Meet Our Staff - Amarillo, TX

Chad Blount

Managing Partner

Chad Blount was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas.  He is a graduate of The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and has been a licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer in Texas since 1993.  Upon graduating, Chad was able to gain embalming experience quickly by working for Tarrant County Mortuary Service.

After spending time in Fort Worth, Chad returned to Amarillo where he was an Assistant Location Manager for SCI.  He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee to be closer to family.  While in Memphis, he served as the Care Center Manager, and Location Manager for Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.  During this time, Chad had the opportunity to serve the states of Mississippi and Louisiana by performing mortuary and recovery efforts for the Hurricane Katrina disaster victims. 

In 2009, Chad and his son Harrison moved home to Amarillo.  Chad pursued career opportunities that allowed him to finish raising Harrison. After Harrison graduated high school, Chad returned to the funeral industry.  In 2017 he became the General Manager for Griggs Schooler Gordon, as well as Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.  When an opportunity to become part of the Carriage Services family became available, Chad jumped at the prospect.  Chad is excited to serve the families of Amarillo as the Managing Partner of LaGrone Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Homes, and Memory Gardens Cemetery.   

Chad spends his free time being involved with USA Masters Boxing Association, traveling and hiking in Palo Duro Canyon with his partner Sarah and their Great Dane, Chloe.  Chad enjoys serving his community; he and Sarah attend Hillside Christian Church and is a member of Southwest AMBUCS and Missing in America Project.  He has been a member and volunteer for Amarillo Housing First, Amarillo Executive Club, and Lions Club.  Chad also appreciates the local art community by supporting Lone Star Ballet and Amarillo Little Theatre.

Keith Brooks

Funeral Director

A 1979 graduate of Ulysses High School in Ulysses, Kansas. Lived in Canyon until 1983. Serving in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1987, Honorable Discharged in 1987. Attended Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1990 graduated in 1991. Serving as Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1991until present time. Highlight of funeral profession working with such men as John Ed Keeter, E.M. Blackburn, Jerry Chatwell, Mack Gordon and Maurice Schooler

Keith enjoys hunting, and fishing with his wife Leigh Ann. Keith and Leigh Ann married August of 2015. Since that time they have had the enjoyment of 7 grandchildren. 

Keith has a passion of working with families that have suffered a loss and strives to make the celebration of life a memorable time for families and friends.

Leigh Clement Brooks

Office Administrator

Leigh is a Canyon native. She worked for the Randall County Court System for 13 years. She began her funeral industry career in 1996. She came to work for LaGrone-Blackburn-Shaw in 2011.

Leigh raised her children Joe and Bailey in Canyon until moving to Amarillo in 2004. She enjoys being surrounded by friends and family. She especially loves visits from her granddogs. Also, she was overjoyed by adding a son-in-law Logan Tiffany to the family in July 2014 and her daughter-in-law, Tayler in August 2016. She is also the proud grandmother to five grandchildren. She has recently moved back to her home town of Canyon and married Keith Brooks in August 2015.

Leigh is a member of First Baptist Church of Canyon, is affiliated with Amarillo Republican Women and is a member of the Round Up Club associated with Amarillo Chamber of Commerce.

Nicole Addison

Bereavement Coordinator

Nicole is a native of southwest Missouri. She moved to Amarillo with her husband Joey and daughter Pheobe in late 2019, to be closer to Joey’s family. Nicole and Joey were married in 2005 and had their daughter in 2008.

She started in the medical field in 1999 as an Emergency Medical Technician. She furthered her education to Paramedic and later Pharmacy technician. Nicole is now enrolled at the Dallas Institute of Funeral Services to become a funeral director to help the families of the panhandle. She began her journey as a Bereavement Coordinator in April of 2022 at LaGrone Blackburn Shaw Funeral Directors. 

Sandra Ross

Receptionist

Sandra Ross was born and raised in Gruver, Texas, graduated and then raised her two boys there too.  She attended Texas Tech and Frank Phillips and then graduated from OPSU.  She received her teaching certificate in 1994 and started teaching English in the small community of Pringle-Morse ISD.  She taught there seven years before going to teach junior English at Spearman High School for 13 years.  She finished her teaching career at Sunray High School teaching junior and senior English and coaching tennis for four years.

During this time, she was raising her oldest son Matt, 43, who is now married to Jessica and lives in Amarillo.  They have three lovely daughters, Jenah, 18, Sophie, 13, and Emma, age nine.  Her youngest son, Beau, 26, lives in Lubbock. 

After retiring from teaching and moving to Amarillo in 2017, Sandra has enjoyed getting to know all the great places to go and people to meet.  She enjoys watching her old hometown Gruver Greyhounds, going to music venues, and having her family and friends over to visit. 

She joined the LaGrone Blackburn Shaw team at Martin Road in February this year and enjoys the people she has met so far.  She looks forward to getting to know and serve the families in this area.