Our History
As early as 1904, G. Frank Robinson was operating an undertaking parlor from the second floor of his furniture store in Damascus, Virginia. When Mock-Wright bought Mr. Robinson's business in 1912, L. H. Wright became the undertaker. In 1938, Herbert L. Wright purchased the undertaking business from Mock-Wright and soon moved it from the furniture store to a small former hotel across the street.
In 1949, Wright Funeral Home moved into a new two-story brick building that Wright had built for this purpose. The firm is still located there today. Just prior to his retirement in 1972, Wright sold the business to John Mullins, a funeral service licensee originally from Clintwood, Virginia, and the name was changed to Mullins Funeral Home. In October 1977, Mullins sold the firm to Bob Johnson of Coeburn, Virginia, who changed the name to Johnson Funeral Home.
During 1990, the Johnson Funeral Home building was completely remodeled - from new carpet on the floor to new shingles for the roof, new furniture, padding for the chapel pews, and new paint inside and out.
Effective October 1, 2001, Johnson Funeral Home was renamed Garrett Funeral Home. The funeral home was named for Todd Garrett who is the manager there. Richard Tetrick, President of Heritage Family Funeral Services, stated, "Todd stands for the funeral home. Not only is he the licensed funeral director and manager there, he is the symbol of the funeral home in the community. Todd is a 'home-town' boy who has done extremely well in his chosen field. After receiving training, he chose to return to his native community, where his family lives, to pursue his career. We are very pleased and consider it fitting to name the funeral home Garrett Funeral Home."
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Todd Garrett Manager/Funeral Director/Embalmer
Todd, a licensed funeral director and embalmer in both Virginia and Tennessee, is the manager of Garrett Funeral Home. Todd is a native of Damascus, Virginia, and attended Holston High School where he was the captain and quarterback of the football team. He attended the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he graduated sixth in his class "Cum Laude" in 1992 with an Associate Degree in Mortuary Science. Todd is a member of the Virginia Institute of Funeral Professionals, former president of the Southwest Virginia Funeral Directors Association, and member of the Damascus Citizens Club. Todd is a member of the First Baptist Church and has a son, Nicholas Peyton Garrett, and a daughter, Madison Nicolle Garrett.
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Jami Zander Funeral Director/Embalmer
Jami is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Tennessee. She was born and raised in southwest Virginia and graduated with her Mortuary Degree from John Tyler Community College in 2012. Jami was humbled by the sting of loss at an early age with her mother's untimely passing and felt the calling to serve others. Jami joined our team in November of 2020 as Location Manager of Blevins Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Bristol, VA and also serves as a Funeral Director and Embalmer at Garrett Funeral Home in Damascus, VA. She is married with one son and two step-daughters. Jami enjoys spending time with her family and friends, North Carolina Tar Heels basketball, and Las Vegas Raiders Football.
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Scott Greene Family Services Counselor
Scott is a native of Johnson City and graduated from Daniel Boone High School. He is a licensed life insurance agent, with several years of experience. He is an ordained minister, having worked extensively in youth ministries and served as Youth Pastor at several local churches. Scott and his wife Patti live in Bluff City. They have one son, Scott (and daughter-in-law Maryl) and one granddaughter, Amber. They attend Chinquapin Grove Baptist Church. Scott joined our staff in 2018 as a pre-need counselor and has also worked in cemetery and monument sales. His duties with us have recently expanded to include assisting our families full-time in aftercare consulting and pre-arrangement planning.
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Connie S. Kirk Administrative Assistant
Connie is a native of Washington County, Virginia and attended school at Holston High School. She has one son, Eric. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her canine companion Ziggie.
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Brenda E. Snodgrass Funeral Attendant
Brenda is a native of Damascus, VA and now lives in Glade Spring, VA on the family farm. She is married to Bert Snodgrass. She has two sons, Travis and Brent Dyson, and two grandchildren, Brady and Emery. She also has three step-daughters and ten step-grandchildren.
She was employed at Columbus McKinnon Corporation in Damascus for 22 years. After that, she and her husband owned and operated their own business in Damascus for 17 years. She left her job at Ballad Health in 2019 after 8 years.
In her spare time, Brenda enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her grandchildren.
