Our Story
When you think of “hometown,” multiple images may come to mind: home…roots… family…the place where you grew up. For Jay Hudson and Brian Torres, hometown means all of these things; hometown means Bridgeport. So when the opportunity arose for Jay and Brian to combine their experiences in service to their hometown, they jumped at the chance. Jay and Brian recently purchased the former Jones Family Funeral Home in Bridgeport, and in many ways, the creation of Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home fulfills a dream they shared since they were classmates at Bridgeport High School.
Jay was raised in Bridgeport by his grandparents, Alvin and Dorothy Largent. Following graduation from Bridgeport High School in 1991, he attended Weatherford College and The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, graduating with academic achievement in 1995. He began his career with Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst and has worked in the funeral industry since that time, most recently with Greenwood Funeral Home in Fort Worth. Jay and his high school sweetheart, Wendy, have been married for 22 years; they live in Paradise with their daughters, Makenna (17) and Mallorie (12), and attend Paradise United Methodist Church. Wendy’s Bridgeport roots are also very deep; she is the daughter of David and Harriet Garrison and the granddaughter of the late Ed and Jane Cowling, lifelong Bridgeport residents. Wendy’s great-grandfather, Edgar P. Cowling, was born in Bridgeport in 1884.
Brian is the youngest son of Salvador (Chito) and Nita Torres. He graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1988 and, like Jay, attended Weatherford College and The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. After graduating in 1990, he moved to Oklahoma to begin his career; ultimately, Brian became owner of two (2) funeral homes in Oklahoma – Poteet Funeral Home in Pawnee and Chapman-Black Funeral Home in Cleveland. Brian and his wife, Dixie, were married in 1999 and live in Cleveland with their two children, Brady (11) and Baylor (8); they attend First Christian Church. Brian has served on the Cleveland City Council for the past seven (7) years, including terms as both Mayor and Vice-Mayor.
Jay and Brian have separately developed strong reputations within the funeral services industry, reflecting the extraordinary care and caring they each provide. And they now are pleased to combine their experiences to serve the hometown they both love, preserving the feel of a family-owned funeral home and offering a diverse array of funeral planning options. In this way, they hope to honor Bridgeport, the broader community of Wise County, and all those who shaped the men they have become. In other words, Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home is ultimately about home, roots, and family
