About Us

Jeffery F. Wakefield Sr. (Jeff) is a native of Arlington, Georgia. He is the son of Dianne Wakefield. Jeffery is a member of Gethsemane Freewill Baptist Church of Arlington. He began his funeral service career in 1997 at Poteat Funeral Home, under the administration of Mr. James Griffin Jr., his mentor and father figure. After working at the funeral home and attending Darton College, it was at that time that Jeff knew that it was time to move on to pursue his lifelong dream. In March 1999, Jeff moved to Decatur, Georgia to make his dream become a reality and to attend Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, where he had an opportunity to work at the Prestigious, Donald Trimble Mortuary of Decatur, which conducted over 800 services per year. He is a February 2001 Graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service where he earned an Associate of Science Degree in Funeral Service. He is a 2004 Graduate of Georgia Southwestern State University, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Jeff is Licensed as a Funeral Director and Embalmer in the states of Georgia and Alabama. He spent many years working as a trade embalmer and funeral director for numerous firms throughout, Southwest Georgia, Central Georgia, South Central Georgia and Southeast Alabama. After the retirement of Mr. Griffin, On August 7, 2012, Jeff became the owner of Poteat Funeral Home LLC. which is now Poteat-Wakefield Funeral Directors LLC. and along with his mother, Dianne, are owners of The Wakefield Mortuary(W.M.Murray Memorial Chapel) of Arlington, Georgia.  Jeffery is a Past President of The Georgia Funeral Service Practitioners Association (G.F.S.P.A), a member of the 3rd  District G.F.S.P.A., Alabama Funeral Directors and Morticians Association and The Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, He is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (C.F.S.P.) A Certified Crematory Operator and Arranger is also  Chief Deputy Coroner in Calhoun County, Georgia and was a past member of the Dougherty County Rotary Club, and a current member of Rotary Club of Albany, among other civic organizations. Jeffery has twenty-eightyears of experience in funeral service. Jeff along with his wife, Latonya, a 2021 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, and their staff are honored to serve Dougherty, Lee, Terrell, Calhoun, Mitchell, Early, Sumter and surrounding counties.

Mr. Frank Edward Wilder Jr. is a licensed Funeral Director. He obtained his license in 1975.

He has been working for the Poteat Funeral Home since 1964. He started working under the late Mr. Walter Poteat , when the Funeral Home was located at 306 Whitney Avenue .He moved to Albany, Georgia to attend Albany State University where he studied Physical Education. He attended Albany State on a Football Scholarship and decided to make Albany, his home. He worked for 30 years as a Chemical Tech at Air Gas. He retired from Air Gas in 2005. He is still working at the Poteat Funeral Home along with Mr. Jeffery F. Wakefield.

Mr. Wilder has been working in the Funeral profession since he was 12 years old. He started by working with the late Marvin C. Zanders Sr. in Apopka, Florida.

While serving his apprenticeship under the late E. O. Thomas, he studied and passed the State Board Exam in 1975. Mr. Wilder loves working in the funeral profession. He has been married to Barbara Sherman-Wilder for 23 years. He has one son, Petrocelli ( Aurora) Wilder, and three granddaughters. He is a member of the Old Piney Grove Baptist Church in Leesburg, Georgia. where Min. Kenneth Jimmerson serves as pastor. Mr. Wilder serves on the Deacon Board of the church. He loves sports of all kind especially Baseball. He is a devoted Dodger fan.

February 8, 1934-July 11, 2021