Over 104 Years of Service

The Smith family became part of a long tradition in funeral service when, in 1901, William Morris Smith began his work as a casket maker/cabinet maker with his son R. Hayden Smith who became a mortician. They provided funeral services from the back of a store in Phoebus, a part of Hampton, Virginia.

In 1907, William Smith died. He had served with distinction in Pickett's Division, 53d Virginia Infantry, Company B during the Civil War and had received the Southern Cross of Honor after the war. The battalion's wheelwright, he was captured in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg.

A florist shop at 207 E. Mellen Street in Phoebus was begun by R. Hayden Smith in 1916. The funeral parlor was moved into a building next door to the florist.

In 1918, the flu epidemic severely tested the abilities of Hayden, as he was known.

1926 saw Mattie Baker Smith, oldest child of R. Hayden Smith become one of the first women licensed as a funeral director and embalmer in the state. She actively served the community until her illness and death in 1940.

Mattie's brother, Hayden Clyde Smith joined the family at the funeral home in 1928. He had just graduated from the College of William and Mary and the Cincinnati School of Embalming.

In 1932 the funeral home moved to 245 South Armistead Avenue in Hampton, Virginia. The new building was the first in the area to be built from the ground up as a funeral home. Twenty years later, in 1952, Hayden died and his son Clyde continued the family tradition of funeral service and with his wife Gertrude, raised his son Robert and daughter, Virginia.

Son, Robert Hayden Smith, II followed the family tradition after graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1956, serving a tour in the Army and graduating from the Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1962. As a funeral service licensee, Robert "Bob" continues in the profession he loves today. He is currently president of R. Hayden Smith, Inc.

In 1967 the funeral home was renovated, adding the 200 seat chapel and a large foyer.

H. Clyde Smith died in 1984 after having served his profession with honor and compassion. He was recognized throughout the state by fellow funeral directors for his integrity and service.

Tradition continued in 1988 when Timothy B. Smith, son of Robert, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and became a funeral service licensee. Today, he is manager of the funeral home located at 245 South Armistead Avenue, Hampton.

In 1990, Kevin B. Smith, son of Robert, graduated with an associate's degree in Mortuary Science from John Tyler Community College and was licensed.

January 2000 the renovation of the Holt House, circa 1890, was completed after an eight-month restoration process. This made the former home part of the funeral home, adding needed space, classic architectural charm and preserving a part of the character and history of downtown Hampton.

February 2001 Berceuse Funeral And Cremation Traditions opened at 2609 Cunningham Drive, Hampton as another R. Hayden Smith Family Funeral Home. Equipped with a state of the art crematorium, chapel and receiving rooms, this funeral home brings to the community contemporary funeral service with the same high ethical standards and compassion that has been the code for the Smith family over the past 104 years. Kevin is manager of this new funeral home.

Robert, Tim and Kevin are proud of their family's tradition of service. They continue to serve, as previous generations have, on community projects and boards. The R. Hayden Smith way is a way of life-long investment in the lives of the people in their city and church.

Ours has always been a tradition of our family serving your family. We live in this community and serve this community. Serving you means, among other things, providing you with information that is helpful in all areas of grief and loss. If you would like more information, please contact us and we will help you anyway we can.