Meet Our Staff - Canal Winchester & Pickerington, OH

Dwayne R. Spence, CFSP

Founder

A licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1968, Dwayne founded the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in Canal Winchester in 1969 and opened a branch operation in Pickerington in 1984. He has been a member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice since 1994.

He is a founding partner in S&S Management Company, Fairfield Real Estate Ltd. Co., and 126 Postage Drive, LLC. He is a licensed insurance agent and founded the Dwayne R. Spence Insurance Agency, Inc. in 1988.

He has been married to his high school sweetheart Patty for more than 60 years, has three married children,10 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and lives in Canal Winchester.

Dwayne served as Treasurer, Vice President, and President Elect of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association and in 1996 was elected President. During that time he also served as chairman of the Legislative, Finance, Convention, Task Force and Scholarship Committees.

Dwayne was Ohio's Funeral Service representative to the Policy Board of the 14,000-member National Funeral Directors Association and then was elected as an At-Large Representative to the National Funeral Directors Association executive Committee. He was elected Secretary of NFDA in 1999 in Kansas City, Missouri, was elected NFDA Treasurer in Baltimore, Maryland in 2000 and 2001 President-Elect in Orlando Florida, and was elected NFDA President in October 2002 in San Antonio, Texas.

He has been Chairman of the Credentials Committee, the Government Relations Committee, the Regulatory Issues Committee, and the Professional Conduct Committee of the National Funeral Directors Association. He served on the board of regents of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas, the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio, the Wagnalls Memorial Foundation in Lithopolis, Ohio, and the Fairfield County Foundation.

He is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, a member of the Ohio Crematory Operators Association, Ohio Embalmers Association, Cremation Association of North America and International Cemetery and Funeral Association.

Dwayne is a member of Lithopolis Lodge #169 F&AM for over 50 years, the AASR, and Lithopolis Methodist Church. 

Dwayne is a graduate of Groveport High School and was inducted into the Groveport High School Hall of Fame in 2004; in 2017 he was inducted into the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science Hall of Fame.

Dwayne R. Spence, CFSP, has earned the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc. This is noted by the CFSP acronym, and a licensed funeral director must meet or exceed defined criteria annually to continue use of this designation.

James H. Sheridan, CFSP

Managing Partner Emeritus

James H. Sheridan, CFSP, is a third generation funeral director and is the former general manager for the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Homes. Jim is married to Ann (Roush) Sheridan and they are the proud parents of three children, a son Trent and daughter-in-law Stefanie Sheridan of Pickerington; daughter Carrie Sheridan Dauer and her husband Mark Dauer of Royal Oak Michigan; and daughter Clair Sheridan, student at Ohio State University from Pickerington High School. He has four grandchildren, Grant and Sofia Sheridan and Jack and Clair Dauer. Jim attended Ohio University and graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

Jim is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, Ohio Funeral Directors Association, and Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. He is a licensed insurance agent and actively participates with the state and district funeral service committees, having served on the OFDA board of directors, legislative committee, building committee, disaster response policy board and response team, and president of the southeastern Ohio District #13.

He also belongs to the Pickerington Chamber of Commerce, Pickerington Moose, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, and the Knights of Columbus Council #1187 and is a past president of the Pickerington Lions Club.

Jim enjoys spending as much time as he can with his family, golfing, and yard work. Jim has been a partner with Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home since 1983.

James H. Sheridan, CFSP, has earned the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc. This is noted by the CFSP acronym, and this licensed funeral director must meet or exceed defined criteria annually to continue use of this designation.

Tracy McAdams

Managing Partner and Funeral Director

Tracy McAdams is originally from Bucyrus, Ohio and began his career in funeral service in 1989 at Munz-Pirnstill Funeral Home. After spending two years at The Ohio State University he attend Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and received his Bachelor of Mortuary Science degree in 1993, completed his apprenticeship at Jerry Spears Funeral Home, and became licensed in 1995.

Before coming to Dwayne R. Spence, he worked with Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service as an advanced planner, then as a funeral director, and lastly as a managing funeral director at both Gahanna and Dublin locations. Prior to that, he was a funeral director in Bucyrus at Wise Funeral Service. He holds an Ohio Master Funeral Director and Embalmer Certification. Tracy is a member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association and serves on the Leadership Development Committee, and is also a member of the National Funeral Directors Association where he serves on the Remembering A Life Work Group Committee.

Outside of work, Tracy has been involved in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy, and the Selected Leadership Academy. He is involved in several community theaters, both acting and directing. He was a former board member of Camp Michael, and Bucyrus Little Theatre, was active in the Galion Jaycees, and Venus Lodge #152 F&AM. 

He married his fiancé of four years, Tonya, in 1995, and they have two daughters, Sophia, and Emily. Tonya graduated from Miami (of Ohio) University with a Masters of Art Education degree and currently teaches K-5 art at Devonshire Elementary in Columbus. Sophia is earning her LPN at Hondros College, and is employed at Mt. Carmel Emergency Department, Grove City.  Emily is in the Honors Program, and attends Scripts College of Communication at Ohio University. She is in her senior year.

For fun, Tracy enjoys spending time with his family as they travel, camp, hike, and bicycle. He enjoys playing golf, snow and water skiing, playing backgammon, writing and performing music, and community involvement.

Jeffrey W. Seaman, CFSP

Funeral Director and Embalmer / Location Supervisor - Pickerington

Jeffrey W. Seaman, CFSP, joined the Spence Funeral Home staff in 1987 and was managing partner of the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home from 2014-2022. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1988. Born in Athens, Ohio, he is a 1977 graduate of Athens High School, received his BBA from Ohio University in 1981, and graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1987.

Jeff is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association, Ohio Funeral Directors Association, and Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. He is also a member, past-president, and Melvin Jones Fellow of the Pickerington Lions Club. He and his wife, JoAnn, live in Pickerington. They enjoy traveling and have spent vacations in the past few years in Italy, Hawaii, Turkey, Greece, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Ireland.

Jeffrey W. Seaman, CFSP, has earned the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc. This is noted by the CFSP acronym, and this licensed funeral director must meet or exceed defined criteria annually to continue use of this designation.

Matthew S. Dixon

Funeral Director and Embalmer / Location Supervisor - Canal Winchester

Matthew S. Dixon joined the staff of Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home as a funeral director and embalmer in December 2012. A graduate of Beavercreek High School, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Ecology from Ohio State University and an Associate degree in Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He lives in Canal Winchester and in his spare time Matt enjoys Ohio State sports, golfing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Keith Ebright, CFSP

Funeral Director

Keith Ebright joined the Spence Funeral Home staff as a part-timer in October 2001, going full-time in August 2006 after retiring as Director of Guidance and Assistant Varsity Girls Basketball Coach for the Pickerington Local Schools. He graduated from Pickerington High School in 1966 and received his B.S. in Elementary Education (1976) and M.A. in Guidance Counseling (1981) from Ohio University. Keith and his wife Dorothy, both members of Epiphany Lutheran Church, have been married over 50 years. They have two children, Matthew and Melissa (died in 2014), and five grandchildren. Keith is a veteran of the U.S. Army, U. S. Air Force Reserves and is currently a member of American Legion Post #283. Keith received the Pickerington Schools Teacher of the Year Award in 2006 and was recently inducted into the Pickerington Local Schools Alumni Hall of Fame and the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. His hobbies include traveling, all sports and singing with the Columbus Swiss Singers and the Singing Buckeyes Barbershop Chorus.

Keith Ebright, CFSP, has earned the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc. This is noted by the CFSP acronym, and this licensed funeral director must meet or exceed defined criteria annually to continue use of this designation.

Kelsey Hickman

Funeral Director and Embalmer

Kelsey is 2011 graduate of Logan Elm High School and graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 2019 with a BS in Mortuary Science. She joined our staff in September 2018. Kelsey wants to make a difference for the LGBT youth and has worked with them as a counselor while attending Ohio University. She enjoys traveling with her family and hopes to pursue a traveling career with her degree. Hobbies include reading, being active outdoors, and listening to music when she has down time. Kelsey loves taking her dog Kona for walks in the park and cuddling with her cats Boo and Mavis.

Conner Lynch

Apprentice Funeral Director

Conner is a native of Pickerington and joined our staff in January 2014. He is a 2014 graduate of Pickerington North High School and graduated from Ohio University in 2019 with a BA in history. Conner enjoys soccer, reading and traveling.

Melissa Siefker

Administrative Assistant and Accounts Payable

Melissa Siefker joined the staff of Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in October 2016, where she works as an Administrative Assistant and handles all the accounting for our firm. She and her husband, Chris Siefker, reside in Baltimore with their four children. Melissa enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with family and friends. She is a graduate of Columbus State Community College and is a member of St. Piux X Catholic Church where she is involved with religious education.

Lacey Kraner

Administrative Assistant

Lacey joined the staff of Dwayne R Spence Funeral Home in January of 2019. Lacey is a native to Lithopolis and Canal Winchester. A graduate of Bloom Carroll High School and Fort Hayes Arts and Academic Education Center where she studied music, Lacey also attended Hondros College where she took classes for real estate and is currently a licensed Realtor with HER. Lacey and her husband Mike reside in Carroll with her 2 children and Mike's 2 children. In her spare time she enjoys watching the boys play baseball, football and basketball, going to visit her daughter in Athens, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and her fur baby Bella. Lacey is a member of Lithopolis United Methodist Church where she sings with the Worship Team.

Susan Matias

Administrative Assistant and Ambassador

Susan Matias has been employed at the Spence Funeral Home since April 2011. She works as an Administrative Assistant. She and her husband, Bob, reside in Baltimore and they have two sons and two grandsons. Susan enjoys cooking, reading, traveling and antiquing. She is a graduate of Bradford Business School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.

Melinda Schnorrenberg

Administrative Assistant

Melinda started working at the funeral home in March 2013. She is a "retired" school teacher who spent 35 years teaching Health and Physical Education at Lakewood High School in Hebron, Ohio. She was the varsity volleyball, basketball and track coach at Lakewood for 25 years as well as the advisor for numerous extracurricular activities. Melinda currently teaches online classes for digital academies. She has a B.A. from Capital University and a M.S. from Ashland University. Melinda has lived in Pickerington with her four-legged family since 1991, and enjoys reading and walking.

Karen Augenstein

Administrative Assistant

Karen joined the funeral home staff in March of 2018. She is a graduate of Bishop Watterson High School and Miami University. Karen also works for the Pickerington Local School District and previous worked for Epiphany Luthern Church. Karen, her husband, and children moved to Pickerington after living in Cincinnati for awhile and have been here ever since.

Karen's pride and joy are her boys and over the years, Karen has loved coaching her sons and their teammates in PYAA sports and with ATA Black Belt Academy. Her hobbies include church softball, traveling, camping, watching sports and spending time with her family. Karen is a member of St. John XXIII Catholic Church and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, teaching PSR and VBS and is an Extraordinary Minister of  Holy Communion.

Julie Snoeberger

Preplanning Specialist

Julie joined our staff as a Preplanning Specialist in early 2021. Julie has been a licensed insurance agent for the last 14 years and has worked in the cemetery and funeral business for 10 years. Julie was born and raised in Reynoldsburg Ohio and graduated high school in 1980. She also studied business at Columbus State University for several years. When her son was given an autism diagnosis at the age of 2 in 1999, she spent the next 12 years studying how natural foods and energy work could heal the brain and body and went on to speak at seminars, wrote several books and did radio talk shows. Her biggest life accomplishment is that her son has completely recovered from his diagnosis and he is a Staff Sargent for the US Army working in the human resource department Her oldest daughter Stephanie was inspired to become a pediatric chiropractor and work with the natural healing arts along with her spouse and they plan on buying their own practice next year to work with special needs children. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking for family and friends, gardening, biking and kayaking. 

Barb Guskin

Ambassador

Barbara Guskin has lived with her family in Pickerington since 1977. She is married to Phil and has two children and four grandsons. Family is Barb's number one priority. She is a retired teacher from the Pickerington School District and started with Spence in September 2013. Barb loves to travel, shop, enjoy nature, and spend time with family and friends.

Mary Heister

Ambassador

Mary who lives in Canal Winchester and has one son joined our staff in April of 2015. She was raised in Bloom Township and is a 1965 graduate of Canal Winchester High School. Mary was a school counselor in the Mansfield City Schools and retired after 25 years in education. She is a member of Lithopolis United Methodist Church and the Canal Winchester Area Historical Society and volunteers at the Canal Winchester Food Pantry. Mary is a “snow bird” and spends 2 months every winter in Florida but enjoys spending time meeting with her family, friends and classmates the rest of the year.

Barb Callihan

Ambassador

Barb started working for the Dwayne Spence Funeral Home in December 2016. She is retired from the Columbus Dispatch after 24 years of service.  Barb's career has included employment as an administrative assistant, a senior sales and service representative and as a teacher. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Blackburn College in Illinois. She has enjoyed living on the far east side of Franklin County for over 40 years. Barb enjoys gardening, reading, spending time with her two grandchildren, doing nature walks and volunteering at the Reynoldsburg Cancer Thrift Store.

Beatrice (Haynes) Wetherell

Ambassador

Bea joined our staff in January 2017. She is a graduate of Canal Winchester High School and Mt. Carmel School of Nursing. She is a lifetime member of the Canal Winchester Historical Society and a member of Hope United Methodist and Lithopolis United Methodist Church. She was formerly employed at the Bob McDorman Auto Museum.

Elisabeth “Liz” Marckel

Ambassador

Liz grew up in Ashville, Ohio but moved to Groveport in 1982 with her late husband Ken Marckel when he became pastor of the Groveport United Methodist Church where he served for 18 years. After Ken’s retirement he and Liz moved to Pickerington where she now resides. Liz worked for 20 years as a nursing supervisor for a Columbus family practice and recently retired from Mt. Carmel after 18 years. She is a member of Lithopolis United Methodist Church and volunteers every Thursday at Lancaster’s First United Methodist Church feeding the homeless. Liz has 2 sons, 2 grandsons and 2 wonderful daughters-in-law and loves spending time with her family. Liz joined our staff in 2018. Liz enjoys family time, yoga, and walking.

Lynn Boetcher

Ambassador

Lynn Boetcher joined the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home staff in April, 2015, after retiring from the Columbus City Schools as a teacher, principal, and hearing officer for 55 years.  Lynn and his wife, Carolyn have lived in Pickerington since 1983 and have two children and two grandchildren.  Lynn and Carolyn are active members of Peace United Methodist Church.  Lynn is a Mason and  a member of Aladdin Shrine, and sings with the Aladdin Shrine Chanters..  They are active US travelers, antique shoppers, and gardeners.

David Woolf

Funeral Director's Assistant

David Woolf has been a Pickerington resident since 1970 and employed part-time at Spence Funeral Home since February 2002. He has been married to his wife Neysa for 43 years, and they have two married daughters and four granddaughters. All live in the Pickerington area. He was employed by AT&T Bell Laboratories for 31 years as an electrical engineer and is now retired. He has been a member of Pickerington Lions Club since 1974 and an active amateur radio operator for 51 years with call sign of K8RSP. Dave is currently president of the CRES Amateur Radio Club.

Raymond Gerren

Funeral Director's Assistant

Ray Gerren joined the Spence Funeral Home staff in 2004 after 46 ½ years in the production department of the Columbus Dispatch Printing Co. Ray works part-time as a funeral director’s assistant. He has been married to Hettie since 1962. They live in Lancaster, are the parents of five children, 13 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, and are members of the United Methodist Church. Ray enjoys playing pickleball and horseshoes, playing dartball in the church league, and playing Santa Claus at Christmas time.

Frank Priddy

Funeral Director's Assistant

Frank Priddy joined the staff of Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in November 2007. He is our aftercare program coordinator, assisting families after the funeral service has occurred. He also works part-time as a funeral director's assistant. He is a retired minister and enjoys gardening and taking scenic/historic trips. He and his wife Brenda live in Pickerington and have two children, Terry and Sherry, and four grandchildren.

J. Brent Wilson

Funeral Director's Assistant

In March 2009, Brent Wilson joined the staff of Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, where he works part-time as a funeral director's assistant. Brent and his wife Nancy (Wertz) Wilson lived in Pickerington for 30 years and have two married children, Jamie and Anna Wilson and Mandi and James Rederstorff, and four grandchildren. Brent retired as a Title Insurance Agent after selling his agency in 2008. He enjoys golfing, wood working, gardening and singing with the Aladdin Shrine Chanters. He is a Mason, Shriner, and a member of the Worthington Moose.

James Golomb

Funeral Director's Assistant

James Golomb joined the staff of Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home as a part-time funeral director's assistant in January 2010. He retired from SBC Communications in 2001 with 27 years of service. Jim and his wife, Karen, were married in 1982 and moved to Canal Winchester in 2005. Jim and Karen have two daughters and 5 grandchildren and are members of Zion Lutheran Church in Groveport. Jim's interests include reading, traveling, working crossword puzzles and spending time with his grandchildren.

Gary Madden

Funeral Director's Assistant

Gary Madden has lived in Licking County for the past 60 years and began working with us in March of 2018. He graduated from The Ohio State University and was the Assistant Principal at Buckeye Valley High School for 15 years. Gary and his wife Peggy have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family and being involved with his church’s activities.

Allen Dean

Funeral Director Assistant and After Care Provider

(James) Allen Dean and his wife Dora have lived in Pickerington more than 18 years. They also like to describe their family by saying “we have 3 kids, 3 in-laws, and 10 grandkids.” Allen holds an A.A. degree from Mt Vernon (OH) Nazarene University, and a B.A. and M.A. degrees from Southern Nazarene University Oklahoma City.  He served as a full-time pastor for 21 years and still serves part time in that capacity for churches in the Central and Southern OH area. He also was an Insurance and Financial Services Advisor for 23 years and focused on Legacy Planning for farmers for 4 years. On the Spence team, he functions as Assistant to the Funeral Director, provides After Care serves, and occasionally also as Celebrant. 

John Wynkoop

Crematory Operator

John Wynkoop joined our staff in 2021 as a licensed crematory operator. He is a graduate of Canal Winchester High School and The Ohio State University with a degree in Secondary Education for Social Studies. John and his wife Patty are the proud parents of 9 children and have 16 grandchildren. John's family lives in Lancaster and attends Village Chapel Church in Ashville. John and Patty love traveling and watching all their children and grandchildren's activities. John's hobbies are reading, gardening, cooking, and woodworking.

Jack Orum

Funeral Director's Assistant

Jack is a lifelong resident of the Groveport area and a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Agriculture. He is a small business owner (real estate), a board member of the Southeast Area Chamber of Commerce, and past president of the Southeast Area Realty Association. He and his wife Diana have four children and four grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, tinkering with old cars, antique tractors, reading, gardening and working around the farm.

Tom Anderson

Crematory Operator and Funeral Director's Assistant

Thomas W. Anderson joined the staff of Spence Funeral Home in June 2011. Tom was raised near Lithopolis and is a 1970 graduate of Canal Winchester High School. Tom married Sue Workman in 1972. They both attend the Whitehall Church of the Nazarene, where Tom is the former music director. They have two children and three grandchildren. Tom worked for the Ohio State Highway Patrol as an electronics technician supervisor and retired from there in 2007 after 34 years service. Tom is the former music director for the Ohio State Highway Patrol Drum & Bugle Corps and plays the trumpet in the Columbus Pops Concert Band. He is a member of the Bugles Across America and plays live Taps for funerals and memorial services. Tom is an accomplished trumpet player and plays the trumpet in his local church. He is also an avid reader, specifically of World War II history, and enjoys playing the trumpet, working on the computer, and playing strategy games.

James P. Comer

Funeral Director's Assistant

James P. Comer joined the Spence Funeral Home Staff in 2001 after 35 years as a Senior Customer Service Agent with USAir Airlines, where he was Customer Service Agent of the year in 1994 before retiring in 1995. Jim served full time as the Crematory Manager and Funeral Assistant for ten years and now works part-time. He was Managing Partner of Veterinary Cremation Services for six years. Jim and his wife Charlotte are members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, where Jim is involved with the Bereavement Ministry and Seton Sages. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus 4th degree and the Shamrock Club and a charter member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Jim has three children and five grandchildren. His interests include aviation, Irish history, tinkering in the yard and especially his grandchildren.

Kreg Ultican

Funeral Director's Assistant

Kreg Ultican joined Spence Funeral Home in October 2013. Kreg is a retired educator from Pickerington Local Schools, where he spent 30 years. During his career, he spent time as an administrator, teacher, and coach. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Kent State University and a Master's degree from the University of Dayton. A Pickerington resident for 27 years, he and his wife Christine have four children, Dustin, Derek, Danielle, and Drew.

Sarah Fitz

Funeral Director's Assistant

Sarah joined our staff in 2021 and works as a Funeral Director's Assistant. She takes great care of the families we serve.  Sarah currently attends Columbus State University studying for her Associate Degree in Science and then will go to The Ohio State University to earn her B.S. in Marine Biology. Sarah is a lifelong resident of Columbus where she currently reside with her fiance Miki.

Melody Little

Crematory Operator and Ambassador

Melody Joined our staff in March of 2022. She was originally hired on as a licensed crematory operator but since then has been dabbling in all aspects of the funeral home. She hopes to soon return to school to finish out her bachelor’s degree in mortuary science and then continue to work here as an apprentice funeral director. Melody is an active member of the Whitehall Church of the Nazarene. She participates in and thoroughly enjoys worship group, children’s activities and various outreach programs. She would like to address the question she gets most frequently asked: Why do you want to work at a funeral home? Her response is “Well because I know someone has to do it, and if it doesn’t bother me, then it would be selfish not to. I enjoy my job, but I know how hard it might be for other people, so it is truly an honor and privilege to work with those who have passed on and their families who are still with us.” Melody really enjoys cats and the color pink. 

Teresa Beacher

Crematory Operator and Ambassador

Teresa joined our staff in 2021 as crematory operator and ambassador. Teresa and her husband Joseph live in Canal Winchester and their family consists of 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Teresa retired after 41 years in long-term care, the last 31 years at Winchester Place and Rehabilitation. Teresa enjoys swimming, walking, and biking, and she and Joe love to travel and take cruises.

Nancy Wilson

Ambassador and Administrative Assistant

Nancy Wilson joined our staff in the fall of 2021 after retiring from a 30+ year career as a Mortgage Loan Underwriter and Auditor for Developers Mortgage Company. Nancy and her husband Brent lived and raised their family in Pickerington for 30 years before moving to Westerville to be closer to their grandchildren. Nancy enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and all her fur babies.

Emma Sillings

Ambassador

Emma joined our staff in January of 2022 and graduated from Pickerington Central High School in May 2022. She is attending Duquesne University majoring in Nursing and works during her summer and holiday breaks. Emma helps in many areas of the funeral home doing office work or working visitations and services. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, photography and playing her French horn and mellophone. Working at the funeral home brings comfort to Emma knowing she is able to assist in the healing process the funeral home brings to each family.

Brezina Wooten

Ambassador

Brezina is a lifelong Pickerington resident and graduated from Pickerington North High School. She currently is attending The Ohio State University main campus and majoring in Forensic Biology. Breezy loves her family including the 4 legged ones and her favorite hobbies are photography and researching. Breezy joined our staff in March of 2022 and is eager to help the families we serve.

James Burge

1934 - 2022

Jim joined the Spence Funeral Home staff in December, 2010. He was a retired ordained clergyman where he served churches throughout western Ohio and northern Kentucky for over 35 years. Jim completed a doctoral study in Thanatology and presented his studies on grief/death with clergy groups, churches, Boards of Education, hospital staffs, service clubs and various support groups. He conducted specialized seminars for the Ohio Funeral Directors Association as well as lead workshops for the National Funeral Directors Association.

Jim was a certified grief educator and facilitator through New Leaf Rescources, Louisville, KY, and also through the American Academy of Bereavement, Tucson, AZ, and was trained by the Center for Loss and Life Transition under the direction of Dr. Alan Wolfelt in Ft. Collins, CO. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Speech/Communications from Rio Grande University, and received  both his Master's degree in Theology and his Doctor's degree in Thanatology from United Theological Seminary in Dayton.  

Jim passed away January 19, 2022. We miss him.