MEET LAKEISHA WEBB
Where Education Meets Funeral Service
My journey into funeral service did not begin in a funeral home.
It began in a classroom.
For more than 15 years, I have worked across education, training, educational technology, and workforce development. Teaching has always been a major part of who I am, and over time, that passion for education led me into another field that became equally meaningful to me — funeral service.
Today, The Funeral Agency represents the intersection of those two worlds.
Education and service.
MY JOURNEY STARTED AS AN EDUCATOR
I spent many years working within Memphis-Shelby County Schools, first as an educator and later as an Educational Technology Specialist.
As my role evolved, I began training educators and administrators on how to use technology to improve engagement, productivity, instruction, and decision-making.
That experience completely changed the way I looked at learning.
I saw firsthand how the right technology could make education more engaging, more interactive, and more useful for both the student and the instructor.
At the time, I did not realize how important that experience would become later in my career.
THEN I ENTERED FUNERAL SERVICE
While continuing to work full-time in education, I began completing funeral service courses at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
I attended classes at night so I could continue working during the day.
Eventually, I was given the opportunity to begin my funeral service apprenticeship with Service Corporation International.
That experience introduced me to the real responsibilities of the profession.
I began embalming, conducting arrangement conferences, helping families plan funeral services, arranging burials and cremations, ordering merchandise, organizing music, creating memorial slideshows, and helping families navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
After completing my apprenticeship, I became a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Tennessee.
I had the option to focus primarily on embalming or work directly with families as a funeral director.
I chose the families.
THEN I ENTERED FUNERAL SERVICE
While continuing to work full-time in education, I began completing funeral service courses at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
I attended classes at night so I could continue working during the day.
Eventually, I was given the opportunity to begin my funeral service apprenticeship with Service Corporation International.
That experience introduced me to the real responsibilities of the profession.
I began embalming, conducting arrangement conferences, helping families plan funeral services, arranging burials and cremations, ordering merchandise, organizing music, creating memorial slideshows, and helping families navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
After completing my apprenticeship, I became a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Tennessee.
I had the option to focus primarily on embalming or work directly with families as a funeral director.
I chose the families.
I FOUND MY WAY BACK TO THE CLASSROOM
In 2026, I applied for a full-time funeral service instructor position at Southwest Tennessee Community College.
I was offered the position, and suddenly everything I had done throughout my career began to connect.
I was no longer choosing between education and funeral service.
I could do both.
Today, I teach funeral service students and help prepare them for the profession they are entering.
For the first time, my experience as an educator and my experience as a funeral professional existed in the same space.
And that is when I began asking a bigger question.
SERVING FAMILIES CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE
Funeral service is demanding.
Families do not stop needing you because it is a weekend, a holiday, or your scheduled day off.
I found myself working long hours because I wanted to make sure families felt supported during bereavement.
The work taught me so much about responsibility, compassion, professionalism, and the importance of being truly prepared for this career.
I loved serving families, but my life was also changing.
I became a mother, and I began thinking more seriously about the kind of schedule and career path I wanted for myself and my son.
I expected that I might eventually return to K–12 education.
Instead, another opportunity appeared.
“WHY AREN’T THERE MORE TOOLS FOR THIS?”
I had spent years working with educational technology and had seen how interactive tools could transform learning.
But in funeral service education, I noticed that those kinds of resources were much more limited.
So I started asking myself:
What contribution could I make to this profession?
How could I take what I knew about education, technology, training, and funeral service and bring it all together?
That is where the idea for The Funeral Agency began.
WHY I CREATED THE FUNERAL AGENCY
I created TFA because I believe students and professionals in funeral service deserve more tools to help them learn, practice, grow, and feel confident in what they do.
My vision is for The Funeral Agency to become a hub for:
Funeral service students
Funeral service instructors
Funeral directors and embalmers
Funeral Homes
Industry professionals
Families who need guidance before or during bereavement
I want TFA to help connect education with real-world practice.
I want students to feel more prepared.
I want instructors to have more engaging ways to teach.
I want professionals to continue developing throughout their careers.
And I want families to feel more informed when they are faced with difficult decisions.
I WANT LEARNING TO FEEL REAL
One of the things I am most passionate about is making funeral service education more practical.
Knowing information is important.
But knowing how to apply that information is what prepares you for the profession.
That is why I envision TFA offering resources such as:
NBE Study Resources
Print and digital study materials that help students prepare for the National Board Examination.
Continuing Education
Workshops that support funeral directors and embalmers as they continue their professional development.
Interactive Learning
Educational software that helps students practice real-world situations.
That can include experiences such as:
- Conducting arrangement conferences
- Practicing the transport of a decedent
- Identifying legal and documentation requirements
- Working through realistic funeral-service scenarios
These are the kinds of tools I believe can make funeral service education more engaging, practical, and effective.
EVERYTHING LED ME HERE
When I look back at my journey, I can see how every experience played a part in creating The Funeral Agency.
I learned how to teach.
I learned how technology can improve learning.
I learned how to prepare adults for professional success.
I learned how to serve families during bereavement.
I learned what students entering funeral service need.
And eventually, all of those experiences came together.
Educator
↓
Educational Technology Specialist
↓
Workforce Development Trainer
↓
Funeral Director & Embalmer
↓
Funeral Service Instructor
↓
Founder of The Funeral Agency
MY VISION FOR TFA
I want The Funeral Agency to grow into a resource that supports people throughout every stage of funeral service.
From the student taking their first course…
To the graduate preparing for the NBE…
To the licensed professional continuing their education…
To the instructor looking for better teaching tools…
To the funeral home developing its staff…
And ultimately, to the families depending on those professionals for compassionate and knowledgeable care.
That is what I want TFA to represent.
RESOURCES FOR THOSE WHO CARE
The Funeral Agency is personal to me because it represents everything I have learned throughout my journey.
My goal is simple:
To use education and service to help strengthen the people who serve families.
If you are a student, educator, funeral professional, funeral home, or family looking for support, I invite you to explore The Funeral Agency and become part of what we are building.
— Lakeisha Webb
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