Max Brannon, the founder of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home, was recently honored by the Georgia Funeral Directors Association for 50 years of service as a Licensed Funeral Director. Friends and family joined him for the luncheon and presentation. A spokesman for the Funeral Director’s Association said, “Max Brannon exemplifies all the best qualities of our business: compassion, dedication, and ability. Whether he is directing a funeral, raising funds for a local charity, hosting his gospel radio program, and has served in the Georgia Senate, Max Brannon gives his all to the people of his community.”
Max began his funeral service career at Combs Funeral Home in Calhoun. In 1967, he and his wife, Gentle Lee Pettett Brannon, opened the doors of their own funeral home at the intersection of College Street and which is now known as Old Red Bud Road in Calhoun. When asked about his time in funeral service Max says, “Our profession has changed so much over the years, in ways I couldn’t have imagined in 1967. Now that Matt, my grandson, is very involved in the day to day operations of the funeral home, I get to spend my time doing thing that I used to never get to do, like gardening, spending time with our grandchildren and visiting friends” He responded to a question about the future of the funeral business by saying, “Our family owns and operates the funeral home, but the people who have called us and trusted us with their loved ones over the years are the ones that we look for input to help us provide services that the public expects. Eddie and I would always ask each other, how can we better serve our clients? Now that Matt is involved in the family business, he does the same thing. So that will never change. I believe as Calhoun grows, so will we. Matt has lots of new ideas, and they are good ones. The thing that I am most proud of, though, is that Matt listens to the families we serve.”
When asked about the event honoring his grandfather, Matt said, “I absolutely love getting to work side by side with Grandpa Brannon. When we were at the reception in Chattanooga, funeral directors kept coming up and telling me things that he had helped them with over the years, or stories about the advice he has given other funeral home owners, and it made me realize what a blessing it is to learn from him. My Grandpa and my dad have always been totally committed to serving this area. They both taught me that these families we serve are more than customers; they are our neighbors and our friends. I know that I have some big shoes to fill by following them as the manager, but Dad and Grandpa are always here to tell me what they think, so it's has been an easy transition.”
