About Us

Timothy H. McRae is a Marshall County native and 33-year resident of Boaz. He is a 1983 Graduate of J. B. Pennington High School and received his Associates Degree in Applied Science of Funeral Service Education from Jefferson St. Jr. College in 1985. He started his career in his hometown of Arab at Gober Funeral Chapel while still in high school.  He opened McRae Funeral Home in June of 2001.

McRae has been and is currently involved in state, city, and community affairs. He has served on various state boards and professional associations. He was one of the youngest members ever appointed to the Alabama Board of Funeral Service where he served from 1994 thru 1997. He is a member of The Boaz Rotary Club and served as President in 2012-2013. He is currently serving the state funeral director’s association as the Immediate President and on the Marshall Medical Centers Board of Directors.  He is a member of the Independent Funeral Directors Group and also has served on the Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce and Pirate Foundation Boards of Directors. He recently was honored to sit on the Child Advocacy and MCLC Boards as well. He is married to the former Melissa Gunter, Librarian at  Boaz Middle School. They have a “four-legged” daughter, Lucy Bea, 11

“We have a genuine concern for our community. We are always looking for more ways to help the community, whether donating to the school, volunteering with a civic club, attending church or just being at a ballgame, we are here because this is our community too, and we are proud to call it home. Our professional commitment to you, our friends and neighbors, is to use what our many years of experience have taught us, by listening to the needs of the families we serve and help them arrange exactly what they want.” Thank you, Tim McRae

Shirley is Tim's mother and a fixture of McRae Funeral Home. She has been a licensed funeral director for almost 30 years. She not only serves as a hostess, but also an advanced planning counselor. She has been a part of the funeral profession for over 35 years. 

Shirley grew up in the Strawberry community, just south of Arab, Alabama.  She attends Second Baptist Church of Boaz and spends most of her free time caring for her cat, Lizzy Belle and her granddog, Lucy.

Ricky is a Sardis City native and grew up in the Boaz area. He is a 1986 graduate of Sardis High School and received his Funeral Director’s license in 1995. He started working in funeral service in Birmingham, Alabama in 1992 and moved back to the Boaz area in 1996. 

Ricky is married to the former Jennifer Reed of Albertville. Jennifer is a science teacher with the Boaz Middle School. They have two daughters, Taylor and her husband, Dr. Andrew Jones and Kensley and her husband, Jonathan Plunkett. Ricky and Jennifer are active members of Bethsaida Baptist Church.

Ricky brings a caring and positive attitude to the funeral home and a genuine concern for the families we serve. “I have had the honor to serve my family, neighbors and friends for over 25 years in the Boaz, Sardis and Albertville areas and truly love being able to help them at such a difficult time.” 

“Ricky is professional yet unpretentious. He exemplifies what a caring funeral director should be” extolls Tim McRae. “We couldn’t be prouder to have Ricky as a part of our professional staff.” 

Please feel free to stop by and visit with Ricky or give him a call with any of your questions or concerns.

Keith Gibbs began his education in Funeral Service in 1985. He is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer and has been with McRae Funeral Home for several years but his and Tim's friendship has been over 30 yrs.

Raised in Altoona, Keith now calls Albertville home, along with his wife Kelley of 13 years. Having spent many years on the field and court as an official, he is a lover of sports and anything that involves his grandchildren. He and his wife attend The Bridge Church in Boaz (f/k/a Boaz Church of God), where they serve together as leaders in Nursery Ministry. 

Family is his favorite way to spend free time. He is the proud dad to Laina Nugent (husband Cody) and Lindsey Whisenant (husband Ethan), but his favorite title these days is Bebe, to grandchildren Nolan, Liddie and Jack. 

Dustin is a native of Jacksonville, Al. He moved to Sand Mountain in 2004 to work with the Blessing Church of Christ. He has been married to Amanda Green of Hokes Bluff, AL since 2002. He has two wonderful daughters, Kaley and Karrisa who attend Geraldine High School. Dustin graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1996.  He is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corp having served in peace time from 1996 to 2000. He is a 2003 graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching, a 2004 graduate of Jacksonville State University and a 2014 graduate of Athens State University with a degree in Secondary Education English Language Arts. 

Herman McMurtrey and his wife, the former Charlotte Ambercrombie, reside on the family farm where he grew up in the Smith Institute community of Etowah County. They are the parents of two children, Bruce McMurtrey (wife DeAnna) and Leigh Ann Harbian (husband Jason), and grandchildren Arden McMurtrey and T. J. and Ava Harbian. The are all active members of Kyuka Missionary Baptist Church where Herman has served as deacon and Sunday School Superintendent for over 50 years and Charlotte has served as pianist for over 50 years. Charlotte is now singing alto with the “Redemption Trio” from Glencoe and has written several songs.

Herman is a graduate of Sardis High School and returned there as principal in 1983, graduate with an associate Degree from Snead College and earned a Bachelor of science Degree in General Business with a minor in Economics, a Master’s Degree, and an Education Specialist Degree from Jacksonville University.

Being employed in the field of Education for 44 years he held positions as an Elementary and Junior High School teacher, An Elementary and High School Principal, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and Career Technical Director. He was a charter member of the Jacksonville chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, runner up as the Outstanding Young Educator in Etowah County, 1972, a former member and past president of the Attalla Exchange Club. He also served two terms on the Board of Directors for the Etowah Teachers Credit Union, now the Alabama Teachers Credit Union. He is listed in the National Registry of Who’s Who, 1999 edition.