At Atlanta's Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, families send off their loved ones in style

Funeral director Willie Watkins has helped Atlanta families say goodbye to their loved ones for decades.

Watkins, 77, is known for his elaborate funeral services. Horse-drawn carriages, tuxedos, and white doves are often part of the ceremonies.

Watkins said funerals have long been an important tradition in Black families. They give relatives a chance to come together, sometimes after years apart.

Some funerals are like family reunions. Relatives travel from other cities and states to pay their respects and spend time with family members.

Watkins said those traditions have been passed down through generations.

"We like to stay in that part of how we remember our great-grandmother being buried, our great-grandfather," said Watkins.

He said a funeral's presentation is important to him.

"Presentation is important to me because I feel that that's what it's all about," said Watkins.

Visitors at his Atlanta funeral home often stop to speak with him. Some come to pay their respects, while others want to meet Watkins.

Despite his reputation for elaborate funeral services, Watkins said he is a regular person.

"I'm an everyday person," said Watkins.

Watkins said he enjoys sitting on the front porch of his funeral home because people can walk up and talk to him.

His late mother, Hattie Watkins, planted shrubs outside the building years ago. She also worked at the funeral home.

Watkins said his mother used the shrubs to teach him a lesson about the business. She told him that as long as the plants continued to grow and remained healthy, the business would continue to grow.

Watkins said his mother also taught at a school for the deaf. A reading room at the school was later dedicated in her honor.

The shrubs she planted outside the funeral home are still there.