Our History
In 1952, Wesley Arritt’s sons, Albert B. Arritt and H. Lee Arritt, returned home to Alleghany County after serving in World War II. After the war, they gained experience in funeral directing and embalming at funeral homes across Virginia and graduated from Cincinnati College of Embalming.
They decided to purchase a two-story grocery store and apartment on the corner of Highland and Spruce Streets in Covington and remodel it into Arritt Funeral Home.
In 1969, David L. Arritt graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and joined his father Al and uncle Lee in continuing the tradition of dignified personal service that Arritt Funeral Home is known for. When Albert died suddenly in 1973, a new partnership began between David and his uncle, sparking a renewed dedication to excellence.
They upgraded prearrangement services by developing a trust program at local banks allowing people to pay in advanced for a funeral with the guarantee the family would never have any additional costs. Since then, Arritt has become affiliated with Homesteaders Life Insurance Company, enabling families to buy preneed burial insurance on a payment plan.
1991 saw the retirement of Lee Arritt from the funeral home after forty-two years as a licensed director. Mark Fridley joined Arritt in 1996 after graduating from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science. Mark became the first member of our third generation to join the funeral home.
In 2006, Jonathan Arritt graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science and in 2012 Anthony Lowry from John Tyler Community College with a degree in Mortuary Science. Both have joined Arritt Funeral Home as licensed funeral directors.
In 2022, as David Arritt retired, Mark's son, Hunter Fridley, became the first member of the fourth generation to join the funeral home.
Now in our seventh decade of service to Covington and Alleghany County, we are proud of what we have accomplished. We are grateful for the trust families have placed in us and strive to provide the highest level of service.
