About Us
Tom
Williford—Tom Williford was born in Harnett county and
raised in the Fuquay community. Tom’s mother and father, as well
as his grandparents, were all from the Fuquay area. At a young age, Tom
was active in sports and social activities in the community, and soon
married and moved to Raleigh. There he began a career in Sales, covering
territories in North and South Carolina as well as a short time working
in the Detroit area. When his mother came ill, Tom returned to the Fuquay
area, beginning a second career in Funeral Directing. At first Tom felt
that the business was nothing he wanted part; however, after only a short
time, he began to see that as a funeral director he held a unique position
to help people in their time of need. He received his funeral directing
license from Fayetteville Technical College and began his second career.
Tom has worked for many of the funeral homes in the Raleigh area. He began at Cromartie-Miller and Lee, became the manager at Mount Lawn, and eventually worked for Brown-Wynne. What Tom learned by working for corporations in Raleigh was that the almighty dollar took precedence over caring for families. He vowed that he would either get out of the business or have the control he needed to provide an ethical business for those in need. When Sugg Funeral home came up for sale in Fuquay, Tom saw it was a chance to return home as well as provide the type of care that this industry needed the most. Currently, Tom, along side his son Tommy and his daughter-in-law Lauren, attempt to provide a distinguished and honored memorial for those that have passed as well as council families at their time of need.
Tommy
Williford—Tommy was born in Raleigh, attending church with
his grandmother in Fuquay when it was still a small rural community close
to but still a world away from the city. When he graduated from high school,
Tommy attended the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, where
he received his B.A. in English. There he received both intellectual and
life experience, taking with him the values of honor and service as cornerstones
of a member of society. From there, Tommy attended Appalachian State University,
where he taught Literature and writing classes and earned his Masters
degree in American Literature. Leaving the Carolinas, Tommy then went
to Conyers, Georgia where he taught in public schools, served on numerous
boards to improve the quality of education in Georgia, and began his studies
for his Doctorate in Education.
At the University of Georgia, Tommy studied Comparative and International education, Philosophy, and the history of American Education, leading him to travel and live in places as diverse as Cuba, Sweden, Germany and Poland. Once his studies were completed, Tommy and Lauren moved to Ohio to teach at Miami University and Wright State in Dayton, Ohio. His career in education was spent trying to improve the condition of both teachers and students, but when Tom, his father, purchased the Funeral Home, Tommy felt it was an opportunity to return home and help members of his own community. Tommy believes that the funeral home offers a unique opportunity to assist people in their time of need, help to grow a socially conscious population, assist in developing the needs of the community as well as serving as a neutral place for people to meet and discuss the political needs of their lives.
Lauren
Williford—Lauren was born in Dayton, Ohio, where she soon
moved to Conyers, Georgia. She attended Morehead State University in Morehead,
Kentucky and eventually transferred to Georgia Baptist College of Nursing
in Atlanta. She received her BS in Nursing and began her nursing career
working in the ICU at Atlanta Medical Center. After a year there, Tommy
and Lauren were married in Madison, Georgia and moved to Dayton, Ohio
where she began working at Miami Valley Hospital in the ICU. When Tom
purchased the funeral home in March of 2007, she, along with her husband
Tommy, felt that it was an opportunity to get closer to family, continue
to serve the needs of people, as well as develop as a part of the community.