History & Staff

Rocky Bevis was raised in Tallahassee and is a graduate of Leon High School and Miami-Dade College. Rocky worked side by side with his father, Russell Bevis, before taking over ownership of Bevis Funeral Home in 1998. He is now President of Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee and our very own North Florida Crematory.

His various memberships and activities include:
-Faith Presbyterian Church, where he serves as an Elder
-Tallahassee Lions Club
-Rotary Club of Tallahassee
-Past Chairman of Big Bend Hospice Board of Directors
-Former Trustee, Big Bend Hospice Foundation
-Past Chairman of the Leon High School Foundation
-Founding member and past chairman (twice) of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (The Biletnikoff Award)
-Past President of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club
-Member of the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees
-Member of the 100 Club
-Member of the Committee of 99
-Former member of the Knight Foundation Community Advisory Council
-Member of the Monticello Foundation
-Member of the Theodore Roosevelt Association
-Researcher of the Herbert Hoover Library of West Branch, Iowa; appointed by the National Archives & Records Administration
-Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
-Honorary member United Daughters of the Confederacy
-Recipient of the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Award
-Past President, Capital City Republican Club
-Past President, NEBA (Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates)

Rocky is married to Patti Brewster Bevis and they have two children, Brewster Barbay Bevis, President and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida and Sarah Bevis Taylor. Sarah and her husband, Tholley own and operate Lifesong Funerals and Cremations. They have three children: Leo Burbridge Taylor, Waylon Russell Taylor and Clark Suzanne Taylor. Brewster and his wife, Amanda have three sons: William Russell Bevis, Andrew Lyman Bevis and Crawford James Bevis.

Contact R.J. Bevis

Kelly has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for over twenty years. She is a native of Havana, Florida, where her family still resides. A graduate of Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama, her degree is in Funeral Service Education and she also holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State University in Family and Child Sciences. She and her husband, Milt Bevis, have two children who attend Florida State University. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Tallahassee and past board member of Ronald McDonald House Charities. Kelly is an excellent hostess, cook and baker. She has a talent for making people feel welcomed and at ease. She enjoys spending time with her family on the emerald coast, and cheering on her children's athletic competitions and performances.

Contact Kelly Barber

Todd D. Wahlquist joined our team in the spring of 2000. He is a native of Bristol, Florida, and a graduate of Liberty County High School and Jefferson State College in Birmingham, Alabama and also holds a degree from Florida State University. He and his wife Myla have raised their three children in Tallahassee since 1996. Todd is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and is a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows and The Masons.

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Susie C. Mozolic is a native of Newport, Tennessee and a graduate of both Cumberland University – Lebanon, Tennessee and Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science. Susie joined the Bevis staff in June of 2014, having served the Tallahassee community as a Funeral Director for over 20 years, prior to moving to Kingsport, Tennessee. Her community involvement includes being an active member of Tallahassee One Hundred Club, Tallahassee Lion’s Club (having been the first female Lion), Springtime Tallahassee (served as General Chairman 2008-2009), 20th Century Krewe (served as Krewe Chief 2007) Co-leader of Springtime Belles and Gents. Susie was a former Board Member for the Ronald McDonald House, and former member of the Tallahassee Elks.

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Breanna joined Bevis in 2017 and is a proud native of Tallahassee. She grew up attending Trinity United Methodist Church with her father and began working at his local HVAC company, Benson's Heating & Air Conditioning, at a young age. She is an alumni of both Holy Comforter Episcopal School and Lawton Chiles High School and attended Tallahassee Community College. While pursuing her degree at St. Petersburg College of Mortuary Science & Funeral Services, Breanna was also employed as a lead flooring installer for Miccosukee Woodworks and Premier Construction Company. She also gained various other related experience during this time including demolition, renovation and painting as well as woodworking and carpentry - both of which she still considers a hobby. Otherwise, you can often find Breanna with her beloved Labrador-Rottweiler mix, Panko Franklin, whom she adopted from Franklin County Humane Society.

Contact Breanna Green

Stay tuned to learn more about Doc!

Contact Doc Leader

Dayne was born in Houston, Mississippi but grew up in Monticello, Florida. He attended and became a member of Elizabeth Baptist Church, along with his parents and two younger brothers. Upon graduation from Aucilla Christian Academy, he worked in the construction industry until he entered the funeral industry in 2008 which led him to enroll in Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service of Atlanta, Georgia.

Dayne has served the Tallahassee and surrounding communities as a funeral director for over a decade and counting. He and his wife Jenna have one son Noah, who attends St. John Paul II Catholic High School. His family attends City Church of Tallahassee. In his spare time, Dayne enjoys spending time with his family, watching his son play baseball, hunting, fishing and playing golf.

Contact Dayne Parker

Stay tuned to learn more about Niki, our newest funeral director!

Contact Niki Carney

Caroline is a proud Tallahassee native. She graduated from Leon High School in 1996 prior to graduating from Florida State University in 2000. Caroline has an extensive background in sales and marketing and has never met a stranger. Some may think that discussing their funeral prearrangements will be a drag – until they meet Caroline! Before starting her family, Caroline was an avid equestrian. You can now find her enjoying the outdoors with her two boys or cheering them on at their baseball games.

Contact Caroline Ray

Koulla Butler is a Tallahassee native. She’s a graduate of Leon High School and University of West Florida with a B.S.B.A degree in Finance. While in high school and college she worked at Mowell Financial Group where she began her love of helping people with their finances. After graduating college, she moved back home from Pensacola to begin her career.

She has a passion for working with small businesses and understands the obstacles that face them. She has worked in various industries throughout the years such as finance, advertising and real estate. For many years, she was active in the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce served on committees such as Nuts & Bolts and Ambassador, American Heart Association and on the council of the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church as well as Co-chair of the Greek Food Festival. Prior to working at Bevis Funeral Home, she had her own business that gave her the flexibility to be with her family of six and still maintain a work life balance.

Currently, she is active in the Greek Orthodox Church and is a member of The Economic Club of Florida. She enjoys watching FSU football with her husband and youngest daughter, playing with her two dogs Chloe and Athena, spending time with family and baking.

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Tiffany Harding was born in Tallahassee, where she still resides with her husband, DJ, and four daughters, Georgia, Hailey, Charlotte, and Adorée. She is a 1998 graduate of Leon High School and 2001 graduate of Tallahassee Community College with a degree in Business Management. Tiffany has a love for fitness and is currently a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and a CrossFit L-1 Coach. She approaches her work with a high level of knowledge, initiative, reliability, and empathy. Tiffany’s main goal is to assist families on the selection of an appropriate memorial, one that establishes a place where current and future generations can pause and reflect on the life of a loved one.

Contact Tiffany Harding

Monty Bevis was raised in Tallahassee and is a graduate of Leon High School. He is the son of the late Russell Bevis and the younger brother of Rocky. They grew up living above his father’s ambulance service and blossoming funeral home. While his high school classmates were asleep, you may have found Monty racing the streets of Tallahassee in an ambulance. Later in life, Monty entered the construction industry and worked in boiler repair for many years. Upon his retirement from construction, he rejoined Bevis as an associate. Monty and his wife Bonnie have three daughters and when not at the funeral home, he enjoys spending time with them or being outdoors.

Charles Hair is originally from Archer, Florida - just southwest of Gainesville. As an avid Gator fan, he lives in a house divided with his wife, Lisa, an avid Seminole fan. Charles spent 24 years working at the award-winning Nic’s Toggery of Tallahassee before retiring and entering the funeral service industry in 2016. He joined the Bevis Funeral Home team in May of 2020.

Charles is a member of the Capital Area Gator Club as well as the Tallahassee Civitan Club, where he served as President 3 times.

Charles is a motorcycle enthusiast and when he isn’t working, spending time with his grandchildren, or cheering on the Gators he spends as much time as he can exploring the many roads of North Florida and South Georgia. Uniquely Tallahassee. Uniquely Bevis!

For Jared, the funeral industry is an important part of his family history. While he began his career as a college athlete, he knew he would eventually find his home working in the funeral industry, as both his mother and his grandfather had before him. He grew up seeing the ways in which their careers, and their family funeral home, James & Lipford Funeral Home, allowed them to serve grieving families during incredibly difficult times.

Jared grew up in Graceville, Fla., and showed an aptitude for football and baseball from a young age, which earned him a number of collegiate scholarship opportunities. He ultimately signed with Mississippi State to play baseball, which led to also playing at two additional schools.

He always knew, however, that as much as he enjoyed sports, he desired to serve families through the funeral industry as his family had done. When he’s not at the funeral home, you can find Jared playing video games and enjoying the great outdoors.

Contact Jared Padgett

Stay tuned to learn more about Bill!

Margaret Bowers, originally from West Orange, New Jersey moved to South Daytona, Florida in 1972 where she graduated from Daytona State College. Later, she met her future husband and moved to Lakeland, Florida and began her career as a group coordinator for the Lakeland Civic Center. They married in Winter Haven, Florida at Cypress Gardens and had their daughter and son soon thereafter.

Needing to be closer to their elderly parents in Daytona they moved to Lake Mary, Florida where they raised their two children. Margaret had her own business doing embroidery for the local schools, hospitals, and local businesses. She closed her business in 2010 and took a job at Stewart Law Firm as a paralegal assistant and mailroom clerk in Longwood, Florida.

Down the road, her daughter moved to Tallahassee to attend FSU while waiting for her family to grow, so Margaret and her husband sold their home and moved to Tallahassee as well. Two years later, their son also moved to Tallahassee. Life was great!

Margaret started at Bevis Funeral Home as a visitation attendant and was approached by a director about needing assistance with filing death records, creating stationary, producing slideshows and reception catering and she’s had a blast ever since! When not at the funeral home, you can find her with her four grandchildren or at church events.

Contact Margaret Bowers

Lamar was born and raised in Greensboro, Florida. He graduated from Greensboro High School in 1975 and retired from the Gadsden County School system in June 2007 after 32 years. He is a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Greensboro, the town council of Greensboro, the Greensboro Volunteer Fire Dept., and Big Bend Hospice Advisory Council in Gadsden County. He has been married for 25 years and has two sons and has been blessed with one granddaughter, Peyton Elizabeth. Uniquely Greensboro. Uniquely Bevis!

Kate Stanley is a native of Live Oak, Florida and graduated from Suwannee High School. Kate was accepted at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida on a full visual and performing arts scholarship and received her Associates of Arts Degree with a major in Theatre. After participating in the Florida Theatre Conference, Kate was accepted into the theatre program at the University of Tampa to pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Kate later transferred to the University of Florida where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. Kate discovered her love for working with the community and families while serving as the Program Support Specialist at The Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Gateway in Lake City, Florida.

Kate moved to Monticello, Florida in 2021 the day she married her husband. Being employed at Bevis Funeral Home rekindled her love for working with families and the community. She and her husband are the proud parents of a daughter. She enjoys spending time with her little girl and taking trips down to Live Oak and visiting her family out on Peacock Lake.

Contact Kate Stanley

Stay tuned to learn more about Jessie!

Contact Jessie Hill

Amaia was raised in Auburn, Alabama. After graduating from Auburn High School, she attended Auburn University, where she obtained a degree in Spanish with a minor in History. Throughout her college years, Amaia worked at Passport Camps, a Christian non-profit organization that empowers children and youth to lead with humility, embrace community, and extend grace in all aspects of lives. She served as a Bible Study Leader and Recreation Coordinator, leading youth campers through a fun week of camp while fostering an inclusive environment for campers to grow in their faith. In 2024, she served as the Youth Camp Director, where she led and trained staff, facilitated daily Bible Studies for adult chaperones, and oversaw camp activities for youth. Amaia also got the honor to serve as Youth Camp Director for Passport Puerto Rico, using her Spanish skills to lead Puerto Rican churches as well as Stateside churches through Passport’s first bilingual week of camp in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. After working at camp she decided to move to Tallahassee to work with her aunt, Kelly Barber, here at Bevis Funeral Home. She plans on attending seminary to pursue a Master of Divinity degree. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and relaxing on the beach.

Contact Amaia Zugazaga

Ruben Garcia was born in San Antonio, Texas and served 4 years with the United States Air Force. He is a 1975 graduate of the University of Florida, and has lived in Tallahassee, Florida since 1975. Married to Melanie in 1995, he is a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Ruben retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 and is currently employed by Bevis Funeral Home. He enjoys working with people and lending an empathetic ear when needed.