Staff
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.
Supervisor of Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Home, Inc.
Born in Harrisburg, Nathan A. Bitner is a graduate of Big Spring High School in Newville. After graduating from Harrisburg Area Community College, he went on to attend Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also received the William J. Musmanno Memorial Award and the Mu Sigma Alpha Award.
In 1997, Nathan came to the Hetrick Funeral Home to complete his internship. During that time, Graham Hetrick offered Nathan a job as a staff funeral director, where he worked in all phases of the funeral home operations. Nathan later became the Supervisor. In 2003, Graham Hetrick gave Nathan an opportunity of a lifetime: he offered him the chance to buy into the family business. Nathan gladly accepted.
Today, Nathan is president of the funeral homes as well as a funeral director. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Cemetery Cremation Funeral Association and the Capital City Funeral Directors Association. He is also a member Calvary United Methodist Church, Roberts Burns F&A.M. Lodge 464 and the Harrisburg Consistory.
Nathan and his wife Krista have one son, Braydan, and two daughters, Ashle and Gianna.
Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Home, Inc.
A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native, Graham S. Hetrick has dedicated his life to serving this great community. After graduating from Susquehanna Township High School, Graham served in the US Army as a Provost Marshall Investigator. He then went on to graduate with honors from York College and attend Messiah College, where he earned his teacher certification.
In 1972, Graham decided to follow his father’s footsteps and join the family business. He graduated from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 1973, and started working at the funeral home. As a funeral director, he led the way in the funeral home’s development of after-care programs and pre-arrangement services.
Today, Graham continues his family’s tradition of serving local families. In addition to working as a funeral director, he also serves as the elected Dauphin County Coroner. He is a member of many community organizations, including the Susquehanna Township Lions Club, Colonial Park Rotary Club, the National Hospice Association, the International Police Association and the Pennsylvania Coroner’s Association.
Graham stars in the hit ID History Channel series “The Coroner, I Speak for the Dead”. It is a gripping new series bringing audiences inside the work of one man who has truly seen it all in his 25 years on the job – Graham Hetrick.
Supervisor of Ronald C.L. Smith Funeral Home.
Sometimes a bold change of plans requires some convincing. Such was the case for Ronald C.L. Smith when, at the end of his second year at Juniata College, he informed his parents that he had decided to become a Funeral Director. Nonetheless, after he graduated from Juniata, with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ron attended the Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, where he excelled academically and received the Stephen W. Tunnel Award. Following his Apprenticeship in Elizabethtown, he returned to his hometown of Duncannon to establish the Ronald C.L. Smith Funeral Home in 1967.
A Licensed Funeral Director for over 50 years, Ron has never considered doing anything else. He continually wants to deal with people and help them at one of the most difficult times of their life. Over the years, Ron has felt privileged to become a part of so many families in Duncannon. He attributes this to his desire to develop a relationship at the same time he is serving their needs. Ron is a member of Otterbein United Methodist Church and the Duncannon Lions Club where he received the Melvin James Award. He is also a member of Perry Lodge #458 F. &A.M. in Marysville and the Union Cemetery Association Board of Directors.
Ron, and his wife Kathryn, have been married since 1963 and have a daughter, Michelle. He is proud to call Duncannon his home.
Supervisor of Jesse H. Geigle Funeral Home, Inc.
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Vaughn C. Miller attended The Harrisburg City Schools. After graduating from high school, he attended the Harrisburg Area College of Higher Education and Elizabethtown College. He then went on to earn a degree from McAllister Institute American Academy of Mortuary Science.
Vaughn joined the Jesse H. Geigle Funeral Home in 1969 and became co-owner of the funeral home in 1975. He is a member of Tree of Life Lutheran Church, as well as the county, state and national Funeral Directors Associations. He is also a member and past President of the Rotary Club of Colonial Park, and he served on the Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board.
Vaughn was married to Dorothy Ann Wilson until her death in 2000. They have two grown sons, Brett W. Miller and Andrew D. Miller.
Born and raised in nearby Berks County, Peter spent 20 years in various management positions with direct responsibilities for funeral home and cemetery locations in key markets across multiple states, prior to joining Bitner Family Funeral Homes. He holds a M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology from Emanuel College, as well as, a B.S. degree in Business Management from Lebanon Valley College and an A.S. degree in Mortuary Science from New England Institute.
He views his role as General Manager as a unique opportunity to lead the planning and organization of our business operations, while working hands on with our team to create innovative and personalized experiences that are meaningful and relevant to the families who turn to us for support and guidance. He is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and the American Academy of Bereavement. To enhance the value of his relationships with families, he has completed the requirements to be accredited as a Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) and Certified Cremation Arranger.
A believer in service to the community, Peter has served on a number of civic and non-profit boards – including, Hospice, United Way, Junior Achievement the American Red Cross, and, the Alumni Council of Lebanon Valley College. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, crossword puzzles and spending time in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. He lives in Harrisburg with his wife, Denise, and their three children – Bentley, Bella and Winston.
Supervisor of Neumyer Funeral Home, Inc.
Tim was born and raised in Steelton, and is a graduate of Steelton-Highspire High School. After high school, he studied Athletic Training at Lycoming College in Williamsport before entering the Funeral Service Education Program at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem. He returned to Harrisburg, following his graduation, and has been using his experience to compassionately and professionally assist the families of his hometown community for the last 25 years.
He and his wife, Deanna Smith Hobbs, reside in Lower Paxton Township and are the parents of three sons. The eldest son, Timothy A. Hobbs, II is currently serving in the United States Navy and resides in Jacksonville, FL with his wife Samantha. Drew A. Hobbs, the middle son, resides in Lower Paxton Township where he works as a landscaper and is a volunteer firefighter with the Paxtonia Fire Company. Their youngest son, Austin A. Hobbs, is a freshman at Central Dauphin East High School and participates in the orchestra, concert band, golf team, tennis team, Model U.N. and is a sound technician with the stage productions.
Tim and his family are members of Calvary United Methodist Church, in Lower Paxton Township. Over the years Tim has been an active member of numerous local civic and fraternal organizations. He has also helped to coach youth sports in Lower Paxton Township. In his free time, Tim enjoys going to the Outer Banks, hunting and spending time with his family.
Patricia was born in Reno, Nevada, and spent her childhood on the West Coast. After graduating high school, she went on a series of life adventures, traveling and backpacking our beautiful nation, where she eventually fell in love with the beauty and deeply embedded tradition of the northeastern states. Planting roots in central Pennsylvania she succumbed to her natural calling and honored her life purpose; to be a selfless caregiver to the community she had grown to love.
Patricia graduated with honors from the Funeral Service Education Program at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem. It was at this time that she realized that her most admirable quality, a profound love for people and a desire to exercise cultural humility, an ongoing process of self-exploration and self-critique combined with a willingness to learn from others, fit effortlessly within the funeral service community.
“Nothing in this lifetime has brought me more honor than to be the one entrusted with the care of people’s loved ones; to provide honor and integrity to those who no longer have a voice and to comfort the hearts of the living as they navigate through the tides of their grief and for that, I thank the ones I serve.” --- Patricia
“Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost
Madison was born in the small town of Monticello New York. Her and her family later moved to the Harrisburg area. She went to high school through cyber school at Commonwealth Charter Academy and graduated in 2017. She once had dreams of becoming a lawyer up until she experienced her own great loss in her family. Several years later she decided that she wanted to become a funeral director. Right now, she serves as our administrative assistant learning all of the ins and outs of funeral service.
In her free time, Madison likes to crochet and play music. She grew up singing in the church and later played in the church orchestra as well. She also learned 4 instruments. Madison is now learning how to speak Spanish and American Sign Language so she can better communicate with people of many backgrounds. She is always willing to lend a helping hand and assist people the best way she can.
Brandon was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Penn State University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. Prior to joining Bitner Family Funeral Homes, he worked 11 years in health care.
Brandon has a passion for helping people and while working in the role as an administrative assistant, he sees this as an opportunity to provide compassionate care and support to the many families we serve.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his loving wife Alexandra (Alex) and their children Colt and Skylar. He also enjoys music, traveling, and cooking and is a die-hard Baltimore Orioles fan who considers Camden Yards a second home during the summer.
Marc was born and raised in Lancaster and is a Penn Manor graduate. Always having the desire to serve, Marc enlisted in the United States Army Immediately after High School. He spent seven years Active and is currently enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap.
With all the moving pieces, Marc has always managed to further his General Education by taking courses such as Macro Economics, Human Relations, and Cultural Anthropology, to name a few. He aspires to become a Licensed Funeral Director amongst his peers.
In his free time, he enjoys family time with his wife, Eve, and their two boys, Giovanni and Emerson. When time permits, he loves to participate in coaching little league Baseball.
Briana was born and raised in Harrisburg and is a 2013 graduate of Dauphin County Technical School. Whilst at Dauphin County Technical School, she studied Law Enforcement where Briana’s interest in mortuary science was sparked. After graduating, Briana participated in several internships and shadowing opportunities with the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office and multiple funeral homes. After the sudden passing of her little sister, Briana’s compassion and yearning to care for others experiencing the same loss flourished. Briana has been honored with graciously caring for grieving families and their loved ones with the Bitner family since 2021 and has since earned the title of Certified Crematory Operator in 2023.
Briana and her family now reside in Linglestown. Briana is a VA Hospital volunteer, Wildlife Rehabilitation volunteer and transport, an active participant in Out of the Darkness Walks for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and multiple Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America fundraisers in memory of her little sister. In addition to her volunteer work, she enjoys reading, organizing, hiking, fishing and spending time with her family and friends during her free time.
Paul was born in Virginia and spent his earliest years in the Wilkes-Barre area. In his later childhood he moved with his family to the Middletown area. A 1977 graduate of Lower Dauphin High School, Paul attended Elizabethtown College; and, Harrisburg Community College, where he earned an Associates degree in Business. After receiving a Real Estate license in 1981, he began working as a Realtor in the Harrisburg area. Later, Paul joined his father and brother in their family-owned Dry Cleaning and Tailoring business. Paul ultimately went on to own and operate a Custom Men’s Clothing Store and Dry Cleaners.
Paul has been married to his wife, Sharon, for 26 years, and has a daughter, Julia, who currently attends college. As a dedicated volunteer and community oriented individual, Paul has served as Past President of the Londonderry Township Park and Recreation Board and Rotary Club. He is a faithful member of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Roman Catholic Church, Harrisburg, where he serves as an Altar Server Coordinator; and, he and Sharon serve as Marriage Mentors. During his daughter’s younger years, he also enjoyed coaching for the Susquehanna Soccer Club.
In 2011, Paul joined the Bitner Family Funeral Homes as a Funeral Director Assistant. Over the years, he has demonstrated his commitment to supporting the needs of families and assisting them in honoring their loved ones in a dignified and memorable way. His compassionate nature and calm demeanor coupled with his genuine desire to help families led him to become our Memorial Consultant in 2016. In this role, Paul is honored to assist families with selecting and designing a lasting tribute from our complete line of quality, affordable Granite Monuments and Bronze Markers.
Kelly was born and raised in Colonial Park and graduated from Harrisburg Christian School in 1991. After high school, she studied Accounting at Harrisburg Area Community College. Prior to joining Bitner Family Funeral Homes, she spent over 20 years in specialized Accounting for a diverse group of retail and service businesses.
Kelly is responsible for all of the regular accounting and financial administration for each of our funeral home locations and affiliates. Her responsiveness and attention to detail support the seamless functioning of our business operations; and the natural empathy she feels and understanding demeanor she exhibits ensures that each family receives both the professional service they expect and the personal care they deserve. To assist families with processing insurance claims and other benefit documents in a timely manner, she recently became a Notary in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
After living in Halifax for many years, she has settled in Lower Paxton Township. In addition to spending time with her son and daughter, she enjoys swimming and hiking.
Jarrod grew up in Western Pennsylvania, and attended Clarion University where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business Management. He also attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science where he graduated in 2015. Jarrod is the first in his family to be a funeral director.
After experiencing personal loss, and seeing friends and family go through similar experiences, Jarrod became passionate about helping people through the planning and preparing process. He works as an Advanced Funeral Planner, and enjoys meeting with individuals and families to plan in advance in order to help alleviate the burden on their loved ones. Jarrod has been married since July of 2017 to his wife, Erika.
When not meeting with families, Jarrod enjoys anything outdoors related. Hiking and camping with his wife, and their dog Kayda, are amongst his favorite things to do. He looks forward to helping families gain some peace of mind by educating and walking them through the preplanning process.
After living in Western Pennsylvania for many years, Jarrod now resides in Camp Hill with his wife Erika, and their dog Kayda.
Julia was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. She attended Temple University in Philadelphia and earned her Bachelors degree in Political Science and Public Relations. For 2 years she worked in Customer Service and Marketing until she decided to pursue a goal of traveling the world. Julia solo-backpacked through over 30 countries and along the way she learned about people, culture, and history.
Julia is passionate about helping others and meeting families in the community. She is inspired by her passion and her experience of her own personal loss. She became an insurance agent to help people through the planning and preparing process. She joined Bitner Family Funeral Homes in 2021 as an Advanced Funeral Planner to meet with individuals and families to plan in advance to help ease the burden death has on their loved ones.
When not meeting with families, Julia enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the outdoors. Julia is always seeking a new adventure; hiking, backpacking, biking, and traveling are amongst her favorite things to do. Her favorite aspect of her job is getting to know families in the community and educating them about the preplanning process.
With over 18 years’ experience as a Licensed Insurance Agent/Producer and specialization in the fields of Health, Medicare, Long Term Care, and Life Insurance products, Alan Gallagher is uniquely qualified in his role as an Advance Planning Advisor. Prior to starting his career in the insurance field, however, Alan was involved in the food service industry – which included being a founding partner of a business which grew to 28 employees before being sold to Conagra Corporation.
Alan proudly served in the Armed Forces with assignments in the National Guard and U. S. Army Reserves that included positions as Battery Commander, Battalion Commander, and Inspector General. The devotion he felt for serving his country has turned into a passion to assist his fellow veterans. Alan is active in Veterans’ Affairs as a member of American Legion Robert H. Hoke Post #272, Linglestown and as a volunteer with Concerned Veterans for American. He also serves as a Mentor with Dauphin County Veterans’ Court.
An active member of the Kiwanis Club of Linglestown Area, Harrisburg Snyder Lodge #629 F. & A.M., Harrisburg Consistory, and Zembo Shrine, Alan attends Grace United Methodist Church and serves on its Stewardship Committee. During Tax Filing Season Alan is a Volunteer with AARP Tax Foundation, which provides Free Tax Filing Assistance to Seniors. He is past President of the Lower Paxton Lions Club and the Foreign Policy Association of Harrisburg. In addition, he is a former member of the Central Dauphin School Board and the Executive Committee of the HACC Board of Delegates.
Alan lives in Lower Paxton Township with his wife Claire, a retired elementary school teacher.
Danette was born and raised in Linglestown and resides there today after spending 10 years in Dallas Texas. She graduated from Central Dauphin High School and Kutztown University with a BA in Social Work. Danette spent the last 23 years as Executive Director of Vision Resources of Central PA growing the organization’s services in Central Pa. Prior to that she was the General Manager of Manpower Staffing.
In her free time, Danette enjoys volunteering in her community with Lions club, Linglestown Area Civic Association, EWI, Linglestown Koons Pool and her church. She also enjoys reading, walking her 2 labs and riding bikes with her husband. Danette has 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Born and raised in Johnstown, PA, Andrew is a graduate of Conemaugh Valley High School in 2018 and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2022 where he earned his fouryear degree in Chemical Engineering. While at Pitt-Johnstown, He was very active within
the campus and surrounding community. Being a member of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, Student Government, and was a Freshman Orientation leader liaison for three years.
After finishing his degree at Pitt-Johnstown. He decided to enroll in the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science to obtain his educational requirements to become a Funeral Director, in the State of Pennsylvania. Andrew graduated in September of 2023 while receiving
awards including the Ogrodnik award and Mu Sigma Alpha award. During his time in mortuary school, he worked as a Funeral Service Assistant at Jobe Funeral Home In Monroeville, PA before joining us at Bitner Family Funeral Homes.
Drew grew up in Millerstown, PA, a small town in Perry County. After graduating from Greenwood High School in 2017, Drew went on to attend Shippensburg University for two years but was unsure which career path he wanted to choose. Drew then earned a degree from Harrisburg Area Community College in 2019 before enrolling at Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 2020. He graduated from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 2023 and currently serves as a Funeral Intern with Bitner Family Funeral Homes.
In his spare time, Drew enjoys action sports, such as skateboarding and snowboarding. Every year, he tries to take vacations to Colorado and Vermont to snowboard and spend time with friends. He also enjoys spending time with his family, going to the gym, as well as playing video games at night time to unwind. Drew takes pride in helping families in need and to plan a memorable service for their loved one.
Bruce was born and raised in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Cedar Cliff High School, class of 1975. He managed and worked in the family hunting and fishing business for many years.
He married his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and they have two sons, one daughter and six grandchildren. Bruce and Kathy now reside in Lemoyne.
Bruce is a member of the Fairview Township Fire Department, and was a past President, Vice President, and Captain.
He had spent the last 16 years as the Hunting and Fishing Manager at Bass Pro Shops, in Harrisburg. In his spare time, he likes to hunt, fish, and tie flies.
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pa, Nelson L. (Buck) Powden graduated in the first class of Harrisburg High School in 1972. After a brief stint in the Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Program, Buck was hired by the City of Harrisburg and retired after 38 years of service as a professional fire fighter. He was awarded numerous awards for Heroism, Valor and Merit for extraordinary efforts. During his employment he held various positions on the Executive Board of the fire fighter’s union, IAFF-Local 428, including 14 years as their Treasurer and was also involved in labor relations and contract negotiations. Additionally, he started and coordinated for 20 years an annual food drive program whereby the fire fighters, their union and fire bureau management personnel purchased and donated food to less fortunate families and soup kitchens within the city of Harrisburg.
He is also a retired Rescue Specialist from the PA Urban Search and Rescue Team PA-TF1 (FEMA) having been deployed to federally declared disasters namely Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike and 9 days at Ground Zero 9-11 commencing on September 11, 2001. In addition he was a part of numerous local incidents involving trench rescues and recovery, high angle and confined space incidents.
Nelson also is a licensed Real Estate Associate Broker since 1981 and is currently employed by Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Camp Hill. He is active with their efforts to raise funds for the Children’s Free Care Fund serving the Hershey Children’s Hospital. He also served a year as co-chair of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.
Nelson and his wife Kathy live in Camp Hill and have 2 grown sons. During his son’s younger years he served as a coach, commissioner, treasurer and field maintenance coordinator of Camp Hill Little League for numerous years. He has also volunteered for the past 19 years with the Camp Hill School District’s Outdoor Education Program for the 6th grade class annual trip to the Poconos. He is also a member of the West Shore Elks B.P.O.E. Lodge #2257.
Nelson began his funeral service in January 2013 with the Bitner Family Funeral Homes as a Funeral Director’s Assistant. He is committed to assisting in any capacity to make each funeral the best tribute possible to honor each family’s loved ones.
Mike Cibroski was born and raised in Manchester, Connecticut. After attending the University of Hartford, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves, where he served for eight years. Mike started his Financial Services career as a Management Trainee with SEARS – receiving 17 assignments, in eight different states, over a 23-year period.
In 1989, Mike relocated to the Harrisburg area, where he began working in a Senior Management position with the PA Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). A further opportunity to advance his career came in 1996, when he assumed a Bureau Director position with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. As the Bureau Director of Collections and Taxpayer Services, he was responsible for 27 field offices that dealt with consumer tax support. Throughout Mike’s business career, he made it a priority to focus on improving customer service and reducing customer concerns. He brings this same customer-centered focus to his role as a Funeral Director’s Assistant at Bitner Family Funeral Homes. People visiting our locations have come to appreciate his gracious nature and polite disposition.
Mike, who is a member of Tree of Life Lutheran Church, and the American Legion, lives in Harrisburg with his wife, Patsi. He has three grown children and five grandchildren that live in New England. An avid downhill skier - he as skied all over North America – he loves working around his yard to maintain all of his plantings and spending time on the golf course perfecting his game.
Born and raised in Dalmatia, PA, Jeff grew up on his grandparent's farm, graduating from Line Mountain High School in 1968 and then earning an Associate Degree as a Forestry Technician from Williamsport Area Community College. After two years in the lumber industry, Jeff returned to the family farm where he remained until operations ceased in 1982. Having a musical background he developed a successful piano tuning business that he operated for 8 years. During that time, he volunteered for the Dalmatia Area Ambulance League as a driver and transistioned to Emergency Medical Technician volunteering for Dalmatia and Harrisburg River Rescue. In 1991, Jeff became a paramedic, graduating from Harrisburg Area Community College. He was employeed by Polyclinic Medic Five and in 1996, went to Penn State Hershey Life Lion EMS where he retired as Program Manager in 2014.
During his EMS career, he also served as a Deputy Coroner for Dauphin County, a Tactical Paramedic on the Dauphin County Crisis Response Team and represented Life Lion EMS on the Dauphin County and the Lebanon County Ambulance Associations. He also served on the South Central EMS Task Force for Homeland Security.
Retiring in 2014, Jeff and his wife Dianne, moved to Ormond Beach, FL. but missed their family and friends and moved back home in 2017. Jeff returned to the Penn State Hershey Resuscitation Sciences Training Center as a part time Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor.
Jeff and his wife, Dianne, have been married for 29 years and reside in Lower Paxton Township. The have three daughters, 9 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Sharing an interest in history, Jeff and Dianne belong to the Victorian Dance Ensemble, demostrating Civil War era dance, the Camp Curtin Historical Society, the Dauphin County Historical Society, the Gettysburg Foundation and the American Battlefield Trust. Jeff also belongs to the F&AM Herndon Lodge #702.
