July 2017

Page A21

JULY 2017

FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS

S ec t i on A

Promo Code:8924

Recipient

Teresa Givan

always felt a draw to the funeral

industry. This began early with the loss of her grandmother.

Through her grandmother’s death, Givan was able to wan-

der the funeral home as her parents sat with the funeral di-

rector. This had a positive experience on her. Years later, she

enrolled in the

Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science

. Gi-

van’s education at CCMS prepared her to be the very best

she can be as she takes on this ministry to heal wounds of

death that everyone needs when there is a loss of life.

By Elleanor Davis Starks, CFSP-CCA-CCO,

Founder of 100BWFS, Inc.

their footsteps in funeral service. They left a roadmap to success for family members who wanted to continue that

legacy by encouraging our funeral colleagues to do the same for the next generation of caregivers through the gift

of funeral education. The generation before us always believed that

“We make a living by what we get, but

we make a life by what we give. The first job of leadership is to help people see their significance.”

The 100 BWFS Scholarships are non-discriminatory and are for the benefit for all mortuary students around the

nation, who have completed half of their graduation requirements. Since 1993 we have given hundreds of schol-

arships to deserving students who are successfully licensed and working in various

roles in the industry. They are owners, licensed funeral directors and embalmers, pre-

need counselors, sales and office managers, and program directors. They have CFSP,

CPC and lots of designations behind their names. So we want to say thank you to our

Memorial Scholarship Donors, thank you Corporate Scholarship Donors, thank you

to our Annual Scholarship Families, and thank you to our funeral colleagues who are

not able to sponsor a scholarship but make a donation because they care about the

future of the funeral service profession. They know that helping others achieve their

goals helps us to achieve our personal goals as well. In the coming months we will

introduce you to our wonderful and caring Scholarship Donors as well as our gifted

and deserving mortuary science students from around the nation.

Scholarship Donors

& Recipients

The 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, Inc. was founded in 1993 with the pur-

pose of leadership recognition, scholarship donation for promising future Funeral

Service/Mortuary Science students, and mentoring to build funeral service rela-

tions and a stronger network for women who had chosen Funeral Service as their

Profession. The 100 BWFS Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the legacies

left behind by professionals of the industry who made a difference for those following in

CONTINUED ON PAGE A22

Teresa Givan

Rev. James N. Preston

Irene L. Preston

Nancy Pierce Barber

Ann McCollough

Tanya Y. Reid

serve and to help my community in a time when sensi-

tivity is needed. I believe I have the qualifications of a fu-

neral director because they must display great communica-

tion skills and be a good listener to deal with each case by

need. While it’s important to be sympathetic, calm and ad-

with my background I will make a phenomenal impact on

society, community and the families I serve in the profes-

sion as a licensed funeral director.”

Recipient

Ann McCollough

didn’t choose to be a funer-

al director, it was who she was meant to be. She has em-

balmed, sat in on funeral arrangements, made removals,

Recipient

Tanya Y. Reid

is expected to graduate

from the

Pittsburgh Insti-

tute of Mortuary Science

2018 as a licensed funeral

director. “My desire is to

dressing the issues at hand,

I truly believe it is just as

important to have a busi-

ness mind for organization-

al skills and details. I know

she made in her life was leading her to where she is now.

McCollough is expected to graduate from the

Pittsburgh

Institute of Mortuary Science

in September of 2017.

Donor: Preston Funeral Homes

Rev. James N. Preston

graduated from the

Simmons

College of Mortuary Science

in 1969. He and his wife,

Irene L. Preston,

who is

also a licensed funeral di-

rector and embalmer, es-

tablished

Preston Funer-

al Homes,

which is one of

the few and possibly the only African American owned

and operated firms in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ.

In addition to serving as business owners and grief coun-

selors, Lady P and Rev. Preston serve on several prestigious

boards and committees, locally and nationally. Together

supervised visitations and

funerals alone, and has nev-

er felt such a strong connec-

tion to a career more than

she does now. Every choice

they established the

Pres-

ton Funeral Home Mortu-

ary Scholarship

for the most

outstanding

graduating

mortuary science senior at

Mesa Community College

Donor: Nancy Pierce Barber

A lifelong resident of Texas,

Nancy Pierce Barber

is a grad-

uate of the

Dallas Institute of Funeral Service.

She is the daugh-

ter of the late

William “Bill” Pierce

who was president and

chairman of the

Pierce Companies

in Dallas. After her father

passed away in 1998, Barber became involved in her dad’s vi-

sion for excellence in all that she did. Bill was her role model

and to continue his legacy, the best of the best receive the

Wil-

liam H. Pierce Award

at all three of the

Pierce Colleges