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At Royston Funeral Home, It’s a Family Affair
At Royston Funeral Home, It’s a Family Affair
By Leslie VanSant
The death of a loved one is never an easy thing to manage. But the team at Royston Funeral Home stands ready when needed, day or night.
A member of the Royston clan has been helping families in Middleburg and Marshall say goodbye to loved ones since Zacariah V. Royston first opened a funeral home in Marshall in 1896. In the 1930s, the business opened its location in Middleburg at 106 E. Washington Street.
In the 1970s, it was passed on to Dr. Norris Royston, Jr., who grew up in the apartment on the second floor of the stately building. For many years, a Royston family relative, the late Tyler Gore, Jr. served as funeral director. Upon Gore’s retirement in 2018, and wanting to keep the business family run and local, Dr. Royston partnered with Carl Nichols, whose family ran a funeral home in Purcellville. In 2020, Carl turned to his son, Dale, to lead the business in Middleburg.
“Grief is different for everyone,” said Dale Nichols, the funeral director at Royston’s in Middleburg. “It can be overwhelming, with all the emotion, and it’s our job to make people feel safe as they go through the transition to life after their loved one’s death.”
Dale Nichols grew up around his family’s business in Purcellville. Following his graduation from Woodgrove High School, he graduated from West Virginia University where he earned a degree in business.
“It was after I graduated college that I realized what I really wanted to do was help people and be in the family business,” Nichols said.
He spent two years studying at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science to learn the art of being a funeral director. His classes focused on the process of embalming, but also included psychology and grief counseling. There were also classes that taught restoration and make-up to prepare remains for burial.
“I did much better in mortuary school than I did in business school,” he said. “It was much more interesting and I felt called to helping.”
Being a funeral director is a 24-7 occupation and at Royston’s, they pride themselves on always being available. Dale now lives in the apartment over the funeral home in Middleburg, the better to facilitate excellent service. Kim Reed is the funeral director in Marshall.
“When someone dies at home, hospice or the police declare the death, then we are called in,” Nichols said, “We like to arrive within an hour, and then usually, the family members come to the funeral home the next day to discuss arrangements.”
That discussion can often be difficult, but it “helps tremendously” when family is trying to deal with grief. The team at Royston is experienced, and can help execute specific known wishes of the deceased or guide families to make choices. They consider it a measure of success if families feel relieved after their initial meeting.
It’s not an easy job, with long hours and dealing with people consumed with grief.
“ You can ’ t lose your empathy, ” Nichols said. “ So it ’ s important to take care of yourself. ”
Nichols hopes to one day pass the business on to his children if they’re so inclined.
“We are a family-run business that has been committed to this community for nearly 130 years,” he said. “And we plan on staying.”
