Honoring Holly Hill Memorial Park family service counselor Angela McPhatter
By Jamal Tahirkheli/ Community Columnist
Caring. Compassionate. Patient. Honest. Empathetic. These are just some of the words that Davidson County residents have used when describing Angela McPhatter, the Family Service Counselor at Holly Hill Memorial Park in Thomasville.
Angie is a Thomasville native and graduated from East Davidson. She has been part of the Holly Hill family for over 20 years. Beginning in the 90’s, Angie’s career at Holly Hill began by cleaning the office with her mother, Sue McPhatter. Angie’s amazing personality caught the eye of management and she was asked to officially join the Holly Hill family in 2001 as an office administrator. Now for some, that may be the end of the story, but not this story.
Angie worked diligently and her compassionate heart was evident on a daily basis to families who had lost loved ones. In 2006, then-Cemetery Director Bill Gaffney asked Angie if she would be willing to train as a Family Service Counselor. She took on this role knowing that the responsibility of taking care of families during their darkest moments would be difficult, but also knowing that God had blessed her with the ability to communicate with hurting families and individuals in a special way.
While countless families and individuals have been impacted by Angie’s unique ability to connect with them, these individuals have also had a tremendous impact on Angie. Several years ago, a mother lost her daughter in a tragic car accident. Angie’s compassion during the most difficult time of this mother’s life led to a friendship. Angie provided a listening ear, the right words, and helped customize a special memorial to honor this young woman’s life. Every year, on the anniversary of her daughter’s passing, this mother brings Angie flowers to thank her for simply being there during that life-altering moment and for continuing to be a presence throughout the healing process. When a family member is hurting and doesn’t know where to turn, Angie always gives them her cell phone number and tells them to call her any time, day or night, if they just need to talk. That is who Angela McPhatter is.
Angie’s family has also left an indelible impression on Holly Hill. While Angie was introduced to Holly Hill with her mother, Angie’s father, Lee McPhatter, also helped with maintaining the Holly Hill grounds and is a presence at the annual Holly Hill luminary events during the Christmas season. At 15 years old, Angie’s son, Matt, also began helping with the grounds. Angie’s brother, also named Lee, currently provides electrical services for Holly Hill. It’s truly a family tradition when it comes to the McPhatter’s and Holly Hill.
All of this is to simply say that Angie loves serving her community daily. Her greatest loves are her family and not a day goes by that you won’t hear her bragging about her granddaughter, Faith. Angie is also a supporter of Davidson County Hospice, who were there for her family through the loss of her mother in 2014. The hospice staff had a positive impact on Angie throughout that time period and it helped her better understand what grieving families are dealing with. Every July, Angie accompanies her father for the Hospice Ride in honor of her late mother.
There’s so much more that can be said about Angie, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone in Thomasville or surrounding communities who hasn’t been impacted by Angie in some way. If you’re wondering what Angie’s philosophy is on dealing with grieving individuals, her answer shouldn’t surprise you.
“Just hug them and love them. Just sit there, even if you don’t talk, you just sit there with them. You hold their hand. Whatever it takes, you do it, because I know how it feels”.
If you look up compassion in the dictionary, Angela McPhatter’s picture may be right under that definition.
