Our Staff

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 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

Becky has been with Copeland Funeral Service since August of 2023.