Our Staff

Our dedicated and supportive staff are here to guide you through this difficult journey. We take pride in doing our absolute best to ensure your needs are met. We are here for you.

Gary C. West, Funeral Director

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.

Vicki D. West,  Funeral Director

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.

Steve Hundley, Funeral Director

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 also serves as the 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. Steve and his wife, Ruslana, enjoy the mountains and outdoor activities like hiking to the many area waterfalls with their rescue pup, Zeke.

Meredith Parker Springs, Funeral Director 

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. 

Jennifer Wilson, Cemetery Family Service Counselor

Jennifer is a native of Florida and moved to NC when she was 8 years old.  She has a twin sister and is a 1991 graduate of North Buncombe High School.  Jennifer married her high school sweetheart, Bruce, and has lived in Barnardsville, NC for the past 27 yrs.  She loves to travel and spending time at their lake house in TN.  She has three children and four grandsons and one granddaughter.   She is a daughter of Lewis R. Ewell of Waynesville and Anne Cornelius Ewell Russell of Weaverville. She is a member of North Black  Mountain Missionary Baptist Church.

Allen Pounders, Cemetery Office Administrative 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.

Terry Rogers, Funeral Service Assistant

Terry is a native and life long resident of Buncombe County, N.C. He 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.

Eddie Cole, 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.

Alan Sonner, Funeral Service Assistant

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.

Larry Coates, Funeral Service Assistant

Larry is a native of Buncombe County and a resident of Barnardsville for most of his life. He is a 1960 graduate of North Buncombe High School and attended Haywood Hi- Tech. Married to Alma Mundy Coates in 1964, they have two children a daughter, Melisa Coates, and a son Tim Coates and two grandsons Chad and Chase Coates. Larry has been a minister since 1966 and has pastored a number of churches in WNC, and one in Landrum SC. Retired from CP@L in 1997 after 30 years of service. He has been with the West Family since 1994.

Jim Moore, Funeral Service Assistant

Jim is a native and life-long resident of Weaverville. He has been with the West Family since 2012. Jim is a 1968 graduate of North Buncombe High School and attended Fruitland Baptist Seminary. Jim married Wilma Arwood Moore in 1969 and they have two children, daughter, Stephanie Chambers and son, Cameron. Jim and Wilma are the proud grandparents of four granddaughters. Jim has been the pastor for 20 years of The Christian Chapel  Church in Asheville.

Wayne Plemmons, Funeral Director

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.

Eddie Fisher, Auto Detail and Groundskeeper

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.

Kelly McDaris, Housekeeping

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.

Katie & Lizzie West

Katie and Lizzie are here most days with Gary & Vicki, they are always ready to cheer someone up as long as they are pet lovers. Katie and Lizzie's father was a long haired cream from Durham, and their mother was a smooth red from Rock Hill, SC. Katie & Lizzie are referred to as strawberry blonds.

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