A local funeral home operator was appointed deputy coroner Thursday by newly elected Coroner Doug Huskey.

Ronald C. Regan, 53, who spent seven years as deputy coroner under L.W. &#8220Bump” Callaway in the 1990s and a year temporarily filling the office on two occasions, was named to fill the slot when supervisors met Thursday.

&#8220I like his personality. I think he’s well-qualified for the job and he’ll work well with me,” Huskey said during his introduction of Regan to the Board of Supervisors.

Regan, an operator of Jefferson Funeral Home on Monroe Street, ran for coroner in 1983, but lost to Callaway. Later, during his tenure as deputy coroner, Regan served as acting coroner for nine months while Callaway was on military duty in Bosnia.

When Callaway was named Warren County Emergency Management director in 2000, Regan served three months as interim coroner before losing a runoff election to John A. Thomason.

Deputy coroners are paid $85 per inquest, plus mileage. Coroners are paid $900 per month and $85 per inquest.

Coroners are called to the scenes of deaths that result from trauma or any death that occurs when a person is not actively cared for by a physician. They investigate and issue rulings on the cause and manner of death.

Huskey became Warren County’s third coroner this decade Nov. 7 when he was elected to fill the remaining 14 months in Thomason’s term after the six-year incumbent died in an auto wreck.

Since then, the post had been held by Thomason’s deputy coroner, Larry Chisley. Huskey, who was elected Nov. 7, escaped a runoff with Chisley by about 2 percentage points.