Who We Are : Our Staff

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (757) 380-8871

Mr. Smith was born and raised in Newport News. He is a product of the community that he and his family have served for over 90 years. He is married to Armeke, has one daughter, Chavelá; one granddaughter and two grandsons.

He is a member and Trustee of Providence Baptist Church in Newport News and serves on the Usher Board.

Other organizations and affiliations include, Member of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians’ Association, Member and Past President of the Virginia Morticians’ Association where he is Former Chairperson of the Nominating Committee and is the 2009 Mortician of the Year, Member and President of the Peninsula Funeral Directors’ Association.

He is a member and Past Basileus of the Alpha Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., member, Past President and Treasurer of the Dochiki Civic & Social Club, Member of Hiram Abiff Lodge #90, John W. Kirby #40 Consistory, Zem Temple #122 Shriners, Member of the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Hampton Roads, Organizer and Chairman of the Chestnut Avenue Association and a former Participant of the Newport News Public Schools Superintendent’s Round Table Conference.

He’s a proud Alumnus of Huntington High School, Central State University (Wilberforce, OH) and Cincinnati Mortuary College. Mr. Smith is a sports fanatic, an avid bowler and a dedicated fan of the Dallas Cowboys football team.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (757)380-8871

Mrs. Smith is a Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer and was born and raised in Newport News and is a product of the East End Community. She is married to Otis H. Smith, Jr., has one daughter, Chavelá; one granddaughter and two grandsons.

She is a lifelong member of First Baptist Church East End in Newport News where she serves on the Hospitality & Care Ministry and the Finance Ministry.  She is a Past Servant Leader of the Senior Ushers Ministry.

Other organizations and affiliations include, Member of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc. and the Virginia Morticians’ Association, Inc. where she serves on the Convention and Scholarship Committees, Member of the Peninsula Funeral Directors’ Association where she serves as District Secretary and Treasurer.  She is the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Service Award presented by the Peninsula Funeral Directors Association.

Mrs. Smith is a member of the Dochiki Wives Auxiliary, Inc. where she is Assistant Treasurer, Co-Chairperson of the Program & Civic Committee and serves on the Social Committee, she is a Past Vice President, Past Secretary and Past Chairman of the Scholarship Committee.

In 2009 Armeke was the recipient of the Business Woman of the Year award presented by the Newport News Club of National Association of Negro & Professional Women's Club, Inc. (NANBPWC).  She was also one of the recipients of the 2010 "Rosa Parks Award" given to her by Trinity Baptist Church, Newport News.

Mrs. Smith is an avid supporter of the American Diabetes Association and annually participates in the “Walk for Diabetes.” She is a blessed breast cancer "thriver" and supporter of the American Cancer Society and participates in the “Relay for Life.”

Mrs. Smith is a product of the Huntington High School’s Last Sophomore Class, a member of the Huntington High School Alumni Association, an alumnus of Warwick High School, furthered her education at the College of Hampton Roads School of Business and a graduate of the Funeral Service Program at John Tyler College. Mrs. Smith has been a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1993, and has been a licensed Life & Health Insurance Agent since 1988. Mrs. Smith enjoys exercising, bowling, dancing, reading, and spending quality time with family.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 757-380-8871

Ms. Painter is a Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer and was born and raised in Newport News. She is the proud mother of one daughter and two sons.  

She is a member of First Baptist Church East End where she serves on the Hospitality & Care Ministry. 

Ms. Painter has a passion for the funeral service profession and is a member of associations on the national, state and local levels.  She regularly attends funeral service conventions, seminars and classes that offer extensive training to obtain continuing education credits, throughout the year, in order to better serve the families that call upon O. H. Smith & Son Funeral Home to care for their loved ones.  She is a member of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians' Association, Inc. (NFDMA), the Virginia Morticians' Association, Inc. (VMA) and the Peninsula Funeral Directors' Association (PFDA). 

Nationally, she is a current member and Past Board Member of the NFDMA. 

In the state of Virginia, she has been a member of the VMA for over 20 years.  Chavela' currently serves as the VMA Chairperson of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Chairperson of the President's Advisory Committee and member of the Convention Committee.  In VMA she served as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors from 2021-2023 and served as President from 2018-2021, being the first President to lead the association during the COVID 19 pandemic that began during the second year of her term.  She was voted to serve an extra year as President instead of the usual two years term to continue leading thru the pandemic on her platform theme of "Connecting and Preparing for the Future."  She is also a former Chairperson of the Membership Committee where she served in that position for over 10 years.  She previously served on the Convention Feasibility, the Education and the Policy and Procedures Committees.  In 2022, Chavela' received the Mortician of the Year Award presented by the Virginia Morticians' Association, Inc. for her outstanding leadership, dedication to the funeral service profession, and to the community in which she serves.  

Locally, Ms. Painter is a member of the Peninsula Funeral Directors' Association which is a district of the Virginia Morticians' Association, Inc., where she is the Vice President.  In 2009, the Peninsula Funeral Directors' Association presented her with the Distinguished Service Award.

Chavela' currently serves on the Funeral Service Advisory Committee at Tidewater Community College. She is a member of the PTA at her children's schools and a member of the Warwick High School Alumni Association.

Ms. Painter is a 1990 graduate of Warwick High School, a 1995 graduate of Norfolk State University (B.S.W.) and a 2002 graduate of the Funeral Service Program (A.A.S.) at John Tyler Community College.  Chavela' is family oriented and her greatest blessing is being a mom of three amazing children.  In the midst of a busy life, she believes in stopping to spend quality time with her family.  She enjoys communicating with friends and exchanging ideas with colleagues, spending time with her sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (initiated SPR '92 in the Epsilon Theta Chapter at NSU), reading novels by African American authors, planning special events and relaxing at the beach.