Obituaries
Shirley Morgan Rigsbee
Jan 8, 2023
Shirley Morgan Rigsbee of Chapel Hill, died peacefully on January 8, 2023 at her home.
Shirley was born in Sanford, NC in 1930 to Rufus and Helen Wood Morgan. She grew up in Durham, and married William Alton Rigsbee of Durham, in 1952.
In 1956, she moved with her husband, who spent his entire career as a life insurance company executive, to...
Lloyd Humphrey
Jan 7, 2023
Lloyd Humphrey, 95, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away on January 7, 2023, at the Duke Hospice Hock Family Pavilion, after a long period of declining health.
Affectionately known as "Cotton" by his family, he was a quiet and kind man, a fixer who could repair anything and a fine gentleman who loved his family.
Born in Surveyor, WV, the...
Holly Celestine Ditch
Jan 2, 2023
Ms. Holly Celestine Ditch, age 65, died on Monday, January 2, 2023. She was the daughter of the late Valley Howard Ditch and Thelma Eusteynia Jenkins Ditch and was born on January 25, 1957.
Holly was a strong woman of faith. She retired from Plastic Ingenuity as a Prototype Technician after 30 years. She was an active sexton in the church...
Mikael Ciftan
Jan 1, 2023
Mikael Ciftan, born August 12, 1935 passed away January 1, 2023 from a recurring respiratory illness.
Mikael was an Armenian born in Istanbul, Turkey. He moved to the U.S. to earn a master’s at MIT and it was there he met the love of his life, Elinor Klein. They were married for 61 years. Beginning at MIT and then at Raytheon,...
Jonpaul Stonehuerner
Dec 31, 2022
He was born John Paul Stone, November 8, 1937, in Arkansas City, KS. He died in his sleep Dec. 31, 2022, which Kenny Rogers thinks is the best you can hope for. Not only did he get to die in his sleep, he got to die at home. Only about 20% of the people in this country die in the...
Virgie Bassinov
Dec 31, 2022
Durham- Virgie Garrett Bassinov, age 83, died December 31, 2022, at Croasdaile Retirement Community. She was born on July 29, 1939, to the late Clifton Haywood Garrett and Leah Pickett Garrett.
Virgie is survived by her brother, Harvey Garrett, and wife, Sue of Timberlake; sisters, Hannah Garrett and Lorene Johnston, both of Durham. She is also survived by several nieces and...
Roger Leroy Loyd
Dec 30, 2022
Roger Leroy Loyd, age 76, died in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday, December 30, 2022. Roger was ordained clergy in the United Methodist Church, a devoted Divinity School librarian, choir member, and a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, mentor, and friend.
Roger was born on July 23, 1946, in Lubbock, Texas, to the late Emory William Loyd and Mary...
James Washington Faucette
Dec 29, 2022
Durham, NC James W. Faucette, 100, died at UNC Hospital on December 29, 2022, after a period of declining health. He was born on June 8, 1922, in Mebane, North Carolina to the late Samuel F. and Vera Forsythe Faucette.
He graduated from Durham High in the class of 1940 and attended the University of North Carolina. He worked for the...
Richard Ernest Valliere
Dec 28, 2022
Durham, NC - Richard E. Valliere, age 77, died at his Durham home surrounded by loving family on Wednesday, December 28, 2022. He was born in Portland, Maine on August 17, 1945 to the late Therese and Leopold Valliere.
Richard graduated from Deering High School, St. Francis College, and Northeastern Business College in Maine. He first worked at the local A&P,...
Maria Vartanian
Dec 26, 2022
Durham- Maria Kuyjamian Vartanian, age 93, passed away on December 26, 2022, at Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center.
Maria worked for Burlington Industries for over 40 years before retiring.
Maria is survived by her daughter Sonia Vartanian of Durham
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 6, 2023, in Maplewood Cemetery.
John Burke Giles, Sr.
Dec 26, 2022
DURHAM –John Burke Giles, age 89, of Durham, died at Hock Family Pavilion on December 26, 2022. John was born in Lexington, NC, on April 1, 1933, to the late Thomas Yates Giles and Madaline Charles Giles.
John is survived by his son, John “Jay” Giles, and wife, Tricia, of Rougemont; his daughter, Elizabeth Giles, and husband, Robbie Beck of Hampstead,...
William Earl Whisenant
Dec 26, 2022
William Earl “Whiz” Whisenant, 97, died on December 26, 2022, after a Christmas surrounded by his family and their love. He was born in Heavner, Oklahoma to Clyde Earl Whisenant and Pearl Huie Whisenant.
Whiz grew up in Poteau, OK where he met his future wife, Joyce Harper Whisenant. He left high school during his senior year to enter the Navy...
Florante Olesco
Dec 25, 2022
Chapel Hill, NC - Florante, fondly known as, “Ole” Olesco, age 79, died Sunday, December 25, 2022, at UNC Hospitals. Ole was born on June 5, 1943, in Oco, Viga, Catanduanes, Philippines to the late Wenceslao Olat Olesco and Paulina Camacho Olesco.
Ole is survived by his loving and steadfast wife of 57 years, Erlinda Ocampo Olesco, his children Derwin and...
Jane Witt Howell
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...
Lucie Hall Fitzgerald
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...
David Lee Joyce
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...
Faye Oakley Bassett
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...
Barbara Alice Ethridge
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....
John Frederick Burness
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...
Jean B. Finch
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....
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