Our dedicated staff are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.
Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes, Inc. - Bethesda-Chevy Chase Inc.
Will Pumphrey is a licensed funeral director/mortician and also holds funeral director licenses in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Will has been with Pumphrey's since 1996 and has been licensed since 1998. Will is the 6th generation of Pumphreys to serve the Montgomery County community. He was born and raised in Winchester, Kentucky. He is a graduate of George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, KY, Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, VA and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in Cincinnati, OH.
David grew up in Rockville, MD. He graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in 1982 and started his career with Pumphrey's the following December. He graduated from Montgomery College in 1986 and from the Catonsville Community College Mortuary Science program in 1988. He received his Maryland Mortician's License shortly after graduation from mortuary school. David is a graduate and member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practitioners, the Funeral Ethics Association, the British Institute of Embalmers and the National Funeral Directors Association.
Mark was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. After working for a few funeral homes in high school, he decided to make a career out of working in the funeral industry. He attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and became a licensed funeral director in the state of Maryland in 2005. Mark has had the honor of serving communities in Montgomery & Frederick Counties in Maryland and Erie & Chester Counties in Pennsylvania. In addition to Maryland and Pennsylvania he also has a license to work in Delaware. When he isn’t at work, Mark can be found following Penn State athletics, golfing, taking walks around Bethesda and exploring everything the Washington DC area has to offer.
Pavel Cespedes is a proud member of the funeral assistant staff. He was raised in New York City where he learned from an early age that serving people would be his passion. Pavel has been with Pumphrey's since August 2012 and continues to serve families with great pride. Pavel enjoys spending time with his wife and his two daughters. He is also a dog lover and takes pride in caring for his two dogs, Kokito and Lola. Pavel graduated from Wheaton High School in 2000, Montgomery College in 2012 and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy with more than 6 years of service. Pavel is an active member of his church and hopes to continue his education in the field of Mortuary Science to further serve families in need.
Andy is proud to be a part of the funeral assistant at Pumphrey’s. He was born and raised in New Hampshire; yet he is proud to call Maryland home now. Initially he graduated from Kimball Union Academy in 1990 followed by earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College, in Springfield Massachusetts, in 1995.
When not caring for those in need at Pumphrey’s, Andy enjoys spending time teaching Spinning classes and engaging in outdoor activities.
Michelle Wilde is our bookkeeper and handles our accounts payables.
Lauren offers support and assistance to the funeral directors and other office staff. She fills out arrangement forms, assists in personalizing and/or procuring goods for arrangements, creates entries in the funeral home’s database, relays schedule information, and takes care of other varied office related tasks.
Kimberly serves as both the Bethesda Greeter and on-staff Cosmetologist at Pumphrey Funeral Homes. She provides compassionate care and support to families, ensuring that their loved ones are treated with dignity and respect.
In her free time, Kimberly enjoys crafting, spending time with her husband Justin, and caring for their beloved menagerie of animals.
Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes, Inc. - Rockville
Rob Karish is a licensed Funeral Director in both Pennsylvania and Maryland with over 20 years of experience serving families with care and compassion. Since 2010, he has been a dedicated member of the team at Pumphrey’s, guiding families through one of life’s most challenging times with professionalism and respect.
Outside of his work, Rob enjoys spending quality time with his wife of 13 years, Rachel, and their three children — Noah, Sadie, and Evie. Whether it’s family vacations to the beach and lake, or sharing his love for food and wine, Rob values creating lasting memories together. Originally from Pittsburgh, a passionate supporter of all things Pittsburgh sports, Rob can often be found cheering on the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.
Eric has been living and working in Maryland as a licensed funeral director since 1996. Originally from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, he received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. While attending Pitt, Eric was an active member of the Greek system and his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. He has been working at Pumphrey’s since September 2012.
Eric and his partner Mark live in their completely self-renovated home in Silver Spring with their dog, Diesel. In his free time, he enjoys working with various local theatre groups as a Producer, Director, and Costume Designer.
