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Riley Hinkley is a licensed funeral director and embalmer dedicated to serving families with compassion, professionalism, and respect during life's most difficult moments.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Riley earned his Bachelor's degree from Gannon University before completing his Mortuary Science degree at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. During his time at Gannon, he demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and teamwork as Captain of the men's water polo team and President of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Riley began his career in funeral service at Harding-Litwin Funeral Home in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, where he developed a strong foundation in caring for families and honoring their loved ones. While attending mortuary school, he continued to build his experience at John A. Freyvogel & Sons Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gaining valuable knowledge in every aspect of funeral service. After relocating to South Carolina, Riley spent five years serving families in the Charleston area before moving to Beaufort in 2026. He is now proud to serve the Lowcountry community as a funeral director with Copeland Funeral Service, where he is committed to providing personalized, dignified care to every family entrusted to him.

Outside of the funeral home, Riley enjoys spending time with his wife, Ketlen, and their dog, Denzel. He is passionate about fitness, enjoys riding his motorcycle, and can often be found grilling steaks over an open fire for family and friends.

Riley considers it a privilege to help families honor the lives of their loved ones with compassion, integrity, and attention to every detail.

Ed is an active member of White Bluff United Methodist Church in Savannah where he serves on the Nominating Committee. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science. He earned the lifetime designation and maintains annual certification as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner through the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. Ed is a board certified funeral director and embalmer in South Carolina (License #1551), Georgia and North Carolina. Ed was General Manager of Sipple Mortuary in Savannah for eight years prior to starting Gamble Funeral Service. He purchased Copeland Funeral Home from his longtime friend, Curt Copeland, in January, 2008. After almost 40 years as a volunteer firefighter, Ed retired in May 2020 as a Captain with the Clarendon County Fire Department, where he was voted Officer of the Year in 2017 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter with the City of Manning Fire Department. He has a daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Sean Briley. Ed is known as “G” to his four grandchildren, Donnie, Hope, Aidan and Rowan, and his five great-grandsons, Bentley, Ashton, Avery, Audenlee and Trace.

Haley Gates was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Beaufort SC when she was 6 years old. She has been in the funeral business since 2021. Haley is currently in the process of obtaining her Associates degree in Funeral Directing and Embalming at Piedmont Technical College. Haley worked doing home health throughout the Beaufort and Hilton Head area for 3 years. At the age of 6 years old, Haley knew her calling was to work in the Funeral Service Industry. In 2019 she started her journey to get her degree when she found out she was having a little boy. It took longer than she had hoped to start college but she was still determined and pushed towards her dream. Haley started her apprenticeship in 2022 (License #4459). Haley enjoys shopping, crafting, and going on adventures with her 4 year old son, Sylus.

Howell Youmans has been with Copeland Funeral Service since 2024