Obituaries

Dec 22, 2022

Durham, NC – Jane Witt Howell, age 75, passed away at UNC Hospital on December 22, 2022. She was born on January 11, 1947 to the late C.S and Sarah Witt .

Jane graduated from Durham High School in 1965 and attended Croft Business College in Durham. She worked in the insurance industry before retiring. Jane’s true love in life was...

Dec 22, 2022

FITZGERALD, Lucie Hall, died peacefully in her sleep at Croasdaile Village in Durham, North Carolina, on December 22, 2022. She was 85 years old.

Lucie was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, on February 22, 1937, and raised in the Fan District of Richmond. She attended Fox School and Collegiate where she made life-long friends. Lucie, Marianne, and Chip enjoyed life on...

Dec 22, 2022

David Lee Joyce, 78, of Hillsborough, NC, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 22, 2022. He lived a full and exemplary life filled with both personal and professional achievements.

Dave was born on April 25, 1944 to Catherine and Lloyd ‘Doc’ Joyce in Logansport, Indiana.

He graduated from Marion High School in 1962, where he played football, basketball and baseball, earning a...

Dec 21, 2022

Faye Oakley Bassett, age 80 passed away December 21, 2022, while under Hospice Care. She was born in Durham, NC on August 30, 1942, to the late Eugene Melvin Oakley and Viola Howell Oakley.

Faye earned an Associate of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1977. She went on to serve the position of Administrative Assistant at Yates Baptist Association...

Dec 19, 2022

DURHAM –Barbara Alice Ethridge, age 74, died at Hillcrest Convalescent Center on December 19, 2022. A Durham native, she was born on October 27, 1948, to the late Charlie William Ethridge and Clara Alice O’Briant Ethridge.

Barbara was a graduate of Northern High School Class of 1967. After high school, she took several continuing education classes, including Spanish and customer relations....

Dec 19, 2022

John F. Burness, who led Duke University's communications work for almost two decades and was the guiding force behind the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, died Monday. He was 77.

“John Burness was one of a kind,” said Nannerl Keohane, one of three Duke presidents for whom Burness worked, and the one with whom he served the longest.

“He was a wise counselor, canny...

Dec 12, 2022

On December 12, 2022, Jean Brinson Finch, age 78, loving wife, mother and grandmother died peacefully at home with her loving family surrounding her, after a hard fought battle with dementia.

Jean was born at her homeplace on December 6, 1944 on the family tobacco farm in Arapahoe, Pamlico County, North Carolina to Alton Alexander Brinson and Rosa Blanche Whitford Brinson....

Dec 11, 2022

Durham - Reynaldo Lopez Magana, age 48, died at home on December 11. 2022. He was born on November 18, 1974. 

Reynaldo was born in Mexico and moved to the United States to provide a better future to his family. Despite certain recent heal conditions, he continued working in landscaping and persevered through all obstacles. His greatest passion was music,...

Dec 9, 2022

Anne Ewing Carroll of Durham, North Carolina died December 9, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. She prepared the following story of her life.

I was born February 26, 1932 in Ellerbe, North Carolina, the youngest of five children born to the late James Oscar and Annie Kearns Ewing. I teased my mother that I was the “accident” and she replied,...

Dec 8, 2022

John Timothy Sullivan was born on February 23, 1938, in Rushville, Nebraska. The third of seven children born to Mary and Paul Sullivan, he spent his childhood moving between Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Washington, California, Montana, and Michigan, where he graduated from St. Thomas High School in Ann Arbor. After graduation, his parents moved back to Billings, Montana where Tim reconnected with...

Dec 7, 2022

DURHAM – Belle Wagstaff Mudano, age 94, died in Durham, North Carolina on December 7th, 2022. She was born on March 3rd, 1928 in Roxboro, North Carolina.

Belle grew up on a tobacco farm in Person County. In 1954 she married Rosario Mudano of Long Island, New York, and for 66 years they were inseparable. She worked as a medical technologist...

Dec 7, 2022

Rougemont, NC – Ronald Carl “Ron” Whitfield, age 73, died Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at UNC Hospitals. Ron was born in Durham to the late Herbert Preston Whitfield and Elizabeth Prevatt Whitfield.

Ron is survived by his sons, Adam Whitfield, and wife, Teresa; Chris Whitfield, and wife, Angie. Ron is also survived by his grandchildren, Mary, Loretta, Jake and Dylan Whitfield.

Ron...

Dec 5, 2022

Judy Brogden Ellington, age 72, of Davis Chapel Road, Oxford, NC died peacefully at Granville Medical Center on December 5, 2022.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Ellington, Sr. and her son, Ralph Ellington, Jr.

Surviving is her loving daughter, Kim Stovall ( Derek) and her precious grandchildren, Bryanna, Tyson and Torrie.

A private service for family will be held...

Dec 4, 2022

Eleanor Dixon Foster, age 95, of Oxford passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2022, at Granville Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Robert Luther Dixon and Ruth Fuller Dixon. Eleanor was born in Hoke County, NC on May 9, 1927.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 11:00 am at Banks United Methodist Church,...

Dec 3, 2022

Adele Thompson Schaudies died Saturday, December 3rd, 2022, at The Cypress of Raleigh – Rosewood Health Center (NC).

She was born February 2, 1932, in Olanta, SC. She graduated from Agnes Scott College, with a degree in History. While completing her studies and enjoying basketball and baseball, she met Jesse, her husband of 61 years. Their career moves provided them opportunities...

Nov 29, 2022

Edna Mae (Walling) Brennan, 94, of Oxford, North Carolina, formerly of Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at the home of her daughter, Gail McCauley, with whom she lived for the last 2 years. Born in West Keansburg, New Jersey, Edna Mae was the daughter of Alfred D. Walling and Edna...

Nov 27, 2022

Dorothea Meredith Niles Bryan, 91, passed away at home in Oxford on Sunday, November 27, 2022. She was born in Granville County on September 19, 1931, to the late John Adam Niles and Mary Randolph Meredith Niles. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Taylor Bryan, Sr., and a brother, Jack Niles, of Atlanta, Georgia.

“Cissie” was a member...

Nov 27, 2022

Nov 25, 2022

John Vestal Hendrick, age 63, died unexpectedly on Friday, November 25, 2022. He was the son of George

McClellan “Mac” Hendrick and Sylvia Surratt Hendrick. John was born in Homestead, Florida on November 21, 1959.

John lived a full life, with a deep love for his family, horses, horse family, and friends. He was a valued employee at Granville Hosiery for about...

Nov 25, 2022

Mary Thurman Wright Easley of Cary, N.C. departed for Heaven on November 25th, 2022.

A service celebrating her wonderful life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 4th at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 2220 High House Road in Cary, NC.

Mary was a native of Roanoke, Virginia and graduate of Jefferson Hospital School of Nursing. She enjoyed a long career as...