Staff

Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.

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John Ivie Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

In moving forward with the third generation of family, John Ivie has assumed most of the day-to-day responsibilities at Ivie Funeral Home. John joined his parents in 2006 after receiving his Mortuary Science degree from Fayetteville Technical College. He is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in North Carolina and Georgia and also holds an insurance license. He is also a crematory operator. John is a native of Cherokee County and a graduate of Murphy High School. He is married to Victoria Clark and has two daughters, Harper Pearl and Peyton Rhea, and a son, John Clark. 

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Victoria Ivie Licensed Funeral Director

Victoria Ivie is a licensed funeral director for Ivie Funeral Home. She is a native of Kingsport, Tennessee and graduated from Washington & Jefferson College. Victoria is the granddaughter of Joan Dockery and the late Floyd Dockery. She is married to John Ivie and has two daughters, Harper Pearl and Peyton Rhea, and a son, John Clark. She attends Grape Creek Baptist Church. She is a college volleyball referree and enjoys quilting. 

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Grier Ivie Owner/ Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

After more than 40 years in the funeral business, Grier Ivie is the most experienced Funeral Director in the area and is available to meet with families when necessary. He is also a licensed Embalmer and insurance agent. Grier is a native and lifetime resident of Cherokee County and graduated from Murphy High School and Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas. He is a lifetime member of Murphy First Baptist Church where he served as the Chairman of the Deacons. Grier is a member and past president of the Murphy Rotary Club. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors at Nantahala Bank. Grier feels as if his biggest accomplishment for the community was providing a modern funeral home facility to serve our local people. Grier is married to Pat Harper and they have four children and 13 grandchildren.

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Pat Ivie Owner/ Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

Pat Ivie has made up the other half of Ivie Funeral Home for more than 40 years. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, also graduating from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas.  Pat was raised in Murphy and later graduated from Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia. She is a member of Murphy First Baptist Church where she serves on the Personnel Committee. Pat serves on the Board of Directors at Nantahala Bank. Pat has four children and 13 grandchildren.

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Ferrell Mowell Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

Ferrell Mowell has been working with Ivie Funeral Home since the summer of 2020, and – like John Ivie – grew up in the profession, the son of a funeral home owner, living upstairs in the funeral home the first formative years of his life. Ferrell had by the age of 13 observed his first embalming procedure, and has been associated with funeral service ever since. He obtained his first licenses in 1997 in Georgia. He acquired his South Carolina licenses in 2008, and his North Carolina licenses and cremation certification in 2020. He has worked for mortuary service providers and crematories, and he has managed multiple funeral homes and a cemetery. From September, 2004 – March, 2007, Ferrell served as an instructor at Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, teaching Microbiology, Chemistry, and Restorative Art Lab. In addition to his Associate degree in Science from Gupton-Jones in 1997, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgia Southern University in 1992 and his Master of Arts in English from the same university 30 years later in 2022. His daughters, Mikaela and Genevieve, have both graduated high school and entered adulthood. Ferrell and his wife, Susan, are residents of Hanging Dog, and enjoy fishing, kayaking, hiking, and gardening.

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Stephanie James Licensed Funeral Director and Insurance Agent

Stephanie James has been a full-time employee of Ivie Funeral Home since 1984. She is a licensed Funeral Director and insurance agent. Stephanie was born in South Florida, but has lived in Murphy since 1979. She graduated from Murphy High School and Tri-County Community College. She earned her Mortuary Science degree from Fayetteville Technical College. Stephanie is a member of Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church. Stephanie loves the outdoors and home improvement projects. She is married to Edwin and has two step-children and five grandchildren.

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Renee Deweese Office Staff and Funeral Director Apprentice

Renee began working for Ivie Funeral Home in 2020. She is a retired school teacher and is currently studying to become a licensed funeral director. Renee is a member of the Murphy Rotary Club. 

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Tamala Orton Office Staff

Tamala Orton has been employed with Ivie Funeral Home since 2021. She is a native of Murphy and is married to Zack Orton. Tamala has a son, Levi and a daughter, Kelsey. She is a member of Mount Liberty Baptist Church, where her husband is the pastor. Tamala enjoys playing the piano and spending time with her family.

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Tom York Funeral Assistant

Tom York has been employed with Ivie Funeral Home since 2014. Tom was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but has lived in Murphy since 1974. Tom retired as a hardware salesman from House-Hasson Hardware Company in Knoxville. He is a member of the Murphy First United Methodist Church.  Tom's wife is Sandi, and he has one daughter and three grandchildren.

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Bob Penland Funeral Assistant

Bob Penland began working at Ivie Funeral Home in 2022. He is a 1982 graduate of Murphy High School. Bob is married to Gina Hughes Penland and he has five children, Shanna, Logan, Jessica, Madison, and Isabella and seven grandchildren. Bob enjoys fishing and hunting.

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John Bandy Event Coordinator

John Bandy is now our event coordinator after working with the Ivie Funeral Home for many years as a funeral attendant. He is now a licensed insurance agent. A native and lifetime resident of our area who graduated from Robbinsville High School and Western Carolina University, John served in the United States Navy and is a Vietnam veteran serving on the USS Sheldrake as Operations Officer and Hydrographic Officer and is currently a member of Amercian Legion Post 532. John retired after 30 years with Tri-County Community College as Dean of Academic and Student Development. He is a member of Notla Baptist Church. He is very active with the Gideons International serving currently as Chaplain. John is married to Sally and has two sons and four grandchildren.

John Ivie

Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
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In moving forward with the third generation of family, John Ivie has assumed most of the day-to-day responsibilities at Ivie Funeral Home. John joined his parents in 2006 after receiving his Mortuary Science degree from Fayetteville Technical College. He is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in North Carolina and Georgia and also holds an insurance license. He is also a crematory operator. John is a native of Cherokee County and a graduate of Murphy High School. He is married to Victoria Clark and has two daughters, Harper Pearl and Peyton Rhea, and a son, John Clark. 

Victoria Ivie

Licensed Funeral Director
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Victoria Ivie is a licensed funeral director for Ivie Funeral Home. She is a native of Kingsport, Tennessee and graduated from Washington & Jefferson College. Victoria is the granddaughter of Joan Dockery and the late Floyd Dockery. She is married to John Ivie and has two daughters, Harper Pearl and Peyton Rhea, and a son, John Clark. She attends Grape Creek Baptist Church. She is a college volleyball referree and enjoys quilting. 

Grier Ivie

Owner/ Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
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After more than 40 years in the funeral business, Grier Ivie is the most experienced Funeral Director in the area and is available to meet with families when necessary. He is also a licensed Embalmer and insurance agent. Grier is a native and lifetime resident of Cherokee County and graduated from Murphy High School and Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas. He is a lifetime member of Murphy First Baptist Church where he served as the Chairman of the Deacons. Grier is a member and past president of the Murphy Rotary Club. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors at Nantahala Bank. Grier feels as if his biggest accomplishment for the community was providing a modern funeral home facility to serve our local people. Grier is married to Pat Harper and they have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Pat Ivie

Owner/ Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
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Pat Ivie has made up the other half of Ivie Funeral Home for more than 40 years. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, also graduating from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas, Texas.  Pat was raised in Murphy and later graduated from Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia. She is a member of Murphy First Baptist Church where she serves on the Personnel Committee. Pat serves on the Board of Directors at Nantahala Bank. Pat has four children and 13 grandchildren.

Ferrell Mowell

Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
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Ferrell Mowell has been working with Ivie Funeral Home since the summer of 2020, and – like John Ivie – grew up in the profession, the son of a funeral home owner, living upstairs in the funeral home the first formative years of his life. Ferrell had by the age of 13 observed his first embalming procedure, and has been associated with funeral service ever since. He obtained his first licenses in 1997 in Georgia. He acquired his South Carolina licenses in 2008, and his North Carolina licenses and cremation certification in 2020. He has worked for mortuary service providers and crematories, and he has managed multiple funeral homes and a cemetery. From September, 2004 – March, 2007, Ferrell served as an instructor at Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, teaching Microbiology, Chemistry, and Restorative Art Lab. In addition to his Associate degree in Science from Gupton-Jones in 1997, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgia Southern University in 1992 and his Master of Arts in English from the same university 30 years later in 2022. His daughters, Mikaela and Genevieve, have both graduated high school and entered adulthood. Ferrell and his wife, Susan, are residents of Hanging Dog, and enjoy fishing, kayaking, hiking, and gardening.

Stephanie James

Licensed Funeral Director and Insurance Agent
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Stephanie James has been a full-time employee of Ivie Funeral Home since 1984. She is a licensed Funeral Director and insurance agent. Stephanie was born in South Florida, but has lived in Murphy since 1979. She graduated from Murphy High School and Tri-County Community College. She earned her Mortuary Science degree from Fayetteville Technical College. Stephanie is a member of Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church. Stephanie loves the outdoors and home improvement projects. She is married to Edwin and has two step-children and five grandchildren.

Renee Deweese

Office Staff and Funeral Director Apprentice
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Renee began working for Ivie Funeral Home in 2020. She is a retired school teacher and is currently studying to become a licensed funeral director. Renee is a member of the Murphy Rotary Club. 

Tamala Orton

Office Staff
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Tamala Orton has been employed with Ivie Funeral Home since 2021. She is a native of Murphy and is married to Zack Orton. Tamala has a son, Levi and a daughter, Kelsey. She is a member of Mount Liberty Baptist Church, where her husband is the pastor. Tamala enjoys playing the piano and spending time with her family.

Tom York

Funeral Assistant
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Tom York has been employed with Ivie Funeral Home since 2014. Tom was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but has lived in Murphy since 1974. Tom retired as a hardware salesman from House-Hasson Hardware Company in Knoxville. He is a member of the Murphy First United Methodist Church.  Tom's wife is Sandi, and he has one daughter and three grandchildren.

Bob Penland

Funeral Assistant
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Bob Penland began working at Ivie Funeral Home in 2022. He is a 1982 graduate of Murphy High School. Bob is married to Gina Hughes Penland and he has five children, Shanna, Logan, Jessica, Madison, and Isabella and seven grandchildren. Bob enjoys fishing and hunting.

John Bandy

Event Coordinator
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John Bandy is now our event coordinator after working with the Ivie Funeral Home for many years as a funeral attendant. He is now a licensed insurance agent. A native and lifetime resident of our area who graduated from Robbinsville High School and Western Carolina University, John served in the United States Navy and is a Vietnam veteran serving on the USS Sheldrake as Operations Officer and Hydrographic Officer and is currently a member of Amercian Legion Post 532. John retired after 30 years with Tri-County Community College as Dean of Academic and Student Development. He is a member of Notla Baptist Church. He is very active with the Gideons International serving currently as Chaplain. John is married to Sally and has two sons and four grandchildren.