Our History
Having served the Lakeland community since 1911, Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes are the oldest funeral homes in Polk County.
Our firm has been locally owned and operated by Lew Hall since 2001. Our family and staff are active in local church, civic and community activities in an effort to support our community. We have two full service funeral homes, a Cremation Center, as well as our cemetery, Serenity Gardens, for the convenience of our families. The greater Lakeland community has entrusted their loved ones to our firm now for over 100 years.
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Lew & Anita Hall Owner & Funeral Director
Lew Hall, owner of Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes, is a graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science. Lew has been married to his wife Anita since 1980. Their son, Trey, lives in Lakeland, FL and son Todd, resides in Louisville, KY.
Before returning to the funeral business in 2001, Lew was in the insurance and real estate business for twenty years. Lew is a Past President for the Florida Funeral Director's Association and currently serves on the Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services for the State of Florida. -
Trey Hall Funeral Director
Trey Hall began working for his father at Gentry Morrison Funeral Homes in April of 2001. He is a lifelong resident of Polk County, having graduated from Bartow High School and St. Petersburg College. He is a third generation funeral director and currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Florida Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association.
Trey and his wife Lauren have two children, Shelby and Lane. -
Don Bellar Funeral Director
Don Bellar joined Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes in August of 2002 as a funeral director. He graduated from Miami-Dade Community College of Mortuary Science in 1984 and became a licensed funeral director in 1985.
After several years of funeral directing experience in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Don moved to Lakeland in 1990 to manage Lakeland Funeral Home for 10 years before joining the Gentry-Morrison staff.
He resides in Lakeland with his wife Lorrie and their three children, Jordan, Mason and Blake. The Bellars are very active in the Lakeland community. -
Dana Rice Funeral Director
Dana Rice joined Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home in December 2017 as a Licensed Funeral Director. Graduating from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science, Atlanta, Georgia in 2008.
He has faithfully served families in Lake and Sumter County for 8 years. After recovering from an illness, Dana transferred to Lakeland to be able to serve the families in Polk County.
Dana and his wife Karla were married in 1983 and now reside in Sumterville, Florida. They have 2 children, son, Gary who is a Lake County Paramedic, and daughter, Katie, a Phlebotomist in Austin, Texas. -
Keith Williams Funeral Director
Keith Williams
A lifelong resident of Florida, Keith is a 1980 graduate of Pasco Comprehensive High School in Dade City and a 1985 graduate of Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, GA. He has enjoyed the opportunities to serve on the staff of several funeral homes throughout central and north Florida.
Keith has had an active role as a volunteer for the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant since 1979 and enjoys volunteering for various other organizations in his spare time. -
Vera Hall Administrative Assistant
Vera Hall began working for her son, Lew Hall Jr., at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes in February of 2009. Vera and her late husband, Lew Hall, Sr., attended Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.She served as administrative assistant to the District Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene and later as administrative assistant to the Senior Pastor at the Highland Park Church of the Nazarene, both in Lakeland.
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Susan Raney Administrative Assistant
Susan Raney joined Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home in August of 2003 as an administrative assistant. Susan is a 1983 graduate of Bartow High School and a 1985 graduate of Polk Community College with an AS in Business. In 1986 she moved to North Lakeland and lived in the area for 17 years before moving back to Bartow in 2001.
Susan is currently an administrative assistant at our Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home at Serenity Gardens. She has two children, Kateland, Kenny (Leigh Ann) and one grandson, Jasper. -
Blanca Vega Translator & Administrative Assistant
Blanca Vega
Una nativa de Buffalo, Nueva York, se unió a Gentry Morrison Funerarias después de trasladarse a Lakeland para ayudar a nuestras familias latinas a las que servimos. Ella es bilingüe y ayuda a nuestras familias hispana cuando hacen previa planificación o haciendo los arreglos funerarios. Blanca espera poder servir a la comunidad latina aquí en Lakeland.
Blanca Vega
A native of Buffalo, New York, Blanca joined Gentry Morrison Funeral Homes after moving to Lakeland to assist with the Latin families we serve. She is bilingual and assists our Spanish speaking families when preplanning or making funeral arrangements. Blanca looks forward to serving the Latin community here in Lakeland. -
Paige Hernandez
Paige Hernandez joined Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes in the Fall of 2018. She is an 8th generation Floridian and lifelong resident of Lakeland. Paige graduated from Kathleen High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida, where she also studied forensics and criminology. She is currently pursuing an education in Mortuary Science at St. Petersburg College.
Paige has been married to her high school sweetheart, Martin, since 2012, and they have one daughter, Anslee.
