When a family member dies where do we turn? Many of us turn to each other for help and support. Even with the best we can offer, there is help needed from a professional. It is our mission at Forbis and Dick Funeral Service to provide your family with the care and support needed during this time of life transitions.
We too are a family. The Forbis family has been a part of the Guilford County community since the 1700′s. Forbis and Dick Funeral Service has been family owned and operated for five generations. This commitment to service shows that it is not only important to meet the current needs of the community but to continue building relationships. Forbis and Dick has a long standing commitment to this community; this is where we live, and plan to stay. You are the people we want to serve. When you need us, we will be there. This is the continual commitment of our locally owned and operated funeral home.
We offer you a staff of caring and committed employees; funeral service professionals, pre-need counselors, an aftercare staff, and an administrative support staff who all offer a sense of caring and compassion during your time of need. Because of our unwavering commitment to our communities, and the families that we are honored to serve, we have become the funeral home preferred by more families in the communities we serve.
We, at Forbis and Dick take every opportunity to be involved in our community, in the lives of those we serve in order to create personal relationships that will allow us to provide the individualized, sensitive service your family deserves.
We now invite you, through the use of this internet site, to meet us and to learn more about the services that we provide for you, the community.
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John W. Forbis, Funeral Director/ CEO
John was born in Guilford County, NC and is the son of the late A. Lee and Lillian W. Forbis. He graduated from Greensboro High School and grew up in Greensboro and the McLeansville community in his younger years. Prior to graduation from High School he worked at Forbis and Murray Funeral Home which soon became Forbis and Dick Funeral Home. He is a former two term mayor of Greensboro and has served on numerous state, city and county committees. John is a long-time member of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Greensboro and Greensboro Kiwanians Club and a former member of the Greensboro Jaycees.
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Patrick Forbis, Owner/ President
Patrick was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. He attended Kiser Junior High School and graduated in 1985 from Grimsley High School He worked in the family funeral home business during his high school summers. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business from East Carolina University in 1989, Patrick went on to receive his degree in Mortuary Science from Fayetteville Technical Community College in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1992. During his time at Fayetteville Tech, Patrick worked for a funeral home in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. Patrick and his wife, Miriam, returned to Greensboro in 1992. Patrick has worked for the family funeral business since returning to his hometown. Patrick and his wife, Miriam, have three children. He loves supporting his children in their many activities, exercising, and collecting custom made knives. Patrick is extremely proud of his Grandfather, Arthur Lee Forbis, and is inspired and proud to continue serving the community and helping people as his Grandfather did.
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Miriam Forbis, In-House Counsel/ Vice President
Miriam was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. She attended St. Pius X Elementary School, Kiser Junior High, and Grimsley High School. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University in 1989, Miriam went on to attend the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University and received her Juris Doctorate in 1992. Following a law career in private practice, Miriam became In-House Counsel for Forbis & Dick in 2011. Miriam and her husband, Patrick, have three children. She enjoys spending time with her family, running, playing golf, gardening, and scrapbooking. Miriam is thankful that Forbis & Dick is a locally, family owned funeral home that can help people and honor lives.
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Joseph Trippodo III, Funeral Director/ Manager
Joe grew up in Upstate New York. He graduated from F.D. Roosevelt High School in 1996. Joe moved to Greensboro in 1997 to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro were he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science . Joe went on to receive an Associates degree in Mortuary Science at Fayetteville Technical Community College. He has worked for Forbis & Dick since 2010; a diverse family owned firm. Joe belives that paying proper tribute to those who have passed truly helps the greiving process.Joe lives in Greensboro with his wife, Josie and his daughter, Charleston. He loves to spend time with his family, Cooking, exercising, and traveling; especially to Charleston and North Carolina beaches.
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Rodney Williams, Senior Funeral Director
Rodney is a native of Reidsville, NC but has lived most of his life in the Brown Summit/ Monticello Communities. He attended Brightwood Christian Academy through his sophomore year and transferred to Northeast Guilford High School where he graduated in 1986. One week after graduation he started his apprenticeship at Forbis and Dick. He attended Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Georgia where he became a member of the Theta Chapter of Pi Sigma Eta, the National Morticians Fraternity in 1988. After graduation he returned to Forbis and Dick where he now serves at a supervisor and senior embalmer and funeral director.Rodney married Kelly Garrett in 1989 and they have one son Patrick. Rodney is the son of the late William "Ted" and Iva Jones Williams. He is a lifelong member of Brown Summit United Methodist Church. He is a former WWII Naval Reenactor aboard the Battleship, USS North Carolina, and a current Civil War Artillery Reenactor. He is also a member of the S.C.V. and the M.O.S.B historical societies where he has held numerous State and National offices. He has a great love for history and enjoys working around his home and in his vegetable garden and can be seen riding the back roads of Brown Summit in his Vintage Army Jeep.
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Kevin Matthews, Funeral Director
Kevin was born in South Carolina and moved to Greensboro at an early age. He began his career in funeral care in 2008 after working for several years as a co-owner with his family’s business. He earned his B.A. degree from UNC-Greensboro and completed his funeral studies at Fayetteville Technical Community College before becoming a licensed funeral director in 2011. He also completed his M.A. degree in Biblical counseling at Luther Rice College and Seminary. Kevin considers his work as a funeral director to be a calling and ministry as he serves families who have lost a loved one.He and his wife, Claudia, have two daughters, one married and the other is a college student. The Matthews enjoy taking short trips, beach vacations and spending time with family during the holidays. Kevin enjoys many styles of music and plays the drums.
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Woody Grice, Funeral Director
Woody was born in Cary NC and moved to Greensboro in 2000 to work for Forbis & Dick Funeral Service. He attended NC State University and Fayetteville Technical Community College Mortuary Science Department. Woody is married to Heather Grice and has three cats and a little dog. He is member of the Nathaniel Greene Kiwanis Club. Woody enjoy woodworking and travel.
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Bryan Stevens, Provisional Funeral Director
Bryan is a native of Greensboro. He is a 2001 graduate of Grimsley Senior High School, as well as a 2016 graduate of Fayetteville Technical Community College with a Funeral Directing Diploma. He has worked at Forbis & Dick since 2004 and has a provisional funeral director’s license. Bryan is married to Megan Stevens, and has 2 children, son Jordan and daughter Madison.
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Adam Baynard, Funeral Director
Adam Baynard joined the staff of Forbis and Dick in September of 2022 and had previously worked at the N. Elm location from 2019-2020. He grew up in Forest City, NC and relocated to the Greensboro area in 2018. Adam is a 1999 honor graduate of Fayetteville Technical Community College, where he was presented the President’s Award. Over the years, Adam has been involved in the North Carolina Funeral Directors Association, where he served on the Board of Directors, several committees and has contributed articles to the association’s funeral magazine, The Tarheel Director. During his funeral service career, Adam was selected to attend a Meet the Mentors program by the National Funeral Directors Association at the prestigious Harvard University Faculty Club in Boston. There attendees learned from three of the top funeral providers in the United States. He has also been a recipient of a Funeral Service Foundation Career Development Award. Adam is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in North and South Carolina, and has been serving in funeral service since November of 1993. He resides in Greensboro and in his free time enjoys spending time with his family, watching UNC Tarheel sporting events, cooking and traveling. Quote of the day “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Alex Owens, Provisional Funeral Director
Alex joined the Forbis & Dick family in September of 2017, where he started at Burroughs Funeral Home. He is a 2016 Graduate of South Stokes High School, as well as a 2020 graduate of UNC Charlotte with a Bachelors degree in Mathematics. Alex is a Stokes County native and is the youngest son to Barry and Donna Owens. He and his Fiancé, Sloan Mounce, are active goers of Germanton Baptist Church and they love serving in the mission field annually. Alex enjoys playing disc golf and men's softball along with spending time with his family and friends.
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B. Keith Fesperman, Funeral Director/Manager
Keith started his career in funeral service in 1990 in his hometown of Salisbury, NC. He received his funeral service degree from Fayette Technical Community College in 1993. Keith has been with Forbis and Dick Funeral Service since 2004 and is dedicated to serving families in their time of need. He and his wife, Kelly have a daughter Daisy. They are active members of Hayworth Wesleyan Church in High Point, where Keith currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Hayworth Christian School. Keith and Kelly are active members of the Piedmont Region of the Model A Restorer’s Club and enjoy taking drives and tours in their 1931 Tudor.
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Karen Jenkins, Funeral Director/Celebrant
Karen began her career in the funeral service industry in 2012 with Forbis and Dick Funeral Service. She graduated from Greensboro College in 1999 where she studied religion and ethics. Coming from a backround in parish ministry with the United Methodist Church, she serves both as a funeral director and chaplain. She recently became a licensed Funeral Celebrant as well.Karen grew up in Stokesdale, North Carolina. She and her husband, Bob, currently reside in Summerfield. They have one daughter, a wonderful son-in-law and two grandchildren. They are also pet parents to Biscuit, a Schnauzer mix and, when she has time, Karen loves to quilt.
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Mike Owens, Funeral Director
Mike began his funeral career as a funeral associate in 2003. He earned his funeral service degree from Fayetteville Technical Community College in May 2014. Mike enjoys helping families at their time of grief and considers it a “ministry to hurting souls”. Mike and his wife, Becky, have three children and seven grandchildren, all residing in the Greensboro area. Mike is a deacon at his church as well as a teacher in the Men’s Sunday School Class. He enjoys fishing, woodworking, Panther’s football, and Carolina Hurricanes ice hockey.
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Stephen Grace, Funeral Director
Stephen started in the funeral business in April 2021 after recovering from a life saving heart transplant. He graduated from Fayetteville Technical Community College in May 2021 with his Funeral Directing Diploma and is also a CANA Certified Crematory Operator. Stephen feels this is his way to minister to his community as he is a strong believer in Christ. He is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Kelsi and together they have two beautiful daughters, Kinley and Mya-Kate. They are longtime members of Green Street Baptist Church; where he teaches 5th grade Sunday school and is heavily involved with the kids ministry.
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Keith Jones, Provisional Funeral Director
Keith Jones is a lifelong resident of Guilford County. He was born and raised in Pleasant Garden and still resides there with his wife of 40 years, Martha Jo. They have one daughter. Keith spent his career in Law Enforcement with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. In 2011 Keith started as a part time employee and is now full time as a Provisional Funeral Director.When Keith is away from the funeral home, he can be found volunteering with the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics or the fire department in Pleasant Garden. He enjoys running, saltwater fishing and golf.
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Robert Whetstone, Funeral Director/ Manager
Robert “Bob” Whetstone brings over 40 years’ experience to Forbis and Dick Funeral Service. He was called into the funeral service business during High School in his hometown of Akron, OH. He attended Anderson College in Anderson, IN and Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, GA. Bob is a funeral service licensee in both NC and VA and is a CANA Certified Crematory Operator.Bob resides in Stokesdale with his wife, Debbie, and comfort providing therapy dog, Penny. Penny is a golden retriever who teams with Bob to lighten the mood in a room while at the funeral home or at Hospice, where they volunteer. Bob and his wife are very active at Shady Grove Wesleyan Church in Colfax. He also enjoys cooking, being an amateur beekeeper, gardening, DIY projects and Case knives.His blended family includes his son Joshua Whetstone, stepchildren Sean Shropshire and wife Jessica, Lyndsey Shropshire Chilton and husband James. There are seven (7) grandchildren and great-grands that affectionately refer to him as “Grand-Bob” which seems to just melt his heart.
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Penny Whetstone, Therapy Dog
Penny is a Golden Retriever and was born April 29, 2019 in Oak Ridge NC at Summer Oaks Kennel. She is in training as a Therapy Dog with Bob Whetstone being her handler. She entered the funeral business around the time she turned 10 months old and can be seen frolicking the halls at the N Elm St location. Penny loves tearing apart squeaky toys, playing tug of war and keep away, any kind of treat, belly rubs, back scratches, and high 5’s.
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Heather Forbis-Grice, Advanced Planning Funeral Director
After a career in aviation, she felt the calling to the business her grandfather began in 1938.Proud to be family owned & operated, Heather is grateful to be part of a business that still places importance on putting the family first and honoring your word.She has a BS in Communications from Appalachian State University and has been licensed as a Funeral Director since 2002.Heather enjoys spending time with her husband, Woody Grice & daughter, Baby Dawg Grice, traveling the world or relaxing at the beach.
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Todd Harmon, Advanced Planning Funeral Director
Todd Harmon began his funeral service career with Forbis & Dick Funeral Service in 1992 as an Advance Planning Counselor. Since that time, he has moved to the at-need side of the company and has worked at both our Guilford Chapel and Stokesdale Chapel. He has been manager of our Stokesdale Chapel since 2002 and in 2023 as made the transition back to Advance Planning. He is a graduate of High Point University and received his funeral service degree from Fayetteville Community College.In his spare time, he enjoys yardwork, home improvement projects, and Caribbean cruises.
