Our Dedicated & Caring Staff

Our dedicated and supportive staff are here to guide you through this difficult journey. We take pride in doing our absolute best to ensure your needs are met.

Staff members of Sherrell-Westbury Funeral Home are caring and experienced professionals who understand that each family is unique and has personal requests and traditions. These requests and traditions are of utmost importance to our staff.

Meet Our Licensed Funeral Directors and Staff

Joe Westbury
Owner/Funeral Director/Embalmer

E-mail: wjwestbury@bellsouth.net

Walter Joseph (Joe) Westbury was born on February 13, 1975 in Griffin, Georgia. His parents are James Richard Westbury, Sr. and the late Loretta Chambley Westbury. Joe was educated in the Griffin-Spalding School System but at the age of 14 started working part-time at his family's nursing home, Westbury Medical Care Home, located in Jackson, GA. Joe's grandfather, the late Reverend S.J. Westbury, started the nursing home in 1959. 

Joe graduated from Griffin High School in June of 1994. Following graduation Joe studied at Gordon College in Barnesville, Georgia for 2 semesters. During this time the family experienced a death, and Joe was intrigued by the care that was provided to his family at their time of loss. He went to inquire about pursuing a career in funeral service and spoke with Mike Conner, manager of McCullough Funeral Home in Griffin, GA. After the discussion Joe started working at McCullough Funeral Home part-time, while also working at the family's nursing home in Jackson. In September of 1995 Joe started Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, Georgia. He was invited to join the honor fraternity. Joe graduated from Gupton-Jones in August of 1996. 

Following graduation he started his apprenticeship with McCullough Funeral Home in Griffin, while still working part-time at Westbury Medical Care Home. He received his funeral director and embalmer licenses in May of 1998. He continued to work with McCullough Funeral Home and Westbury Medical Care Home until he began employment with Haisten-Woodlawn Funeral Home, Griffin, GA in February of 2000. 

During this time Joe, grew his experience as a funeral director and embalmer, having met with the majority of families and embalming most of the deceased. In March of 2001, Mike Conner and Joe Westbury, with the financial backing of Rick Towns, bought the Moody Funeral in Griffin. The Moody Funeral Home had opened in 1997 and historically performed between 40-60 funerals annually. Conner-Westbury Funeral Home opened on March 23, 2001 and by the end of 2001 had performed 146 funerals. This trend increased every year. The last full year that Mike, Joe and Rick owned the funeral home, they performed 465 funerals. 

In March of 2012, Joe and his partners collectively sold their business to Carriage Services, Houston, TX. 

He has four daughters, Kitty, Kami, Karoline and Kaysen. He is a member of Rock Springs Church in Milner, Georgia. He is a member of the Jackson Butts County Rotary Club, Butts County Leadership Class of 2014, and serves on the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service. Joe enjoys playing golf and riding motorcycles.

Amanda Westbury

Human Resource/Aftercare Director

Amanda handles organizing, coordinating, and managing the employees of both funeral homes. She also handles marketing both Sherrell-Westbury / Williams- Westbury Funeral Homes and Jackson Monument company.  In her spare time she loves spoiling her grandchildren and traveling.  She has been on many mission trips including India and Honduras, to which both hold a special place in her heart. Her compassion for the hurting and for single moms has been the forefront of her ministry. Amanda is a member of Christ Chapel in Zebulon.

Amanda is a mother of (3) beautiful daughters and a Gigi to (7) grandchildren. 

Rudy Mangham

Funeral Speaker/Funeral Assistant

Rudy Mangham was born in Jackson, GA and attended Jackson High School. He is a member of the Towaliga Baptist Church, works with the "Shoes for God's Children" and has been on staff since 1992. 

Rudy lives in Jackson with his wife Maureen. They have 2 sons and a daughter-in-law, Marty, Rod and Hope, 1 granddaughter, Madison, and 1 grandson, Mason.

Savannah Leazer

​Funeral Director

Michael Lott

Funeral Director

Jacob Jenkins

​Funeral Director

Shannon Head

Administrative Assistant 

Shannon is our Administrative Assistant and started working with us in December 2020. She grew up in Griffin, Georgia and graduated form Griffin High School. She has been married for 28 years to Howard Head and they both lived in Jackson, Georgia for the last 8 years.

They’ve raised 4 wonderful children and have 8 beautiful grandchildren. Shannon is an avid University of Georgia fan- GO DAWGS! She enjoys going to the beach, playing cards, and loves spending time with her family. 

David Dawson

Staff Pastor/Funeral Assistant

Steve Dudley

Staff Pastor/Funeral Assistant

Gene Davies

Funeral Assistant

Terry Holcomb

Funeral Assistant

Mac Spruill

Funeral Assistant

Howard Mathis

​Funeral Director

John Sherrell

John Adrian Sherrell, age 76, of Jackson, GA, passed away Thursday, February 21, 2013, at Westbury Medical Care Home. He was born October 9, 1936 in Pepperton, GA to the late George Deventer Sherrell and the late Mary Will Carr Sherrell. John enjoyed writing, fishing, reading and spending time with his family. He served in the US Army in the European Theater. He was a graduate of Cincinnati College of Embalming. John was a licensed minister, funeral director, embalmer, a member of the Jackson First Baptist Church, St John's Lodge F&AM 45, Gideons International, Georgia Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association. He and his wife began Sherrell Funeral Home in 1967 and continued his service until recently due to declining health. John ran the local ambulance service for many years and served as coroner for 14 years. He is preceded in death by grandson, Matt Cardell; brothers, Bobby Reynolds, Victor Sherrell, George (Butch) Sherrell, Jr., and Richard Sherrell.

John is survived by his wife, Margaret Rawls Sherrell, of Jackson; sons & daughter-in-law, Jackie & Ann Rooks, of Flovilla, Dennis Rooks, of Jackson; daughters & sons-in-law, Becky & Eddie Cardell, of McDonough, Bonnie & Russell Richardson, of Jackson; 12 grandchildren; a large number of great-grandchildren; sisters, Bonnie Dull, of Griffin, Janie Ryan, of VA; brother, Dave Sherrell, of CA; brother-in-law, Ralph Cook, of Jackson; sisters-in-law, Mary McCrackin and Eva Sherrell, both of Jackson, Betty Rawls, of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and Hilda Sherrell, of Muldrough, KY; several nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Funeral services for John Sherrell were held at 11:00 AM Saturday, February 23, 2013 at First Baptist Church of Jackson with Dr. Benny Tate and Rev. Daniel Peavy officiating. Interment followed at Jackson City Cemetery. Donations may be made to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 1192, Jackson, GA 30233 in memory of John.