History & Staff

At Carter-Trent Funeral Home, we provide personalized service options that allow you to honor your loved ones in a way that is both meaningful and healing. We hope to provide support and caring while delivering memorial services that celebrate life and help families find the peace they deserve.
If you’re seeking an honorable celebration of life in Scott County and the surrounding areas, we invite you to learn more about where we came from, our vision, and the dedicated people behind our work.

A History of Caring

A History of Compassion

Carter-Trent Funeral Home, is a business built on service and tradition.

That service and tradition, began in 1920 when the Huff Funeral Home opened its doors to serve the downtown Kingsport area. The owners were the late J.W. Huff and J. Frank Nelson, who served the community for years. In 1954 it was purchased by Bill Carter and Frank Clamon to become Carter-Clamon Funeral Home. It was then purchased by Mr. Dean Trent and became Carter-Trent Funeral Home.

Mr. Trent started his career in funeral service in 1959, as a partner in a funeral home in Gate City, Va. and has worked for over 50 years providing service and comfort to the families of the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home, now consists of three locations. The downtown Kingsport location was completely remodeled in 1998; the Church Hill location was opened on January 1, 1996 to serve the families of Hawkins County and our newest location, the Scott County Funeral Home was acquired in November of 2003 and completely renovated with the addition of a new chapel (seating capacity of 350) to serve the families of Scott County and surrounding areas.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home, continues to follow a tradition of offering affordable services with the highest integrity. Our staff is caring, dedicated and a very professional group of men and women, who take great pride in the service that they give, striving to go beyond what is required, providing not only service but comfort to every family we serve creating, Special Memories of Life.

Our Staff’s Dedication to Respectful Care

A funeral, or memorial service, should provide family members and loved ones with the chance to reflect, remember, and celebrate a life well-lived. At Carter-Trent, our goal is to create exceptional services and experiences that fulfill the wishes of your loved one. Our experienced Funeral Directors provide guidance on the crucial first steps toward healing.



Jacob K. Gasperson
Location Leader, Carter-Trent Funeral Home, Kingsport

Jacob K. Gasperson is a native of Kingsport, Tennessee and is married to Tiffany Rhoton of Fall Branch, where they currently reside.  In 2006 upon graduation from Dobyns-Bennett High School, he attended college in Nashville for several years before going to American McAllister Funeral Academy in Manhattan, New York, where he graduated in 2013.

He is currently a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Tennessee and a Funeral Service Provider in Virginia.  He was named the manager of our Scott County Funeral Home, Weber City, Virginia in June 2016, and was named general manager of all three locations in June, 2020.  In his spare time Jacob enjoys farming, hunting and fishing.  He and his lovely wife, Tiffany, are the proud parents of Isaac David and Harper Suzanne.



Lindsay Fischer
Location Leader, Scott County Funeral Home, Weber City

Lindsay graduated from Gate City High School in 1996 and Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, GA, in 1998. He began his career in funeral service in 1992, when he worked for his grandmother, the late Juanita S. Falin, at Gate City Funeral Home. Lindsay is a lifelong resident of Scott County, VA; he and his wife Jessica reside in Hiltons, VA. They have a son, Sam, a daughter, Josie, and granddaughter, Amillion.

Lindsay is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Virginia and Tennessee, and serves as location leader at Scott County Funeral Home in Weber City, VA. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Scott County Virginia and a member of Yuma Ruritan. In his spare time, Lindsay enjoys reading, camping with his family and friends, watching high-school and college sports. 



Brad Price
Location Leader, Carter-Trent Funeral Home, Church Hill

Brad Price is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in both Tennessee and Virginia, and serves as the Location Leader at Carter-Trent Funeral Home in Church Hill.  Brad is a native of Hawkins County, residing in Surgoinsville.  

He and his wife, Jessica, have 3 sons, DJ, GT and Ryan.  They attend Spires Chapel Baptist Church in Rogersville.  In his spare time, Brad enjoys playing and singing gospel and bluegrass music, playing golf and going camping with his family.



Terry Hurley
Licensed Funeral Director

Terry retired as the manager of our Church Hill location and now works part time for the funeral homes.  He began his career in the funeral business in 1970 and joined Carter-Trent Funeral Home in 2004.  He is a licensed funeral director in Tennessee and holds a courtesy license in the state of Virginia.  Born in Sneedville, TN, he and his wife Diana have lived in Kingsport since 1973 and have one daughter, Dr. Michelle Hurley.



Judy Trent Addington
Funeral Director

Judy Addington is the eldest daughter of Mr. Dean E. & Martha Trent.  She is a licensed Funeral Director in Tennessee, holds a courtesy license to practice Funeral Directing in Virginia, and is also a licensed Insurance Agent.  She has been active in all aspects of the funeral business since 1991, when her family purchased the funeral home and assists in all facets of the funeral home.

Judy is a graduate from ETSU with a BS degree in elementary and secondary education.  She is married to Mark Addington, retired Kingsport Police Chief, and they have two sons, Brinley and Breven.



Deana Trent Steadman
Licensed Funeral Director

Deana was born and raised in Kingsport and has been with the firm from the beginning in 1991.  Deana attended North High School and East Tennessee State University.  

She is a Tennessee Licensed Funeral Director having received her license in 1997.  Deana is married to David Steadman and they have twins, Drew and Whitney Steadman.



Vivian Rector
Funeral Director/Family Care Advisor

Vivian’s family moved from Virginia to Kingsport, Tennessee at an early age where she spent her childhood.  After her High School graduation, she attended the University of Tennessee and then went on to live in Illinois for several years.  Upon returning to Kingsport, she began a career in the Funeral Service Profession, obtaining her Tennessee Funeral Directors license in 1996.

She has been working in Pre-Need with Carter-Trent since 2006. Vivian is also a Licensed Tennessee Insurance Agent and is a Registered Agent for Pre-Need. Vivian attends bible study (Precept Class) on Tuesday mornings at First Baptist Church, Kingsport.



Jennifer Gasperson
Lead Administrator & Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer

Jennifer and her husband Bryan moved to Kingsport from Asheville, NC in 1993. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, a Tennessee Insurance Agent and a licensed Pre-Need Agent.

Jennifer and Bryan have 2 children. Jacob and his wife Tiffany blessed her with 2 grandchildren, Isaac and Harper. Kaysea and Ryan Carico have blessed her with 1 grandchild, Rheagan. According to her, Mimi is her favorite title.




Traci Summey Starnes
Administrator

Traci came to work for Dean and Martha in July 2007. She is originally from Gate City (Yuma Community), Virginia. She was born to the late Gene and Martha Salling Summey. Traci married Michael Starnes in 1993 and moved to Kingsport.

Although Traci is very loyal to the funeral home her faith is the most important thing to her, but her children are a running second. Traci’s biggest accomplishment was having two children Madison and Peyton whom she is very proud of. In 2018 Peyton married Sarah Thomas and together they have two beautiful children, Jayne Anne and Owen. Traci’s title is Mommy and Mimi, and that is her favorite. She attends Colonial Heights Baptist Church.



Jack Edwards
Funeral Assistant

Jack joined the firm in July 2007 and works as a Funeral Assistant. Originally from Grayson County, Virginia, Jack earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College and his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is retired from the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church after serving 45 years in active ministry, having retired as Senior Pastor of First Broad Street United Methodist Church, Kingsport, TN (June 2007). He is a member of the Kingsport District Committee on Ministry; the Kingsport District Board of Church Location and Building and the Downtown Kingsport Facade Committee. He and his wife Judy, have two children and four grandchildren and attend First Broad Street United Methodist Church.





Billy Jack Johnson
Funeral Assistant

Billy Jack is a funeral assistant having joined the firm in 2003. He was born and raised at Blackwater, VA. He came to Kingsport in 1960. Billy Jack worked for the Mead Corp. for 29 years and then with Willamette Ind. for 3 years before retiring in 1999. In 1962 he married Wanda F. Baker. They have 2 children and 4 grandchildren and attend the Walnut Chapel Primitive Baptist Church for which Billy Jack is a member of the Deacon Board.



Mack Edwards
Funeral Assistant

Mack is a native of Scott County (Dry Creek), he has lived in the Weber City area for the past 38 plus years. He is retired from J.P. Stevens Corp after 35 years of service. Having some previous experience as a Funeral Assistant, Mack joined the firm in February 2005. His is married to Jewell Beldsoe Edwards and they have 3 children and 5 grandchildren.



John Eidson
Funeral Assistant

John joined the firm in Jan 2005. He worked for Quebecor World for 40 years retiring in 1998. A 42-year resident of Surgoinsville, after retiring John was elected to the Hawkins Co. Board of Commission and has served for seven years and in 2004, he created the Down-Home Gospel TV Channel. John is married to Yvonne Skelton Eidson and in Nov. 2011 they celebrated 50 years of marriage. John and Yvonne have two sons.



Virgil Mauk
Funeral Assistant

Virgil began working in 2011. He is retired from Holliston Mills and a lifelong resident of Surgoinsville, TN. Virgil is married to Madelyn Linkous Mauk and they have two children. He is member and deacon in Oakdale Central Baptist Church. He enjoys farming and being outdoors.



Jackie Needham
Funeral Assistant

Jackie joined Carter-Trent Funeral Home in 2012 as a funeral assistant. He has been married to the former Joan Roberts for 47 years and they have three children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Jackie is a U. S. Navy veteran having served in Vietnam. He retired from Eastman Chemical after 34 years of service. Jackie has been a member of First Freewill Baptist Church for 43 years.



Mitchell Whisnant
Funeral Assistant



Greg Hall
Funeral Assistant


In Memoriam


Brent Warner

Our Carter-Trent family, and the Kingsport community, suffered an enormous loss when Brent Warner passed away on May 16, 2020. Brent touched so many lives through his compassionate care and leadership over his 28 years at Carter-Trent Funeral Homes. Brent helped create a true center of healing and warmth in our community while always giving back through his many charitable activities and commitment to youth sports.

Brent was a lifelong resident of Kingsport and a nephew of Dean Trent. He joined the firm in 1991 after graduating from Sullivan North High School and grew to become the General Manager in 2014 overseeing all three locations. He graduated from John A. Gupton College in Nashville in 1995 and received his Tennessee License for Funeral Directing and Embalming in 1996. He became a funeral service provider for the State of Virginia in July of 2009. Brent is survived by his wife, Carrie Surgenor, and their two children: son, Blain and daughter, Blair.

Brent was passionate about his profession and was always dedicated to honoring the lives of everyone that came into his care and will be greatly missed by everyone whose lives he touched.



Dean and Martha Trent

Dean and Martha were involved in funeral service since Dean's involvement in Gate City Funeral Home in 1959. Dean and Martha were married in 1957 and had been active and involved in this area all their lives from when Dean's father, Rex was owner of the Peggy Ann Restaurant and Martha's father, Rev Carl Triplett, was pastor of the Temple Baptist Church.

Dean was active in many organizations including the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association, Mason's, Shriner's, and Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. Their family continues that tradition of service as their children, Judy Addington, Deana Steadman and Jodi Redwine, work in the Kingsport office.

Dean and Martha Trent, owners of the funeral home from 1991 - 2012 were very active in the day-to-day operations of the funeral home. Their love of this community was their drive in serving the many thousands of families of Carter-Trent Funeral Home.  Dean and Martha were members of the Temple Baptist Church.



Gregory R. Lubrano
Funeral Director/Operations Support Specialist

Greg Lubrano came to Carter-Trent from New York in 2002. During his time in Kingsport, he served as a funeral director, embalmer, office administrator, and operational support specialist. He held funeral director and embalmer licenses from Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. He passed away August 6, 2021 after a brief illness. Greg was a great friend and colleague and will be missed.



Joe Haynes
Funeral Assistant

Joe was a funeral assistant and had been with the firm since April 2005. A native of Scott County, Joe relocated to Kingsport after serving in the US Army from 1960-1962. Joe graduated from Whitney Business College, working for Eastman Chemical Co. having retired in 1995 after 32 years of service. Joe was married to Phyllis, and they had 1 son and 3 grandchildren and attended the Cedar View Independent Methodist Church. Joe passed away on October 7, 2021, following a brief illness.