.S. in Accounting. She has been a licensed funeral director and cemetery counselor since 1988.
Her parents are Bill and Dora Lee Griffin DeWeese of Alexander.
Vicki is a member of Weaverville United Methodist Church.
Wayne is a native and a life-long resident of Asheville, NC. He has been with the West Family since 2004. A graduate of Fayetteville Technical Community College with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Funeral Service, he is a licensed funeral director, embalmer and received his crematory operator's training in 2007. He is married to Joyce Sluder Plemmons, they have one daughter, Janet P. Braxton and three grandchildren. Wayne retired from West in 2012, however he still helps with the Care Center, embalming and preparation of the deceased and needed.