Tucker Community Spotlight

Helping families to navigate the loss of a loved one isn’t easy. Norman Burkett knows that as well as anyone.

“[Bereaved families] are coming to me on the worst day of their life,” Burkett says. “I want them to leave from being with us with peace [and] comfort that things are okay.”

Burkett has worked in funeral homes for the past 40 years, the last eight of those years running the Floral Hills Funeral Home and Memory Gardens here in Tucker. Burkett and his staff recently celebrated the ribbon cutting of a 2,200-square foot expansion, which has doubled their reception space.

“We serve about 160 families a year and we want to make sure that every family gets ample space,” Burkett explains. “Families today are starting to want to have more events like catering…and things like that. So, we just needed more space.”

A 15-year resident of Tucker, Burkett says there’s no other place he would rather have his business.

“I live in Tucker, I worship in Tucker, I play in Tucker…it’s a wonderful community.”

Floral Hills is located at 3150 Lawrenceville Highway, just east of Interstate 285.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Holly Duncan for Tucker’s October Citizen Spotlight. Holly has been a dedicated Tucker resident for 11 years. In that time, she has been involved with numerous community organizations and efforts including Tucker Civic Association, Tucker Business Association, Taste of Tucker, NETWorks Cooperative Ministries – where she served as the Executive Director – as well as her current role as Founder and Executive Director of EIRO.

EIRO works in the Tucker community to build partnerships between churches and local community organizations. This past spring, Holly organized the Brockett Book Swap, a partnership between Brockett Elementary and Kairos Church. EIRO has also partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in DeKalb (NAMI) to work with churches in Tucker to provide services to people struggling with mental illness as well as their families. So far, three churches – Northlake Church of Christ, First Christian Church of Atlanta and St. John Apostolic Holiness Church – have joined this collaboration. Holly is currently developing a pilot project with the City of Tucker’s Code Enforcement Department. This partnership would connect individuals who want to come into code compliance but cannot for reasons outside of their control with church volunteers who want to serve their community.

Holly loves Tucker. Whether she is working at EIRO, volunteering at the local schools, participating in City Council meetings or sharing a meal with her neighbors, Holly is always writing a love letter to this city. Tucker is a great place because of citizens like Holly.”

Nominated by Ben Garrett