About Us

Greg was born in Newberry and is a graduate of Newberry High School and the Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service of Atlanta. He is an Eagle Scout and a member of First Baptist Church and the Rotary Club of Newberry. He is married to the former Denise Wicker and the father of three children, Hampton, Graham, and Anna Grace. He is a National Board licensed funeral director, embalmer, and S.C. licensed pre-need life insurance agent. Greg is the President of the firm and is a sports enthusiast.

Pete a licensed funeral director and embalmer, has been employed with the firm since 1986. He is also a licensed pre-need life insurance agent. Pete is a graduate of Newberry College and the Fayetteville Community College. He is a member of Glenn Street Baptist Church where he is an ordained deacon and church treasurer. He is a member of the Newberry Lions Club. Pete has been employed part-time since 1995 as the office administrator of the Newberry Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Dillon is a Prosperity native and graduated from Newberry Academy in 2018.  He also is a 2020 graduate of the Piedmont Technical College Funeral Service Program.  He began his employment with the firm as an apprentice in 2019.  Dillon maintains a strong regiment in personal fitness, enjoys hiking and reading.  He is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. 

Doug is a licensed Funeral Director who began his employment with the firm in the 1960s and in the early ’70s left the firm to pursue a 34-year career with the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Upon his retirement from SCDOT, he returned to work part-time with McSwain – Evans Funeral Home. Doug is a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, a 50-year member of Amity Lodge #87, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 226, and a former member of the S.C National Guard. He is a graduate of Newberry College. When not working at the Funeral Home he enjoys working on his farm and tending the animals on the farm. He is married to Sylvia MacFarlane, retired Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at Piedmont Technical College.

Sylvia is a Licensed Veterinary Technologist who retired from Piedmont Technical College and began working for McSwain – Evans Funeral home in 2014. She is a Newberry College graduate and worked in various administrative positions at Newberry College for 28 years. She is an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church where she serves on the Altar Guild and as a Lay Reader. She is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 226. Sylvia continues to be involved in the community by serving in animal-related organizations. She is past president of the Newberry County Humane Society. In retirement, she enjoys working with her husband Doug on the farm and enjoys gardening, pottery, crafts, reading, genealogy, and caring for the animals on the farm.

Benjamin is a Pomaria native. He began his employment with the firm in 1987 while a student at Mid-Carolina High School. He attended Clemson University and Midlands Technical College. He is an avid sports fan especially for Clemson football, and enjoys playing golf in his spare time. Benjie is married to the former Shannon Johnston of Belmont, NC and is the father of two sons, Connor and Blair. Benjie and his family reside in Little Mountain, SC. They are members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.  

Donna Perry a native of Greenwood joined our firm in October 2009 as a greeter. She is a registered nurse who retired from Newberry County Council on Aging where she was the Home Care Director. Donna has resided in Newberry for over 30 years and is active in the community. She was a member of the Newberry Community Choir. In her free time Donna enjoys sports, music and reading. She is the widow of Tom Perry and has one daughter, Meghan Perry who resides in Atlanta, GA.

Kenneth Shealy resides in Prosperity and has been with our firm since 2001. He is a member of Bethany Lutheran Church.  He was married to his late wife, Joyce for over fifty years.  He has one son, Kenny, and two granddaughters.  He retired from Kaywood in Joanna after 35 years. He attended school at St. Philips, Pomaria, and graduated from Mid-Carolina High School. Kenneth enjoys the outside doing odd jobs around his home.

J.C. Doolittle has lived his entire life in Pomaria.  Following his graduation from Mid-Carolina High School, he entered the forestry business with his father.  In 1973, he formed his own company and headed that business until his retirement in May 2008.  He is a member of Pomaria Lutheran Church, Pomaria Ruritan Club, and is a volunteer with Consolidated # 5 Fire Department.  He is also a member of the Newberry College Athletic Club. J.C. is married to Charlsie Counts Doolittle and they have two daughters, Paige and Laura, and four grandchildren, Taylor, Madison, Harper, and Daniel.  They also have one great-grandchild, Brynleigh.  J.C. enjoys his grandchildren, Newberry College and Clemson football, and working in his yard. J.C.began working part-time with the firm in December of 2008.

Jim Talbot has been a resident of Newberry since 1996 and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.  He retired, in 2007, as the Controller of the Georgia-Pacific Plywood Plant in Prosperity.  Jim was employed by Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia, SC in the late 1970's  He is a Navy veteran.  His hobbies include golf and fishing.  Jim is married to the former Sinclair Kemper.  Jim is a former member of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church where he served as a Deacon, Elder, and Trustee.  Jim has two step-sons.  He began employment with the firm in March of 2011.

Leigh Ringer is our AfterCare Coordinator who assists caregivers and family members who have lost loved ones through the grieving process. The AfterCare Program provides handout information, emotional support, telephone contact and limited in-person grief support as requested by family members. There is no charge for this service. Leigh also coordinates the annual Service of Remembrance each November and has held workshops in Newberry for those desiring grief support in a group setting, and she has spoken about grief information and how to support those who are grieving to various church groups in our area as well.

Leigh is a licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) social worker with years of both clinical direct practice, program development and team supervision experience. She found her niche of grief education and support through previous experiences working with Hospice, oncology social work, and long-term care residents.

While Leigh is originally from High Point, NC, she married former Newberry native, Cecil Ringer in 1999 and they reside in Boiling Springs, SC. Leigh and Cecil coordinate a missions outreach ministry, serve in their local church and enjoy travel, music ministry and missions work.

Raymond was born and raised in the Mt. Pleasant Community of Newberry County where he continues to reside. He is a graduate of Pomaria High School and attended Columbia Business College. Raymond retired after 30 years of service from the S.C. Department of Revenue as an individual state tax examiner. Raymond began working with the firm in 1988 and retired in 2020. He is a very active member of Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church where he is a member of the church choir, the 55+ Group, the Methodist Men, a Sunday School Teacher, and serves on numerous boards and committees. 

Betty is a life-long resident of Newberry and is a graduate of Newberry High School and Converse College. She was married to the late Dr. Sydney Carter. Betty retired as a public school teacher and was employed with the firm from 1991 until 2019. Betty is an active member of Central United Methodist Church and is the mother of a son, Richard, and a grand-mother to Elizabeth.

(July 8, 1940 - May 21, 2009)

Grace Evans was born in the Jolly Street community of Newberry County and was a graduate of Prosperity High School and Newberry College. In 1965 she married C. Eugene Evans. They had two children, Gena and Greg. In 1982 she and Gene purchased McSwain Funeral Home. She became a funeral director in 1986 and served as the president for 10 years.

(October 27, 1927 - September 28, 2014) 

Bill McSwain was born in Newberry and was the son of the late Lee McSwain and Agnes McSwain Wallace founders of McSwain Funeral Home. He was a graduate of Newberry High School and the University of Minnesota. He retired in 1991 as manager of Bobo Funeral Home in Spartanburg. He and his wife, the former Julia Boozer, relocated to Lake Murray upon retirement. They resided there until just prior to his death when they moved to Newberry. He was employed part-time with our firm as a licensed funeral director and embalmer for several years following his return to Newberry County. Bill was an active member of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church.