OUR HISTORY
Johnson Funeral Home was organized in 1954 in a small building on College Street beside the old Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Several years later, the old church was purchased in order to expand the funeral home facilities. In 1964, the funeral home was purchased by Bobby and Doris Johnson. They moved the administrative duties and similar functions to Richlands and operated it for many years. In 1996, a new modern facility was constructed on Henderson Drive in Jacksonville, replacing the original building. Today, Johnson Funeral Home has funeral homes in both Richlands and Jacksonville. For more than 50 years we have provided funeral and cremation services to our community, and we stand ready to serve many more generations of North Carolina families.
SERVING YOUR FAMILY
Our team is dedicated to serving you with excellence and carrying out your goals for life celebration. Above all, we are your friends, neighbors and community partners who provide quality funeral and cremation services. We are your local funeral home with two locations near you.
OUR TEAM
Hamilton Jones
Funeral Service Vice President & General Manager
Hamilton has worked in the funeral industry in North Carolina for many years. A Columbus County native, he received his Degree in Funeral Service from Fayetteville Technical Community College. He is a member of the Whiteville Masonic Lodge and Whiteville Civitans. In his spare time, Hamilton enjoys being on Lake Waccamaw with his children and friends.
Shellie Woodruff
Managing Funeral Director
Shellie Woodruff was raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Moving to beautiful North Topsail Beach in 1991 after becoming personally involved with the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. She moved to England only to return to Wilmington in 1996. Shellie has 2 beautiful daughters, 2 amazing grandchildren and 2 four-legged family members. She is a member of Anchor Baptist Church, is passionate about historic renovation, loves the water, jogging and spending time with family and friends.
After many moves, Shellie settled back down into Wilmington in May 2010, where she recognized her passion in funeral care. “If I am able to help a family by giving them direction and comfort during one of the most difficult and stressful times in their lives, I have used my gift that God has given me.”
Shellie was a former owner of Smith Family Cremation Services in Hampstead, NC. She has been proudly serving families in the area for over a decade as a Funeral Director, Advanced Planning Coordinator and an Outreach Director. She has recently joined Johnson Funeral Home in Jacksonville and Richlands.
Tina Cox Wagoner
Office Manager & Funeral Director
A most dedicated employee of over 25 years, Tina serves Johnson Funeral Homes as both our office manager and a funeral director. She worked side-by-side with our original owners, Doris & Bobby Johnson, and has stayed loyal to their legacy through each era of change. Tina holds the company history in her head like a book and remains dedicated to serving our Onslow County community.
Haley Matthews
Funeral Director Apprentice
Haley Matthews started at Johnson Funeral Home in January of 2022 shortly after moving here from South Carolina. She is fulfilling her apprenticeship while currently attending the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science based in Dallas, TX.
Dustin Foley
Funeral Service Associate
Dustin has been with our team since 2017 and we have been glad to have him. Dustin also works as a Pharmacy Technician at Onslow Memorial Hospital and is part of our Outreach Team.
Jackie Morton
Funeral Service Associate
Jackie is truly our jack-of-all-trades. As Cemetery Support Staff, he marks graves and puts up tents, but he is also our go-to fix-it man for anything that could come up around the funeral homes. He joined our team in 2008 and also serves on our Outreach Team.
Howard Lucas
Funeral Service Associate
A proud resident of Holly Ridge, Howard has been with Johnson Funeral Homes since 2013. Howard is active in the Sneads Ferry community and a key part of our Outreach Team, spreading kindness throughout our community.
James Warren
Funeral Service Associate
“Mr. James” has been an integral member of our Richlands team since 2012. He served as lead pastor of Community Christian Church in Richlands for over 35 years and now serves as an Elder for the church.
Forrest Brown
Funeral Service Associate
Forrest has been a devoted employee of Johnson Funeral Home for over 20 years. He worked for Carolina Telephone Co. (now “Sprint”) for over 37 years and retired as Manager of Visionary Construction. Forrest is very active in community affairs including Rotary Club of Jacksonville, Military Affairs Committee, and Jacksonville-
Jim Joiner
Funeral Service Associate
Jim joined our team in 2018 and has been an asset to us from the beginning. He is extremely active in the Richlands community and serves as Chairman of Elders/Deacons at Community Christian Church of Christ. Before his retirement, Jim worked as branch manager for Tidewater Energy Propane Company and seems to know everyone in Onslow County.
Bobby Thomas
Funeral Service Associate
Bobby has worked for Johnson Funeral Homes for over 50 years. He worked alongside our original owners and the word “dedicated” feels like an understatement. Bobby and his wife Betty have worked every aspect of this business at some point or another. Even though Bobby is not able to be with us as much as both he and we would like nowadays, he calls us at least weekly to check in and stay informed.
Betty Thomas
Funeral Service Associate
Betty has been part of the Johnson Team, in one way or another, for at least 25 years. She and her husband Bobby worked alongside the Johnsons for many years and have been constant cheerleaders for its growth. Betty now proudly serves as part of our Richlands Administration Team.