Barton named president of Woody and Nelsen Funeral Homes
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Lacyn Barton has been named president of Woody Funeral Home and Cremation Service and Nelsen Funeral Home & Crematory, effective Dec. 1.
Barton will replace Bernard "Bernie" Henderson who will become president emeritus, serving consulting and special projects roles for Woody and Nelsen. Barton previously was location manager of Woody Funeral Homes and before that served as location manager for Nelsen Funeral Homes.
She will become the funeral home’s first female president since it was established in 1905.
Henderson has been with Woody Funeral Home since 2010 and has served as president of Woody Funeral Home since 2014.
As incoming President, Barton will be responsible for overseeing the operations of all three Woody Funeral Home locations in the Richmond area, as well as the two Nelsen Funeral Home locations. Each group has one Henrico location.
Barton has worked in the funeral business for 16 years, serving as a funeral director in communities in seven different states. A job opportunity with Nelsen Funeral Homes brought her to Richmond from Pittsburgh in 2015. Barton said she fell in love with the history and culture of the region. She and her family reside in the Sandston area.
After a near fatal horse-riding accident, Barton, a world champion mounted shooter, was inspired to pursue a career in funeral service to help people who found themselves in that same dire situation. Barton earned a degree in mortuary science from Arapahoe Community College, a bachelor’s in business administration from Fort Lewis College, and an MBA in Healthcare Management from Regis University. She is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.
“My decision to semi-retire was made possible by the comfort of knowing that Lacyn is positioned to lead Woody and Nelsen Funeral Home forward," Henderson said. "I have treasured the honor of leading Nelsen and Woody, and I will continue to serve on a reduced basis, but we are excited to have Lacyn who has the ability and commitment to add new leadership to the legacy of these venerable providers of funeral services to the families of our community.”
Nelsen Funeral Home and Crematory was established in 1892 with locations in eastern Henrico and Ashland. Woody Funeral Home and Cremation Service has served metropolitan Richmond since 1905 and has locations in western Henrico, Mechanicsville and Midlothian. Since 2017, the firms have been led by the same executive management officials.
