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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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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Tamala Orton Office Staff and Funeral Assistant

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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Justin Mack Funeral Assistant

Justin was born in Boone, North Carolina and grew up in Miami, Florida.  He moved to Murphy in 1995. Justin joined the staff of Ivie Funeral Home in 2023. He previously worked in radio locally for five years and enjoys video editing.

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Andy Worley Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

Andy is a native and lifelong resident of this area. He graduated in 1973 from Murphy High School where he played football. He attended Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science in Atlanta and has worked in the funeral industry for more than 40 years.

His wife is Kathy and he has three children, Andrea, Branson, and Valerie.  He has five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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Laura Plemmons Office Staff

Laura joined our staff in September of 2023 working on the weekends. She is a lifelong resident of Murphy and a graduate of Tri-County Community College. Her husband is Jacob and they have three children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and she is a huge Tennessee Vols fan.

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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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Colby Scott Shelton Funeral Assistant / Maintenance

Colby was born in Transylvania County. He moved to Murphy in May of 2022 and joined our staff in December.

Colby enjoys serving and would like to further his career in the funeral industry.

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Brian Jimmerson Funeral Assistant / Maintenance

Brian Jimmerson joined Ivie Funeral Home after spending 25 years in the gaming industry. He is a Florida native and attended the University of South Florida. He is a Microsoft Certified Network Engineer. Brian and his four daughters have been residents of Murphy since 2015. 

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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.

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.

Tamala Orton

Office Staff and Funeral Assistant
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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.

Justin Mack

Funeral Assistant
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Justin was born in Boone, North Carolina and grew up in Miami, Florida.  He moved to Murphy in 1995. Justin joined the staff of Ivie Funeral Home in 2023. He previously worked in radio locally for five years and enjoys video editing.

Andy Worley

Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
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Andy is a native and lifelong resident of this area. He graduated in 1973 from Murphy High School where he played football. He attended Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science in Atlanta and has worked in the funeral industry for more than 40 years.

His wife is Kathy and he has three children, Andrea, Branson, and Valerie.  He has five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Laura Plemmons

Office Staff
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Laura joined our staff in September of 2023 working on the weekends. She is a lifelong resident of Murphy and a graduate of Tri-County Community College. Her husband is Jacob and they have three children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and she is a huge Tennessee Vols fan.

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.

Colby Scott Shelton

Funeral Assistant / Maintenance
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Colby was born in Transylvania County. He moved to Murphy in May of 2022 and joined our staff in December.

Colby enjoys serving and would like to further his career in the funeral industry.

Brian Jimmerson

Funeral Assistant / Maintenance
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Brian Jimmerson joined Ivie Funeral Home after spending 25 years in the gaming industry. He is a Florida native and attended the University of South Florida. He is a Microsoft Certified Network Engineer. Brian and his four daughters have been residents of Murphy since 2015. 

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.