Our Staff

Preston Charles, Jr.

Executive Director

Preston Charles is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Ohio and Kentucky. After 35 years of service, Preston resigned from Hall & Jordan Funeral Home to pursue his lifelong dream of operating his own funeral firm. In Preston’s words, “Time has caught up with promise.”

Throughout his tenure at Hall & Jordan Funeral Home, he held several roles, including Chief Embalmer, General Manager and Executive Vice President.  Preston graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1979 and from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (CCMS) respectively in 1981. While a student, he became a member of the illustrious Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Upon graduation from CCMS, Preston received The Delaine L. Beaver Award for Artistic Competence in Restorative Art. Just one week after graduation, he married his college sweetheart, Myrna, a Jamaican, who he fell in love with at first sight. A few years after the birth of their first child, his family became members of Greater Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Church in 1984. Today, Preston and Myrna have five children, five grandchildren and another grandchild on the way.

Post-graduation, Preston sought an apprenticeship (to complete state requirements) to become a licensed funeral director with many funeral homes in the city and seemingly was unsuccessful until he met Kevin Anderson. Mr. Anderson was instrumental in introducing Preston to the late Reverend Donald H. Jordan Sr.

Preston faithfully highlights his gratitude to the late Reverend Jordan for the opportunity to begin his career as a Funeral Director. In addition, Mr. Jordan’s business partner, the late Mr. Walter D. Hall, instilled in Preston the importance of patience and the artistic presentation of the deceased. Other influential mentors included Michael Early and Archie Pretty.

On June 5, 2017, Preston Charles Funeral Home opened their firm located at 400 N. Wayne Avenue in Lockland, Ohio.  

On November 12, 2017, Preston Charles Funeral Home celebrated their Grand Opening at their second location at 918 S. Main Street in Middletown, Ohio.

Telephone: 1-513-678-3190

Warren Clarke

Director of Operations, Chief Embalmer

Warren Clarke is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Ohio.  Warren has over 20 years of experience in the funeral industry.   

Kamira Davis

Funeral Director

Kamira M. Davis was born in Cleveland, OH and is the middle child of two brothers. She is a graduate of Stow Munroe Falls High School.

She continued her studies at the University of Cincinnati where she aspired to become a Pediatric Physician's Assistant. She was granted a full 4 year scholarship through the UC'S Darwin T. Turner Scholarship Foundation where she was required to maintain a 3.5 GPA average each quarter. 

She was actively involved and held many positions in on and off campus organizations which segued her to the path of pledging the Illustriousorganization of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Zeta Chapter!

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from the college of Arts and Science, she worked in the medical field at Good Samaritan Hospital on the Maternity Ward for several years.

It was after the birth of her second child that she decided to explore a new a path and obtain a lifelong goal/desire to become a funeral director. She attended and graduatedfrom Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 2012 and received her second Bachelor’s degree; in Mortuary Science. She served her apprenticeship at Thompson Hall and Jordan and later secured herself a position as a director.  

Opportunity presented itself at her doorstep when she was asked to help open, build and brand the Preston Charles Funeral Home name in August of 2017. She is currently the Managing Director of Preston CharlesFuneral Home (Middletown location) a licensed Funeral Director, Embalmer, Notary Public and a licensed insurance agent. 

Her motto is: "Reach for the top, the bottom is crowded".

La Tressa Cobb

Office Manager

LaTressa was born in Cincinnati, OH to the union of Donald Spell and Delorise Calhoun.  She is the eldest of four children.  LaTressa graduated from Aiken High School and attended Franklin University, Columbus, OH and graduated with a BA in Business Administration. 

LaTressa retired from Duke Energy on July 31, 2018 after 32 years of employment.  During her tenure and career LaTressa has worked in various departments: Construction & Maintenance, Training, Human Resources, and Customer Service.  She has held positions such as Office Coordinator, Analyst, Trainer, Supervisor and Manager.  

LaTressa decided after retirement she would allow God to lead her next steps in 2019.  Little did she know she would be joining the team of the Preston Charles Funeral Home as Office Manager on October 1, 2018.  For those who know LaTressa personally, this is a perfect fit for her!

LaTressa life’s passion is traveling and seeing the heavens and earth created by Him.  Traveling gives her the opportunity to see God’s creations, learn about them, and experience different cultures.  

LaTressa is a member of The New St. Paul Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio where she is Overseer of Administration and Trustee.  LaTressa is married to Dowdell Cobb and together they have three sons, two daughter’s and two daughters-in-loves.  They have ten beautiful grandchildren! 

LaTressa’s Motto:  Communication is Key!

LaTressa’s Favorite Scripture:  Proverbs 3:4-5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Kimothy Wright

Funeral Assistant

Kimothy (Kim) was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from Withrow High School.  Born to the union of Thomas Fowler and the late Anna R. Fowler, Kim was the sixth of eight children.

Kim worked at The University of Cincinnati for 32 years before her retirement in 2008.  Kim’s dedication and hard work opened the doors for her to move up the corporate ladder in a short period of time.  She was promoted from parking-attendant to Supervisor of Parking Service later to Radio Operator and retired as Assistant to the Public Safety Parking Director.  During Kim’s employment at The University of Cincinnati, she received several awards for her outstanding customer service skills.

The next chapter of Kim’s working life was the desire and passion to serve families as they experienced difficult times.  In June 2016 Kim joined the staff at Hall-Jordan Funeral Homes where she was an administrative assistant and funeral assistant.  When the doors of Preston Charles Funeral Home opened for business in June 2017, she joined their team.  It is an honor and a blessing for her to be a part of the Preston Charles Funeral Home organization.

In her spare time, Kim is a volunteer at the soup kitchen and food pantry once a week.  Her hobbies are arts and crafts, line dancing, and finally, Kim’s passion is to be the friendliest, most compassionate, and joyous person she can be to everyone she is blessed to meet and to serve.

Kim is a member of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Kim and her husband, Thomas, have one son (Thomas, Jr.) and three beautiful grandchildren. 

Dennis Thomas

Funeral Assistant & Public Relations Coordinator

James Singletary

Funeral Assistant & Public Relations Coordinator

Cheryl Edmondson

Funeral Assistant

Cheryl Blackwell Edmondson is a native Cincinnatian, a graduate of Hughes High School in 1972.  She also resided and attended high school for one year in Chicago, Illinois.  Cheryl has over 35 years of teaching experience in the Mt. Healthy School District and she is certified as an Intervention Specialist, K-12 grade.  Cheryl worked extensively with seventh and eighth graders for all of her career.  Although Cheryl is retired, she holds a permanent license in her field of education. Cheryl currently works as a facilitator with the Cincinnati Social, Emotional and Learning Program (CSEL) in Elementary Schools as an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist Assistant.

Additionally, her teaching career included the following: 

• Facilitator of tutorial programs in communities like Northside at the Bethlehem Temple Church and Millvale, Project Learn through the University of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and Human Services.
• Coaching Volleyball, Basketball and was an Assistant Softball Coach.
• Motivational Speaker at College of Mount Saint Joseph for the Scope Program (college bound students) and at several churches throughout the Cincinnati area.

Her duties as a facilitator include:

• Teaching social emotional learning skills that enable students to work cooperatively in their learning environments, through role playing, discussion, and their written expression.  
• Promoting collaboration, motivation and an energized delivery to meet a variety of learning styles.

Education

Cheryl has an Associate of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Science degree, and a Master in Education degree from the University of Cincinnati.

A Personal Note

Cheryl is pleased to be working with the Preston Charles Funeral Home, and is committed to providing excellence, compassionate, and professional service to every family she meets.

Al Joseph Johnson

Public Relations

Preston Charles III

Funeral Assistant

Allan Blackwell

Funeral Assistant

Michael Frye

Funeral Assistant

Alfred Milton

Funeral Director

Marquita Pizarro

Reggie Castleman

Funeral Assistant