He entered the funeral profession at the age of 15 as a carpenter and Joiner in Crewe, Cheshire and progressed to becoming a Funeral Director. In 1947 he became Assistant Manager for the Nuneaton & Atherstone Co-Operative society where he earned a wonderful reputation for serving the bereaved within the local community. Maurice passed away suddenly in June 1969 aged 52 years.

At 18, David (following in his father’s footsteps) began his career with Co-Operative Funeralcare, in Nuneaton. He rose through the company ranks—earning his qualifications in both funeral directing and embalming along the way—and by the age of 26 he had been promoted to Regional Operations Manager in the Bristol and Bath area. But he still felt he could do more, so, along with Stephanie, they established Devall & Son. Although David and Stephanie have since gone their separate ways in their personal lives, they both still have a pivotal role in the business.

Stephanie began her career in the funeral profession when she left school in 1980. She worked for the Bristol/Bath Co-Operative funeral service as a receptionist, and in less than a year, she progressed to the role of funeral arranger. At 17 she started her British Institute of Embalmers qualification, where she met David. She continued to climb the industry ladder, gaining her Diploma in Funeral Directing along the way, until 1986 where she and David came back to Nuneaton to start the family business.

After leaving school in 1987 David’s nephew, Jonathan, joined the family business. By 1992 he gained his Diploma in Funeral Directing and in 2008 passed his NVQ in Construction Of Monumental Masonry Safety. He is now responsible for managing our Monumental Masonry department, along with the general day-to-day running and development of the business.

In 2006, Daniel followed in his parent’s footsteps and became the third generation of Devall’s to join the funeral industry. He immediately began learning the ropes and by the age of 18 was arranging and conducting funerals. In 2011 Daniel gained his NAFD Diploma in Funeral Directing and became a member of the British Institute of Funeral Directors. David handed over the reins as Managing Director to Daniel in June 2018 and he is now responsible for developing the business and upholding the standards his parents have set.