“The people in Wake Forest have supported us for years. We don’t want to leave them with a company that doesn’t do like we do.” That is Randy Bright’s explanation for the news that their family business, Bright Funeral Home, has agreed to partner with Carriage Services, a national company providing services to funeral homes and cemeteries.
The Brights – mother Betty and her sons, Randy and Tommy – are not going away any time soon, Randy was quick to explain. But just as they encourage families to make funeral arrangements before they are needed, they want to make sure someone will be there that they trust when there is a need, which will be “years from now,” Randy said.
Other companies and funeral homes have approached them for several years, but Randy said, “There just doesn’t seem to be any compassion” on the part of many firms. It is our name on the sign, he said, and the three wanted to make sure their values will underpin any change.
When they were approached by Carriage Services, Randy said he called a friend who runs Cumby Funeral Home in High Point and Archdale which has partnered with Carriage since 2012. He was told Carriage does operate just as they say they will. “We’ve got to have the same values.
“We’re very excited about it,” he said. There are already two new team members, Bob Prindiville and Karen Kozak. Randy said he lured Prindiville from a funeral home in Buffalo, N.Y., a few years back. After a while, he was recruited by Brown-Wynne in Raleigh, then moved to Hall-Wynne and most recently has been at Carriage. Prindiville and Kozak will take care of the behind-the-scenes work such as payroll, human resources, reports, insurance and other duties.”
In the press release, Betty is quoted as saying, “Carriage is a company that we can work with as they have the same hard work ethic, professional values and concerns for families that we do. We are thrilled to have them join us. Randy, Tommy, and I will continue to be there for families in their time of need.” And Randy added, “This partnership will enable mother, Tommy and me to have more time to assist families and be more involved in the community.” Tommy was quoted: “Anyone that knows us knows that the families that we serve are our first priority. It is our honor to be called by a family. We consider it a sacred trust. It is our duty to continue to look for ways to improve the service that we provide. We are here to serve.”
One of the ways Carriage fits the Brights’ operation is that they will still be able to buy as much as possible from local firms. They buy their gas from Holding Oil Company, and when Randy and his wife, Jill, built their home on Sycamore several years ago he warned the building companies who were interested in bidding that as much of the materials as possible would be bought at the then-operating Goldston Lumber Company.
The Bright family moved to Wake Forest in 1964, buying into a business that had been closed for a year. The family has been serving the families in Wake Forest, Rolesville, Youngsville, Falls, Franklinton and the surrounding communities for more than 51 years. The part-time staff assisting them now is made up of the following people: Kirby Pearce, Novlen Perry, Wayne Blackley, Clint Mabrey, Don Adams, Ellis Rhodes, Gary McNair, Harold Woodlief, James Woodlief, B.L. Marcom, Kenneth Pearce, Bobby Ray, Laura Rock, Nelson Ross, Jeff Myers, Lee Perry, Steve Emory and Tom Gelo.
