Our History
In 1969 Curt Copeland started this funeral home (Morrall-Copeland Funeral Home) and back then Curt knew just about everyone. In 2008, Curt sold Copeland Funeral Home to his longtime friend, Ed Gamble. The name changed slightly from Copeland Funeral Home to Copeland Funeral Service.
Both Curt and Ed believed that the beauty of Beaufort is endless. It’s an area rich in tradition. Beaufort and the surrounding low country is a great place to live, work, and grow. From generation to generation, and from raising a family to retiring, Copeland Funeral Service has been honored to serve the needs of our community.
Curt Copeland passed away on December 4, 2010, but his legacy and love for Beaufort and the low country continues on.
Ed began his career in funeral service during his 10th grade in high school in his home town of Manning (South Carolina). He worked after school and on weekends for Ranny Stephens at Shelley-Brunson Funeral Home (now Stephens Funeral Home). From there he worked for Bill Shives at Talbert-Shives Funeral Home in Columbia. He left Columbia to attend Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta, Georgia. Ed returned to Shives Funeral Home after graduation in 1977. He later managed Parrott Funeral Home in Kinston, North Carolina and The Howze Mortuary in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.
In 1995, he was hired by Carriage Services as General Manager of Sipple Mortuary in Savannah. After Carriage closed Sipple Mortuary, and knowing that Savannah needed an independent funeral home, Ed and his friend and mentor, Charlie Sipple, opened Gamble Funeral Service in the “old Sipple building” in October, 2003.
In April, 2011, Tom Wright joined the Copeland Funeral Service family as Vice President and General Manager. Tom is also currently serving on the South Carolina State Board of Funeral Service.
We welcome you to drop by and visit with our staff and see our facility. We certainly encourage you to “Ask a Family We Have Served.”™
-
Tom Wright, Vice President, Funeral Director, Manager
Tom was born in Charleston. He is a 1981 Fort Johnson High School graduate and attended Newberry College while living at Whitaker Funeral Home. In 1984 he served his apprenticeship with Harley Funeral Home in Greenwood. Tom is a 1987 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service. He was with Harley Funeral Home for 27 years. Tom is a member of the Sea Island Rotary Club and is a past chairman for the South Carolina Waterfowl Association – Greenwood Chapter. He earned and maintains annual certification as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner through the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. Tom is a board certified funeral director and embalmer in South Carolina (License #1974) and Georgia. He has one son, Thomas J. “T. J.” Wright V.
-
Ed Gamble, Funeral Director
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, Funeral Apprentice
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, Funeral Assistant
Howell Youmans has been with Copeland Funeral Service since 2024
-
Becky Brown, Receptionist
Becky has been with Copeland Funeral Service since August of 2023.
