Appalachian Funeral Services is jointly owned by David and Carmaletta Gates and Eddie and Peggy Cope. 

David Gates lives on Hemlock Street in Dillsboro. David comes from the Sylva area, the son of Harold and Ellen Gates. He attended the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, Sylva Webster High School, and Southwestern Community College. He has been in business in the Sylva-Dillsboro area for over twenty-five years, and is current owner of Bradley's General Store in Dillsboro. David has his commercial building license and has remodeled over twenty local homes as well as built nine new homes in the past fifteen years. He enjoys meeting and getting to know new people, as well as working with and restoring antique cars.

Dr. Carmaletta (Carrie) Gates is married to David. She is the daughter of John Lee (Bill) and Reba Harris of Wolf Creek, in the Canada Community. Carrie graduated from Camp Laboratory High School, Southwestern Community College, Western Carolina University, and obtained her Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. She has taught math for Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College. For the past twenty plus years, Carrie has worked with the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) in Cullowhee and Ocracoke, NC. She was a Center Fellow with NCCAT, where she planned week-long interdisciplinary seminars for North Carolina public school teachers. Her seminars often highlighted local mountain culture such as quilting or storytelling as well as inclusive classrooms, everyday geometry and financial literacy. Carrie is the author of Granny's Stories: North Carolina Mountain Tales. She enjoys collecting both stories and art of the local area. Her hobbies include gardening, quilting, and photography. David and Carrie have three beautiful daughters, Carolyne of Sylva, Sarah of Las Vegas, and Ashley of Dillsboro. David and Carrie attend the Summit Church in Cullowhee.

Eddie Cope of Sylva is the General Manager and Director of Appalachian Funeral Services, NC Lic. # 3653. He is the son of Jack and Pauline Cope of the Ochre Hill Community. Eddie graduated from Sylva Webster High School and obtained his associate degree in Funeral Service from Fayetteville Community College. He is married to Peggy Ammons of Cullowhee and they have two daughters. Eddie has over twenty-five years work experience in the funeral service industry in Western North Carolina. Peggy works for Western Carolina University. Their hobbies include gardening and working with families. He and Peggy attend Ochre Hill Baptist Church.