My wife Toni and I have been a part of the Wiregrass area all of our lives. We are Dothan's only family-owned-and-operated funeral service provider. Toni and I are both licensed Funeral Directors with the State of Alabama. We are both active and involved with the day-to-day activities of the funeral home. Our roots run deep here in the Wiregrass area, our parents, grand-parents and great grand-parents were born and raised here. We love Dothan and could not think of a better place to live, raise our children, and to work. Our staff, Ben Earnest, Tena Ellison, Jean Ellis, and Eddie White, are also from the Wiregrass area and are committed to giving you the most professional and courteous service.

Another service that we offer and can only be found at Sunset is a reception center. Our reception center is a 2,000-square-foot facility that families may use prior to or following services in order to have a catered brunch, lunch or dinner. The use of the reception center is available to all of the families that we serve as well as any other outside groups or organizations needing a place to meet.

We believe that our cemetery is second to none. We have a full time grounds maintenance crew headed by Tena Ellison and Eddie White. We have the area's only fully irrigated grounds, and flowers in bloom year round. When you drive into the park, you will see rose gardens, lush tropical plants surrounding a beautiful koi pond, running fountains, and serene areas that comfort and sooth.

How long have we been in Business:
I have been a funeral director since 1976. I learned and served my apprenticeship under Wilton R. Holman, who founded Holman Mortuary in Headland, Alabama. He was an inspiration to me. I was later most fortunate to be able to work closely with Max B. Jackson. Mr. Jackson is Dothan's most renowned funeral director. My association with Mr. Jackson gave me more insight on how to better serve families and try to bring comfort to a grieving family at a most difficult time. It was an honor, and I consider it a blessing to have been able to work with Mr. Jackson for 16 years.

Awards that we have won:
Our cemetery was awarded Dothan's Best Cemetery for several years by the readers of the Dothan Eagle newspaper. I have also been awarded a Special Service Award by the Department of Human Resources for assisting families who were dealing with a death that were not financially prepared.

History of Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Home and Crematory:
Starting Sunset Memorial Park, Funeral Home and Crematory has fulfilled a long-time dream of Toni and Robert Byrd. In 1994, Robert Byrd established Sunset Cemetery, and we had our first burial on April 15. Since that date, Sunset has gone through many changes but has always had the same goal in mind: to provide the most compassionate services to the residents of the Wiregrass area at a reasonable cost. 1999 saw the construction of the first set of mausoleums inside the Pavilion and were dedicated to the areas Veterans. A community garden mausoleum with niche banks was added and completed in 2001. Robert sold Byrd Funeral Home in 1995, and we embarked on bringing the most professional funeral service in the wiregrass area to Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Home and Crematory, LLC. After several hundred interments later and a name change to Sunset Memorial Park, Funeral Home and Crematory, LLC, our dream to have a funeral home on our cemetery grounds has come to fruition. We have completed the first phase of construction in May of 2007 and received our funeral establishment license from the State of Alabama Board of Funeral Service. The second phase of construction has now begun which includes a chapel, visitation parlors, and a reception center. Families choosing Sunset now have the advantage of being able to secure all of their arrangements at one convenient place. The need to visit several different establishments on the worst day of your life is no longer necessary.

Memberships and Associations That We Belong To:
We belong to and are in good standing with ICCFA, International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association, and the Alabama Cemetery Association. We are licensed with the State of Alabama Board of Funeral Service and the City of Dothan, Alabama. We are members of St. Columba Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, the Elks Lodge, the Dothan Rotary Club, the Dothan Kiwanis Club, and Calvary Baptist Church.