John Michael Seay Jr.
John Michael Seay Jr., 72, of Cary, died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004 at his home. He was a graduate of the University of Richmond and retired from IBM after 33 years of service.
A funeral Mass was held Saturday afternoon, Nov. 27, at St. Andrew The Apostle Catholic Church in Apex. Burial followed in Apex Cemetery. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Bernice Seay; son, Douglas Seay and wife, Catherine of Apex; daughter, Donna Seay Vassallo and husband, Thomas of Raleigh; grandchildren, Tyler, Matthieu and Nicolas; and sister, Madelene Seay Richardson of Richmond, Va.
The family received friends Friday, Nov. 26, at Apex Funeral Home. The family wishes to especially thank Drs. Collichio and Carrizosa of UNC Hospital Cancer Center and Hospice of Wake County.
Percy Thomas Churchill
Percy Thomas Churchill, 85, of Apex died Wednesday morning, Nov. 24, at home, after a courageous battle with cancer. Mr. Churchill retired in 1983 from the Town of Chapel Hill, after working at UNC-Chapel Hill and from a long career in farming.
He was born in Chatham County, the son of the late Joe and Elizabeth Churchill.
A service celebrating his life and homegoing was held Sunday afternoon, Nov. 28, at Martha's Chapel Christian Church in Chatham County. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Churchill was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Bessie Mae; a daughter, Shirley Mae Holt; and two sons in-law, Norman Stallings and Lee Burgess.
Surviving are a son, Ronald Churchill of Apex; and five daughters, Marie Stallings, Sylvia Burgess and Diane Smith, all of Apex, Joyce Burgess and husband Billy of Swansboro, and Carolyn Johnson and husband Fred of Moncure. Also surviving are a sister, Louise Ashworth of Sanford; 21 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren, two of whom are proudly serving the United States in the Marine Corps; two great-great- grandchildren; and two loving and dedicated pets, Tip and Lucky.
The family received friends Saturday afternoon, Nov. 27, at Apex Funeral Home and other times at Mr. Churchil's home on Burgess Road.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 11 S. Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603, or to the Martha’s Chapel Christian Church Cemetery Fund.
Ed Thompson
Mark Edward "Ed" Thompson, 50, of Cary died Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, he was born Oct. 15, 1954, the son of Charles William and Hallie Pennington Thompson, who survive him.
In addition to his parents, Ed is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Emily R. Thompson of the home; sister and brother-in-law, Lynn Ellen and Keith Alban; four very special nieces and nephews, Rebecca, Lora, Daniel and David Alban, all of Columbus, Ohio. He also leaves behind his canine buddy, Dakota.
Ed was a loving and devoted husband. An advocate for social issues, he was a volunteer with the Democratic National Committee. He was also an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cleveland Browns.
A memorial service was held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 28, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary, with the Rev. Mac Purifoy officiating. The family received friends immediately following the memorial service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058. Tributes may be made to the family at www.brownwynne.com.
Frances Cash McGhee
Mrs. Frances Cash McGhee, 80, of Apex died at her home Sunday, Nov. 28, 2004 due to an extended illness.
Mrs. McGhee was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Rudolph McGhee, in 1999.
She was retired from Burlington Mills. She was a great homemaker, a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother to all her family, and a dedicated member of Merritt’s Chapel United Methodist Church for 60-plus years.
A funeral was held Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 1, in the Merritt's Chapel United Methodist Church, with burial following in the church cemetery. Officiating were the Rev. Richard Farmer, the Rev. Henry Cribb and Dr. Richard Tysinger.
Mrs. McGhee is survived by a daughter, Barbara Farrell of Chapel Hill; two sons, Carl Edward "Dick" McGhee of the home and Clarence Ernest "Pete" McGhee, and wife Sylvia, of Chapel Hill; two sisters, Betty Sparrow of Chapel Hill and Alma Hunt of Apex; six grandchildren, Ernie McGhee, Sheila Leviner and husband Billy, George Robert Farrell Jr. and wife Cary, Craig Farrell and wife Tracy, Carla Reil and husband John, and Curt Farrell and wife Kay; and 13 great-grandchildren. Mrs. McGhee was also preceded in death by a granddaughter, Lowan McGhee, and a son-in-law, G. R. Farrell Sr.
The family received friends Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, at Apex Funeral Home, and other times at the home.
William Francis Jones
William Francis Jones, 91, of Morrisville died early Dec. 6, 2004, because of an extended illness.
Mr. Jones was a merchant in Morrisville for many years at Jones & Sears Grocery and Hardware Store. Mr. Jones was inducted into the N.C. Go Karting Hall of Fame in the 1980s.
Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Sears Jones, in 1972. Survivors are a son, William F. Jones Jr. and wife Hilda H. of Apex; daughter, Marion Frances Holmes and husband Philip of Bear Creek; seven grandchildren, William Jones III, Matthew Jones, Morgan Jones, Connie H. Glover and husband Brian, Philip Holmes Jr., Michael Holmes and wife Kelly and Douglas Holmes; and five great-grandchildren.
The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8 at Apex Funeral Home, 511 W. Williams St. in Apex. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 in the Restlawn Memorial Gardens off U.S. 70 in Raleigh.
George C. Gasperson Jr.
George C. Gasperson Jr., 76, of Raleigh passed away Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004 in Wilmington. He was born in 1928 in Asheville, and his parents were Mada Lamb and George C. Gasperson.
George graduated from N.C. State University in 1949 with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural engineering. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1980 with the rank of colonel. George worked with Stay-Right Tank Company in Raleigh from 1953 until 1992, serving as vice president and chairman of the board.
He was married to the former Peggy Walker Gasperson, who preceded him in death in May.
George is survived by his daughters, Beth G. Franklin and husband, Mike, and Sally G. Booth and husband, Chuck; sisters, Clara Mehaffey and husband, Coy, of Arden, and Ruth Morgan and husband, Max, of Leicester; half-sister, Tabitha Thompson of Marion; and grandchildren, Walker, Barrett and Hunter Franklin, and Charlie and Justin Booth, all of Raleigh. A funeral was held Friday, Dec. 3, at Macedonia United Methodist Church. Entombment with full military honors followed at Historic Oakwood Mausoleum in Raleigh. The family received friends on the evening of Dec. 2 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Macedonia United Methodist Church Building Fund, 2700 Jones Franklin Road, Cary, NC, or to the American Heart Association, 3131 RDU Center Drive, Suite 100, Morrisville, NC 27560.
Tributes may be sent to the family at brownwynne.com.
Richard Gaston Jones
Richard G. Jones, 81, died Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004. He was a World War II veteran and served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for three years. Richard graduated from N.C. State University as a civil engineer and worked for Pan Am at Cape Canaveral in Florida for 32 years.
He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Frances Jones of Cary; son, Richard G. Jones Jr. of Wichita, Kan.; one stepson, Jeffrey M. Smith, and wife Margaret, of Sanford; two stepdaughters, Laura Jean Marshburn, and husband O'Neill, of Sanford, and Cathy Carroll of Lillington; one brother, Robert L. Jones of College Station, Texas; one sister, Harriet Davis of Winston-Salem; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral was held Sunday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. at Cary Christian Church. Pastor Dan Rutherford presided. Burial followed at Montlawn Cemetery.
The family received friends Saturday, Dec. 4, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cary Christian Church Building Fund, 1503 Walnut St., Cary, NC 27511.
Tributes may be sent to the family at www.brownwynne.com.
Rachel Bowman Evely
Rachel Bowman Evely, 85, passed away peacefully Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004, at her home in Cary.
She is survived by her husband of 62 years, retired Col. Clyde P. Evely; her son, Dr. Clyde P. Evely Jr.; her daughter-in-law, Betty Bailey; and her cherished granddaughter, Tristy Swain Evely, in her immediate family. Rachel is also survived by four of her sisters, Mrs. Ruby Sponsler, Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Mrs. Myrtle Whitaker and Mrs. Francis Gill, all of Virginia. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Diane Elizabeth Evely. Rachel took care of her home and family with great love and we thank God for her life.
A memorial service was held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary on Monday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. Burial followed at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Chester, Va., on Tuesday, Dec. 7, following a service at J.T. Morris and Son Funeral Home in Chester.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Wake County, 1300 St. Mary's St., Fourth Floor, Raleigh, NC 27605.
Tributes may be sent to the family at brownwynne.com.
Daniel Rodriguez
Daniel Rodriguez, 39, died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004.
He is survived by his wife, Annette Rodriguez of Morrisville; three children, Marina, Daniel and David Rodriguez, all of the home; mother, Irma Rodriguez of Durham; father, Samuel Rodriguez of El Paso, Texas; two sisters, Mariam Valdez and Regina Rodriguez, both of El Paso, Texas; three brothers, Sergio Rodriquez of Durham, and Jaime Sanchez and Osvaldo Sanchez, both of Chihuahua, Mexico; and maternal grandparents, Manuel and MaDolores Jaime of El Paso, Texas.
A memorial service was held Dec. 10 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary. The family received friends immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Daniel Rodriguez Memorial Fund, c/o Mutual Community Savings Bank, PO Box 3827, Durham, NC 27702-3827.
Ruth Ann Monsees
Mrs. Ruth Ann Monsees, 92, of Apex died on Dec. 7 due to an extended illness.
She was a native of Davidson County, a bookkeeper and a wonderful homemaker. Mrs. Monsees' husband, Claude, preceded her in death in 2001.
A memorial service was held Dec. 10 in the Salem Baptist Church. Dr. Jeff Beckett officiated. The family received friends at the church following the memorial service.
Mrs. Monsees was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and a faithful member of Salem Baptist Church, serving in many capacities.
Survivors are: son, Claude E. Monsees and wife, Marie of Clayton; daughter, Linda M. Brantley and husband, Roger of Raleigh; five sisters, Blanche Pollock, Maurice Tanner, Jean Andrews, Vallie Raper and Eunice Johnson; brother, Willis Wrenn; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Salem Baptist Church Building Fund, 1200 Salem Church Road, Apex, NC 27523.
Briana Nicole Rawls
Briana Nicole "Bri Bri" Rawls, 15, of Raleigh died Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 in an automobile accident. A student at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, she touched the heart of everyone who came in contact with her.
Her family and many friends will remember Bri Bri’s warm smile and happiness.
A memorial service was held Sunday afternoon, Dec. 12, at Calvary Baptist Church on Chapel Hill Road in Morrisville.
She is survived by her parents, Cordell and Kathy Rawls, and brothers, Jesse Rawls and Matt Davis, all of Raleigh; maternal grandfather, Raymond Broadwell of Morrisville; paternal grandfather, David Rawls of Southport; her uncles and aunts; a nephew; and many cousins.
The family received friends Saturday evening, Dec. 11, at Apex Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions can be sent to Stacy Meyer for the Briana Rawls Fund, State Employee Credit Union, Capital Square Branch, 123 New Bern Place, Raleigh, NC 27601.
We love you and we will miss you.
Susan H. Miller
April 4, 1952-Dec. 9, 2004
Susan Holmquist Miller, 52, passed away at home Dec. 9, 2004, surrounded by her loving family and friends. She fought a courageous battle with breast cancer for three years. She has been an inspiration for many people.
Sue was born at Rex Hospital and lived her entire life in Wake County. She graduated from Cary High School in 1970 and in 1972 she married her high school sweetheart, Butch Miller. In 1974, she and her husband, Butch, moved to Cary and began Miller Printing, where they worked together every day for more than 30 years. She prided herself in forming personal relationships with her customers, knowing them all by name and establishing not just business connections but cherished friendships as well.
She was the proud mother of two sons, Chris and Paul, whom she supported throughout all of their endeavors and accomplishments. She was recently blessed with the arrival of her first grandchild, Jordan, who was the light of her life for two short months.
Sue is survived by her husband of 32 years, Butch Miller; two sons, Chris and wife, Amy of Apex, and Paul of Vancouver, British Columbia; mother, Jane E. Holmquist of Raleigh; sister, Rose Marie Wheeler and husband, David of Youngsville; brother, William and wife, Mary of Holly Ridge; and granddaughter, Jordan Elise Miller of Apex. Her father, Everett Holmquist, predeceased Sue.
Butch and the family would like to thank all of their friends, family members and neighbors for all the support shown to them during this very trying time. They feel very blessed to have your friendships and Sue was overwhelmed at the support you showed her during her fight with cancer. She was very proud of the support you gave her in helping raise money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Her team, "Hope for Hopp," raised more than $6,700 for this year's race. Thank you very much.
The service to celebrate the life of Sue Miller was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Rodney Hamm on Monday, Dec. 13, at First United Methodist Church in Cary. Burial followed at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh.
The family received friends Sunday, Dec. 12, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Help from Hopp Foundation, 519 Carolyn Court, Cary, NC 27511. It will be created in Sue's memory to assist cancer patients during their treatments.
Tributes may be sent to the family at www.brownwynne.com.
Homer Gray Duncan
Homer Gray Duncan, 78, of Whiteville died in an automobile accident Thursday morning, Dec. 9, 2004. He was the son of the late Richard Edgar Duncan and Bessie Cameron Duncan, and one of 10 children. Homer attended Whiteville High School and served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a retired auto parts salesman.
He married the late Lorena Blackwell Duncan in 1948 and was a devoted husband until her death in 2001, staying faithfully by her side through her extended illness. Truly a man who never met a stranger, he enjoyed his life and all of his friends. His family meant everything to him and he doted on his children, his three granddaughters, and his many nieces and nephews. He also befriended every child he ever met, as his gentle nature and big smile made them know he was a child at heart.
He enjoyed all forms of sports. As a young man, he was an excellent competitive athlete, a boxer and swimmer. He loved to play softball and golf, doing both until his health forced him into retirement.
Having grown up on a farm, Homer loved the outdoors and nature, particularly God's creatures. He could sit for hours and watch birds and squirrels, and would drive for hours to see a deer. As a youth, he was known to hunt alligators in the Green Swamp.
He dearly loved living in his community with his neighbors and going to church with his Sunday school classmates. The things in life he held most dear were his family, his religion, his friends, the Atlanta Braves, the Whiteville WolfPack, the North Carolina Tar Heels, good home cooking and seafood.
He is survived by his daughter and traveling companion, Sandra Marie Duncan of the home; his son and daughter-in-law, Homer G. Duncan Jr. and Catherine A. Duncan; his sister, Doris D. Moore; and his three granddaughters, Margarette Elizabeth Duncan, Catherine Marie Duncan and Meredith Cameron Duncan, all of Cary. He also is survived by four sisters-in-law, Mrs. Reba Bowen of of Lake Waccamaw; Mrs. Chick Duncan of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Mrs. Dorothy Duncan of Whiteville and Mrs. Connie Duncan of Tampa, Fla. A plethora of nieces and nephews, each of whom he considered his favorite, and a few stray dogs and cats also survive him.
His family would like to extend great thanks to the staffs of The Donut Shop and the Holiday Restaurant, who took great care of their most loyal customer.
His funeral service was held Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Whiteville United Methodist Church, with the Rev. David Benson officiating and burial following at Western Prong Cemetery. The family received friends at the gravesite after the ceremony.
Memorials can be made to Whiteville United Methodist Church, Mishop Springs United Methodist Church and the American Cancer Society.
McKenzie Mortuary Services handled arrangements.
Eugenia Vaughan Traner
Eugenia V. Traner, 72, of Apex, died Sunday morning, Dec. 12, at home. She was a member of the Sir Walter Raleigh Doll Club and the Small Wonders Miniature Club. She loved collecting and restoring dolls.
Eugenia, affectionately known as "Traner," began her medical career under the training of Dr. and Mrs. Brodie Burwell of Henderson. There are many friends and acquaintances who will long remember her keen sense of humor, her kind disposition and the caring attitude she displayed throughout her nearly 30 years of service as a lab and X-ray technician in the WakeMed hospital system.
A service celebrating her life and homegoing was held Wednesday, Dec. 15, in the Apex Funeral Home Chapel. A graveside committal service followed in Carey Baptist Church Cemetery, in Vance County outside of Henderson.
Surviving are two sons, Michael T. Traner and wife Carole of Raleigh, and Daniel Traner III and wife Eileen of Petersburg, Va.; and a sister, Nancy V. Stainback and husband Bobby of Raleigh. Also surviving are six grandchildren, Karen, Michael and Sharon, and Billy, Tanya and Russell; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family received friends Tuesday evening, Dec. 14, at Apex Funeral Home.
Those desiring to do so may make memorials to Carey Baptist Church in Henderson, or to Duke Hospice in Durham.
