University and Health System Obituaries for 2019

December 2019

Linda “Penny” Fowler Clark, 73, died Monday, December 30, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion. She was born in Rockingham Co., the daughter of the late Cecil Fowler and Alease Andrews Stephens. She retired from Duke Regional Hospital on October 01, 2011 after sharing forty-five years of life with her Duke family. She began her long and rewarding career with Duke Regional on August 01, 1966.  “Penny” is survived by her husband of fifty-two years, John Allen Clark; sons, James A. Clark, II, Chris A. Clark; sisters, Geraldine Bivins and husband Sanda, Jackie Hicks and husband Bobby, Joyce Mitchell and husband Jim; grandchildren, John Childress and wife Carolyn, Justin Clark and wife Cassandra, Kaylee Ray and husband Justin, Josh Clark and wife Stephanie; and 8 great grandchildren. The family wants to extend a special thank you to Duke Hospice and Linda May for their loving care during her last days.

Don Allen Perry, 68, of Hillsborough, North Carolina passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2019 peacefully at his residence. Don was born in Durham County, North Carolina on July 22, 1951. He is the son of the late Gaston and Rachel Horner Perry. Don worked with Duke University Medical Center in the Surgery-Otolaryngology Department (Head & Neck Surgery Complex) beginning June 13, 1973 retiring on September 01, 2006 sharing over thirty-three years of life with his Duke family. That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet and something to be cherished.

Dr. Arthur Lothar Tilo Alt, age 88 passed away at Franklin Manor, Youngsville, North Carolina on December 29, 2019.  He was born on October 14, 1931 to the late Karl Arthur Alt and Editha Puhlman Alt.  He was born in Batavia, Java, Indonesia.  The family returned to their native Germany in 1933 where Tilo grew up in West Berlin. Tilo moved to the United States in 1956 to study at the University of Texas where he met his soon to be wife Elizabeth Ann Blankenship. He received his PHD in 1964. In 1974, he received a diploma in Yiddish Language & Literature from Columbia University.  Tilo was Professor Emeritus at Duke University in Germanic, Yiddish and Judaic studies.  Over the years, he also taught at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA and as visiting professor at Columbia University, New York City.  He is a published author having written a book on the subject of German poet Theodor Storm that came out in 1973. Tilo was a member of the local chapter of the Power Squadron, he loved to sail.  He is a retired member of the US Coastguard Auxiliary for whom he served from for almost twenty years, which earned him The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.  He also had a love of flying and was very close to obtaining a pilot’s license.  He was a member of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Durham, NC.  He enjoyed taking walks and riding his bicycle.  He and his wife Betty were loyal supporters of PBS radio and television. Tilo is survived by his sister Inge McNally of Manchester, England, Brother Axel Alt of Berlin, Germany, daughter and son-in-law Sharon and Phillip Arrington of Wake Forest, NC, granddaughter and husband Amanda and Joseph Villari of Raleigh, NC, and grandson Forrest Corbett of Asheville, NC.  His wife Elizabeth Blankenship Alt preceded him in death.

Pauline Malloy, 72, passed away on Friday, December 27, 2019. She had been a Patient Transporter working with Patient and Visitor Services at Duke University Health System. Her career with Duke began on March 08, 1983 retiring on January 01, 2007 sharing twenty-four years of life with her Duke family. The highest tribute one can pay to a person who has departed, is not grief but rather gratitude for having shared with them, a part of their life. Rest in peace.

Michael R. Davidson, born May 15, 1950, passed away Wednesday, December 25, 2019 at the young age of 69. Michael had been an employee of Duke Medical Center working as a Staff Assistant for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Departmental Chair. His career began with Duke on March 02, 1996 retiring June 01, 2014 sharing eighteen years of life with his Duke family. Friends, community and family will deeply miss Michael. Ah, perfect endings. Now I’ve learned that some poems don’t rhyme, some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end. Life seems more about having to make abrupt changes-when least expected, taking a moment and making it the best moment it can possibly be. Life is not about not knowing what’s going to happen next; it’s more about the not knowing what will happen next, then fully appreciating the circumstance rather than expecting anything from it.

Thomas Haney, born January 14, 1942 passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at the young age of 77.  Thomas had been an employee of Duke Medical Center working as a Clinical Research Coordinator II in the Medical Center’s Clinical Research Unit. His career began with Duke on November 20, 1968 retiring on March 31, 2010 sharing forty-two years of life with his Duke family.  Thomas will be missed greatly by family, friends and by his community. Those who live deep in the heart will never die.

Janie Rimmer Nix, born July 03, 1936, died Monday, December 23, 2019 at her home following a courageous battle with cancer. She was 83 years young. Janie was born in Orange County, raised in Person County and moved to Durham, North Carolina in 1954. She was predeceased by her parents, Robert Hasten Rimmer and Frances Allison Rimmer; and her first husband, Ronald W. Masingale. She was a graduate of Helena High School and the Watts School of Nursing. At the time of her retirement, she had worked as a Registered Nurse for over forty-three years, with Watts Hospital, for Dr. John P. Gore, Amphenol and Durham Medical Center (Duke Medicine). Janie was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church where she was President of the Agape Sunday School Class and the JOY Club. She was also a member of the Gideon International Auxiliary and the Red Hat Club. Janie is survived by her husband, Clyde M. Nix; daughter, Laura M. Chambers and husband, Gary; daughter, Terri M. Farrell; brother, Robert "Bobby" Rimmer and wife, Bonnie; step-daughters, Patricia Capel and husband Darrell, Nancy Jo Lyn Nix and Wendy Duke and husband Cliff; step-sons, Michael Nix and wife, Chrissy and Ricky Nix and wife Alisa; grandchildren, Jason Chambers, Brittany Daniel and husband Jackson, Jeremy Farrell; 10 step grandchildren, one predeceased; and 8 step great-grandchild. The family wants to extend a special thank you to Duke Hospice and Linda May for their loving care during her last days.

Stanley Wallace Weitzner, Duke University Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology passed away on December 21, 2019. He was 90 years old, born on February 12, 1929. His career with Duke Medical Center is long, legendary, and formidable beginning in 1977. The tone of President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was somber—it was 1865 and hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost in the Civil War. Remarkably, his address is not remembered for its dismal tone, but for the message of healing and hope in its conclusion. His promise “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan” is recognized today as the mission statement for the Department of Veterans Affairs and serves as an inspiration to countless veterans and those who serve them at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Duke Anesthesiology is proud to have played a vital role in accomplishing this mission for more than 30 years. Although united by a common Veterans Affairs (VA) mission, there is much to distinguish the Durham VAMC. Many attribute the success of the VA Anesthesiology Service to the historically strong emphasis on faculty recruitment, which began with Duke Anesthesiology’s first VAMC chief, Stanley W. Weitzner, MD. Even after the Duke Department of Anesthesiology was formed, anesthesia services at the VA remained under the Department of Surgery. Dr. Weitzner was given the formidable task of establishing a separate VAMC Anesthesiology Service. “This was a radical concept in 1978,” Dr. Weitzner reflects, “we were the fourth VAMC in the entire country to succeed in this endeavor.” That was a remarkable effort made by a remarkable team. Dr. Weitzner left a deep imprint on the world of Medicine and Science, and an even deeper imprint on the hearts of those he knew and loved, particularly the members of his family.

Dallas Lowdermilk, passed away on Friday, December 20, 2019 at the age of 90 years.  Dallas was the son of Jennie and Dallas Lowdermilk, born October 23, 1929 in Norman, North Carolina. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War and retired from Duke University as Plant Manager, Telecommunications after sharing thirty-two years of life with his Duke family. He was a member of the Civitan’s Club and a regular attendee at Duke Basketball games for nearly forty years. Dallas’s children and grandchildren were the pride and joy of his life. The legacy of his kind spirit, sense of humor, generosity, hopeful attitude, love of sports and reading will live on through them. He was a beloved father and grandfather leaving behind many cherished family memories with his son Dallas Dale (Jack) Lowdermilk (Kathy) of Cary, NC, daughter Jo Anne Thomas (Chase) of Cary, NC, grandchildren Alison Thomas (Aaron) of Wilmington, NC, Lindsey Thomas of Arlington, VA, Jessica Mitchell (Charlie) of Charlotte, NC and Wyatt Lowdermilk of Denver, CO. Dallas was predeceased by his first wife Margaret Haywood Lowdermilk in 1981 and his second wife Josephine Hudson Lowdermilk in 2002. He and Margaret enjoyed raising their family together experiencing great joy and pleasure. He and Josephine were able to celebrate retirement, grandchildren and years of traveling together. He lived a very wonderful and full life. The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of Duke Radiation Oncology for their caring support.

Bennie L. Penny, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday, December 20, 2019. She was the daughter of the late Bennie Lee Lloyd and Sarah Lillian Whitlock Lloyd of Durham and the widow of the late James Larry Penny. Bennie is survived by her brother, Robert Lloyd of Beaufort NC, her son Ray Penny, daughter Beth Andrews, daughter-in-law Amy Penny, and favorite son-in-law Barry Andrews, and grandchildren Nichole Andrews, Tyler Andrews, Stephen Penny, Gregory Penny, Christopher Penny, Elizabeth Penny, great grandchildren Landon, Jaiden, Aris, Jordyn, Marley, Zackary, Carly, Lucas, Liam, Mason, and Layton. Bennie was a retiree from Duke University Hospital sharing twenty-five years of life with her Duke family. She was a member of The Carolina Toler's Club, where she enjoyed painting for many years, and was a former member of Red Hat Ladies Club.

Peter Couvelle terKuile, age 75, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on Friday afternoon, December 20, 2019 at the Hock Family Pavilion.  Peter was born May 16, 1944, in Fairfield County, CT son of the late Roger Couvelle & Dorothy Pfeffer terKuile and was husband of forty-one years to Pat Darcy terKuile who survives. He was a retired Critical Care Nurse working with Duke University Health System from January 01, 1980 until March 31, 2012 sharing thirty-two years of life with his Duke family. He served his country proud as a veteran of the US Marines. Surviving in addition to his wife are a daughter, Emma Darcy terKuile & boyfriend, Michael Merritt of Durham, NC, two brothers, Christian terKuile & wife, Roberta of Tryon, NC, Bill terKuile & wife, Marion of Washington State, sister-in-law, Carolyn terKuile, and a host of nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Mr. terKuile is preceded in death by a brother, J. Marvin terKuile.

Johnny Preston Johnson, was born on November 01, 1967 and passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2019 at the young age of 52. Johnny was a kind and humble man, always caring and good to those who were fortunate enough to have crossed his path. He had formerly been employed by Duke University working in the Personnel Food Service Industry at Duke North in the Atrium. His career with Duke began on March 02, 1987 retiring November 01, 2018 sharing thirty-one years of life with his Duke family. All who knew and loved him, family, friends, colleagues and community, will sorely miss him. Rest in peace Johnny.

Shanetta Handy Teet, passed away at the young age of 61, on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. She was born to Buddy Handy and the late Gesina Freeman on June 06, 1958 in East Orange, New Jersey. The late Pasco and Lottie Street reared her. She leaves behind to cherish her memories husband, Edwart Teet, of Franklinton, NC; three daughters: Nakaia Street and Lashell Alston of Durham, NC; and Jessica Chapman (Chris) of Minnesota; two sisters: Verdenia Davis (Robert) of Henderson, NC and Vivian Diane Thorpe (Ben) of Oxford, NC; seven grandchildren, three brothers–in-law; two sisters-in-law and a host of other loving relatives and friends. Shanetta had worked at Duke University for nearly twenty years as an Analyst, IT, VPIT for Technical Services. Her career with Duke began October 18, 1986. She will missed by family, friends, and community.

Annie B. Collins, age 85, passed away on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 peacefully at her home. Annie was born in Rougemont, North Carolina on February 18, 1934 to the late Frank Hedgepeth and Vena Allen Hedgepeth. Her four daughters, Robin Hayes (Kenneth), Jean Farrar (Delevere), Wanda Dempson (Torrie) and Tracy Johnson (James) survive her. In addition, to her four daughters, surviving Annie are her eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends. During her career days, Annie worked diligently as a Laboratory Assistant Senior, in the Biochemistry Department with Duke Medical Center. Her career with Duke began on September 24, 1979 retiring April 27, 2001 after sharing twenty-two years of life with her Duke family. Friends, family and community will miss Annie.

Linda Rutt, 73, passed away on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at Duke Regional Hospital. She was born in Aiken, South Carolina, November 17, 1946, to the late James Carlton Brantley and Azilee Ready Brantley. In addition to her parents, Linda was predeceased by her husband, Reverend Charles Edward Rutt; and sister, Carlene Brantley Proctor. Linda retired from Duke University Graduate School in 2009 where she was employed with the Dean’s Office. Her long and rewarding career with Duke University began July 18, 1984 spanning over twenty-five years. She was a devoted Pastor’s wife, loving mother, mother-in-law, sister, Grammy and friend. Linda was a long time member of Temple Baptist Church. Linda loved going to her beach house on Oak Island, and she loved cruising and traveling to visit family and friends. She lived for her grandchildren, as they were her greatest joy. Linda is survived by her sons, Charles Edward “Les” Rutt Jr. (Jeremy), Tim Rutt (Lorraine), John Richard Rutt (Shannon); grandchildren, Erick Edward Wade Rutt, Abigail Elizabeth Rutt, Charles Landon Rutt, Layla Grace Rutt; brother, Jim Brantley Jr., and sister, Jackie Brantley Allen.

Mary Elizabeth Torain, from Roxboro, North Carolina, age 70 passed away on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 in Duke Regional Hospital. She was born in Durham, North Carolina on December 24, 1948, but made her home in Person County. She was a proud member of the Church of God in Christ Jesus in Roxboro. On September 24, 1990, Mary joined the Duke University workforce employed as a Housekeeping Specialist. She eventually retired on November 01, 2006 after sharing sixteen years of life with her Duke family. Mary was predeceased by; her husband Sandy Torain; her parents, Pink Pulliam and Mary Williams Pulliam; and her sisters, Ella Pettiford and Caroline Doles. Mary is survived by; her children, Angela Adams of Roxboro, NC, James Torain of Greensboro, NC, Lancer Torain of Charlotte, NC and Tina Greene (Marvin) of Burlington, NC; her siblings, Sandy Bradsher of Roxboro, Henrietta Torain of Greensboro, Hazel Bradsher of Roxboro, Patricia Royster (Bobby) of Roxboro and Penny Holloway (Lehman) of Roxboro; her grandchildren, Sherrika Torain of Roxboro, Destany Torain of Roxboro, Jamya Palmer of Burlington, NC, James Adams, Monica Greene and Travis Greene; her great grandchildren, Shaniya Bailey of Roxboro and Kymauri Smith of Roxboro; and her godchildren, Stephanie Serrano of Roxboro, Franklin Torain of Roxboro and Anthony Torain of Raleigh, NC. Other loving relatives and friends also survive her.

Vivian Fowler, age 65, passed away on Monday, December 16, 2019 peacefully in her home. Vivian was employed with Duke University Health System beginning her career on June 08, 1988 working as an Administrative Assistant, for Duke Occupational and Environmental Safety Division- Radiation Safety and was actively employed upon her death. Colleagues, family and friends will greatly miss Vivian. Imagination is stronger than knowledge – myth is more potent than history – dreams are more powerful than facts – hope always triumphs over experience – laughter is the cure for grief – love is stronger than death.

Parul Kartik Patel, passed away on Monday, December 16, 2019, after a nine-month battle with cancer. She was a young 51 years of age, the youngest of five children of the late Mr. Ishwarbhai Patel and Mrs. Madhukanta Patel of Nar/Ujjain in India. Parul will be forever remembered by her husband of thirty years Kartik; her mother, Madhukanta; her siblings, Urvashi, Hema, Rajesh, and Amita and their families; as well as, her many in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was loved dearly and will be missed by her family and friends. When Parul was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, she decided to be joyful about having had a full life and fight the disease courageously rather than be sad about the grave prognosis. Parul worked at Duke University Health System for twenty-five years as an APP Analyst CA for Clinical Apps and she loved her job. She was a free spirit who loved traveling, cooking, nature, and animals. She was always upbeat and showed kindness to all. All who knew and loved her will remember her fondly.

Vanessa Bass, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, December 15, 2019. She was 62 years of age. Vanessa was born on May 17, 1957. All who knew her will remember her as a very sweet and caring person. She had a smile for anyone who crossed her path. She laughed easily, and love sharing stories of the family. Vanessa had worked in Facilities, as a Housekeeping Specialist for Duke University, Central Administration. He career began with Duke on January 06, 2014 retiring in 2019. She will be greatly missed by family, friends, colleagues and community. Those who have passed will survive, for part of the lives of those that still live and love will carry them in their heart.

Joseph Porter, writer, scholar, and teacher; Professor Emeritus of English, at Duke University passed away in his home, on Saturday, December 14, 2019. He was 77 years young. Joseph taught at Duke University for nearly four decades receiving acclaim for the fiction he wrote under the name Joe Ashby Porter. Joseph arrived at Duke in 1980, teaching generations of Duke students before his retirement in the spring of 2019. He taught in the English and Theater Studies Departments and became a particularly important part of the university’s creative writing program. Joe was a vital part of both the undergraduate and graduate programs, and helped teach and inspire many, many students. Joe’s literary legacy is ensured not simply through his own fiction, but also through his impact on multiple generations of creative writers who refined their skills in the English department. Joseph was born in Kentucky, where his father worked as a machinist and coal miner. He studied at Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley and taught at the University of Virginia and other institutions before arriving at Duke University. He authored four short story collections and three novels, “Eelgrass,” “Resident Aliens” and “The Near Future.” His fictional works received wide recognition, including two Pulitzer Prize nominations and a 2004 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (since renamed as the Arts and Letters Award in Literature). A noted Shakespeare scholar, Joseph published two books about Shakespeare and edited many collections. He also loved France and French literature and served as a visiting professor at the Université François-Rabelais in Tours, France. In a review of his 2006 novel “The Near Future,” a New York Times critic lauded Porter’s inventive fiction: “Sweet and fey, Joe Ashby Porter’s new novel describes a world many readers contemplating their twilight years will want to inhabit. Porter’s narrative style is vaguely cubist, with words often turned at slight angles to one another. But what the occasional sentence loses in textbook syntax it gains in color and sheer playfulness.” Porter passed away after suffering for several months from an aggressive form of cancer. He is survived by his husband of 50 years, Yves Orvoen.

Irene Smith White, was born on December 29, 1935 and passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at the age of 83 years.  Irene had formerly been employed by Duke University Health System working as a Licensed Practical Nurse, in the Minot-Rehabilitation Unit. She began her career on September 18, 1962 retiring January 01, 2000 after sharing nearly forty years with her Duke family. Irene’s friends, family and community will greatly miss her. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you, carve your name on hearts, not tombstones.

Stephen A. Wainwright, a renowned Duke University biologist who applied engineering principals to understand organismal design, and who explored life through art, died Thursday, December 12, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina at the age of 88. The cause was Parkinson's dementia. Steve was born in Indianapolis, the youngest of three sons (brothers William and Thomas) to Guy and Jeanette Wainwright. The family owned and operated Diamond Chain, an early assembly-line company that built chains for bicycles and other machines. Diamond chains were featured in the Wright Brothers' first airplane and in Henry Ford's first automobiles, early inspiration for Steve. His parents allowed each brother an "office", a blank room in which they could freely explore budding interests. Steve filled his room with specimens of animals and plants as well as his own art and writing; flickers of the flames destined to become major themes for the future multifaceted academic. A lifelong scholar, Steve graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Duke University in 1953, then studied at University of Hawaii and Cambridge University before earning a Ph.D. in 1962 from University of California, Berkeley. He pursued postdoctoral work at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In 1964, he returned to Duke as a faculty member, beginning a thirty-two year run as a visionary scientist, beloved mentor, and sartorial savant.  Steve was an early founder of the field of biomechanics, which applies principles of mechanical engineering to understand how animals and plants are built to accomplish daily tasks. In 1986, he co-authored Mechanical Design in Organisms, a landmark book that established the fledgling field and is still widely used today. In his research, Steve sought the general principles of organismal design, while drawing on subjects from across the tree of life, including sea fans, reef corals, sharkskin, marlin backbones, whale blubber, anemone tentacles, coconut palms and rubbery seaweeds.  Steve's greatest professional passion, however, was reserved for his students. He reveled in inspiring young minds and nurturing emerging careers. With a flair for outrageous color in his dress and relentless joy in the wonders of nature, he was always eager to encourage the individual to imagine the possibilities. He leaves behind an extensive legacy of former students who now carry the field of biomechanics into new realms. Amidst the years of schooling, Steve also found time to fall in love. He met Ruth while studying at University of Hawaii where they were married in colorful Aloha shirts. They raised four children in Durham, North Carolina; Peter, Ian, Archie (deceased) and Jennifer in a household rich with art, university life, and summer research expeditions to Fanning Island, the Florida Keys and Fiji. The family eventually grew with the births of ten grandchildren (Dylan, Naomi, Yoshio, Savannah, Joshua, Ruth, Hope, Emma Caudle, Holly Caudle and Gwen Caudle). Ruth passed away in 1999 and Steve married the prominent ceramic artist, Sally Prange, until her death in 2007. Never one to allow life's tragedies to stop him, he fell in love again and in 2008 married Charlotte Vestal Brown, the founding director of the Gregg Museum of Art and Design at North Carolina State University and who shared Steve's ever-deepening love of art.  In 1990, Steve created the Duke Bio-Design Studio, where researchers worked with skilled artists to build physical models of biological structures. This highly successful venture eventually became an independent company, Nekton, that built machines based on biologically inspired mechanisms such as swimming fish. This concept – to use devices found in nature as the basis for novel tools and machines – presaged yet another young discipline, known today as biologically inspired design, and Nekton became a model and resource for similar ventures. His interest in art continued to flourish and after his retirement in 1996 Steve became a devoted sculptor, drawing on insights earned studying creatures to carve wood into flowing works of art that captured the essence of the life forms he once researched. He also established a series of nonprofits that brought his passion for science and art to a wider community. The Center for Inquiry-Based Learning helps North Carolina K-8 teachers "nurture that natural excitement children have for doing science". SeaSaw Studio was a free after-school program for young artists that taught entrepreneurial skills to local teens. In all of these ventures, he sought to encourage both critical and creative abilities and to give life to youthful interest. Steve's early delight in animals never relented and even in his final days, he could be sparked by the sight of birds feeding at his window. Stephen spent nearly fifty years with Duke serving as a Professor Emeritus Biology, Zoology. All who knew and valued his passions will miss his presence.

Linda Hanmer, born June 19, 1948 passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. She was a young 71 years of age.  Linda had been employed by Duke University Health System, working as a Certified Nurse III, with Surgical Unit-2300. Her career with Duke began on October 08, 2001 retiring on July 01, 2013. Her family, friends and community will miss her greatly. Oh to be a Nurse- I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given much in return; I have read and traveled and thought the deepest of wandering thoughts, then without regret….chose to  live the better part of my life for the good of others.

Alberta Lyons, 98, of Holly Springs, North Carolina, passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. Alberta had formerly been employed by Duke University working as a Housekeeping Specialist on West Campus. Alberta’s career with Duke began on November 01, 1961 retiring September 01, 1990 after sharing nearly thirty years of life with her Duke family. Friends, family and community will miss Alberta. How lucky am I, to have had lived a life that makes saying goodbye so hard.

Roland A. Nadeau, passed away on Sunday December 08, 2019. He had been a Safety Inspector, OESO (Occupational and Environmental Safety Office) Campus-Fire and Safety for Duke University since July 02, 1987. Roland retired August 01, 1996. Family, friends, and community will miss Roland. Every man’s life end the same way, it is only the details of how well he lived that life that distinguishes one man from another.

Willie Edward McNeil, 75, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, December 07, 2019 peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving wife Carrie and his Medical Associates. Born in Erwin, North Carolina (Harnett County) on April 10, 1944, he was the son of Thomas Cameron and Mamie McNeil. While in elementary school, Willie's family moved to Durham, North Carolina where he was educated in the Durham Public School system. There he met Carrie Sutton whom he married in 1962. To this union, three children were born. Willie loved his family and often said that having a family was a "beautiful thing". He loved to talk and had many conversations with his children. He would always give them advice on the joys and challenges of living. He was a member of Bethel Freewill Baptist Church in Erwin, North Carolina. For more than thirty years, Willie was employed by Duke University Health System working in the Anatomy Surgical Pathology Department as a Laboratory Technician. He enjoyed traveling throughout the country. His main hobby was fishing. Willie is preceded in death by his son Michael. Left to cherish Willie's memories are his wife of fifty-seven years, Carrie Sutton McNeil; two daughters, Jennifer "Robin" Cole (Jeffrey) and Pamela McNeil; one son, Maurice Watson; four grandchildren, Cordero McNeil, Aissia Bedell, Camary Ferguson and Autumn Ferguson; one great grandchild, Gaia Brown; five brothers, Thomas Cameron (Elaine), Frederick Cameron (Mary), John Cameron (Mary), Larry Cameron (Marie) and Harvey Cameron (Elaine); sister-in-law, Patricia Sutton; brother-in-law, Von Sutton; special relatives, Uncle George (Edith) Cameron and Aunt Georgia Cameron; a special friend, Chester Hughes; special brother and sister, Fisher McMillan and Flo McMillan; and host of extended family members and friends.

Linda Townsend, a former Health Unit Coordinator working with Medicine Unit 4-1 at Duke Regional Hospital, passed away on Saturday December 07, 2019. Linda has been with Duke Regional since October 12, 1998 retiring on March 01, 2012 sharing nearly fifteen years of life with her Duke family. Family, friends, former colleagues and community will greatly miss Linda. Life is eternal, and love is immortal and death is only a horizon; and a horizon can do nothing but give to our vision an endless view.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Crumpler, 56, passed away Friday, December 06, 2019 at Duke Regional Hospital. He was born in Durham, North Carolina to Norman Crumpler and Vivian Lee Efird. Tony attended Fellowship Baptist Church in Durham. He worked at Duke Medical Center for twenty-five years in Application Support as an APP Analyst. Tony was a 1981 graduate of Northern High School, he also attended UNCG. He was an avid Duke fan and loved golf, music, books, the beach and above all his family. In addition to his parents, Tony is survived by his step father, James M. Efird; step-mother, Bess Crumpler; wife, Teresa F. Crumpler; daughters, Heather D. Holloway (Bryan), Taylor E. Salmon Wuliger (Daniel), Cheryl Tegan Crumpler-Hall; grandchildren, Riley Holloway, Rowan Holloway, Ryan Holloway; and half-sisters, Cindy Crumpler-Harris, Michelle E. Rosen.

Ella Owen, passed away on Thursday, December 05, 2019 at 99 years of age. Ella had been employed by Duke Medical Center working as a Laboratory Assistant, in the Biochemistry Pathology Research Center. Her career began July 10, 1967 retiring March 01, 1985 sharing nearly twenty years of life with her Duke family. She will be greatly missed by family, friends, and community. Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal, but love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

William “Bill” Hollis Craig, was born on November 18, 1927 and passed away on Wednesday, December 04, 2019 at Lexington Community Hospice House. He was 92 years of age. Bill was the son of the late Coy and Clara Bell Craig. He was an active member at Fellowship Baptist Church, and participated in several missionary trips over the years. He was also a WWII Veteran proudly serving in the US Navy on an ammunition ship. He also served his country as a six-year Veteran of the US Air Force. Bill loved music, loved to sing, and belonged to several choirs throughout the years of his life. He is survived by three daughters, Susan Carabetta of Lexington, S.C., Debbie Abrams from Grantham England, and Jessica Craig of Durham, NC. He is also survived by two sons, Allen Craig of Mt Juliet, TN, and Brian Craig, of Durham, NC. Daughter, Judy Ann Hert, predeceased Bill. He had a sister, Beverly Craig of Yellow Springs, OH, and brother Gary Craig of Wilmington, NC. Bill had seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.

Hassie Torain, formerly of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on Tuesday, December 03, 2019 in Mt. Vernon, New York. She was 105 years young. Hassie was one of ten children born to the late George and Cecer Bradsher Jacobs. During her younger years, Hassie worked with Duke University. She began her career on February 05, 1958 retiring January 01, 1979 sharing over twenty years of life with her Duke family. She is survived by her daughter Nay Ruth Suitte (James), two grandchildren, three great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other extended family and friends. Hassie will be remembered for her warm smile shared with all she knew and loved. She was a beautiful woman both inside and out and will be missed by many.

Elaine King Langley, of Belmont, North Carolina passed away Monday, December 02, 2019 at the age of 72. She was born in Sampson County, the daughter of the late Eddis Ray King, Sr. and Lillie Eleanor Smith King. Elaine worked at Duke University for forty-one years as a Specialist in Cost Accounting – Senior Budget and Analysis Department. She was also an avid Duke Sports fan. She attended Union High School and Western Carolina University. Elaine loved to play golf, read, vacation in Beech Mountain, and spend time with her family. Elaine is survived by her loving sons, James Howard Langley, Jr., Jeffrey Thomas Langley and wife, Kari Huber Langley of Belmont, NC; siblings, Eddis Ray King, Jr. of Clinton, NC; Donna King Britt of Wilmington, NC; Linda King Watkins of Durham, NC; Michael Roy King of Corbett, Oregon; Teresa King Lamb of Alexander City, AL; Stanley Wayne King of Folsom, LA; and two grandchildren Andrew James Langley and Matthew William Langley. Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, her husband James Howard Langley, Sr., and brother Perry Steven King.

Eleanor Williamson Mulumba, a Nurse and long-time resident of Roxboro, North Carolina, passed away on Sunday, December 01, 2019 at the young age of 50. Her six siblings survive Eleanor: Karen Williamson, Donna Holder, Katie Martin, Lula Woods, Charity Williamson and Dwayne Williamson; along with a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Eleanor was born on March 13, 1969 to the late Lawrence Patrick and Claudia Puryear Williamson in Oxford. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1993 with a degree in Nursing and worked at Duke University Health System as an AC Nurse III with Duke North Street Cardiology Department. She began her career with Duke on June 14, 1993 remaining active until her passing. Eleanor was a devoted sister, aunt, friend and nurse. Her free spirit, quick wit and compassion endeared Eleanor to all who knew her. In her leisure time, Eleanor enjoyed reading, writing poetry, watching soap operas and vacationing in the North Carolina Mountains. Eleanor will be deeply missed by her family, friends, community, colleagues and by all those who knew and loved her.

November 2019

Rita Bucsky, born June 04, 1922, passed away at Royal Park in Matthews, North Carolina on Friday, November 29, 2019. She was 97 years of age. Rita had previously worked with Duke University Health System at Highland Hospital Asheville, North Carolina as a General Administrator. Her career began on March 30, 1970 retiring on July 01, 1987. Family, friends and community will greatly miss Rita.  What once we loved and deeply enjoyed will never be lost, for all that we have loved so deep becomes a part of us.

Carmen Margarita Zambrana Santiago, 75, passed away on Friday, November 29, 2019. Carmen was born on May 15, 1944 to the late Epifanio and Marta Zambrana in Coamo, Puerto Rico. She loved her family dearly, was the provider and caretaker of the family and her greatest joy was to cook for her family. Carmen had been employed by Duke Regional Hospital working as a Clerk for HIM Document Management. Carmen was very sociable and because of her warm nature, she never met a stranger. She will be remembered as a loving mother, sister, aunt, and grandmother. Carmen is survived by her sons, Richard Zambrana (Amanda) of Wake Forest, NC, and Edward Santiago (Karen) of Durham, NC; daughter, Stephanie Santiago (Clinton) of Durham, NC; brothers, Epifanio Zambrana, Jr. of New York, José N. Zambrana (Lucy) of New York, and Charles Zambrana of Wake Forest, NC; sister, Francisca E. Ayala (Richard) of Florida, and Neida E. Zambrana of New York; and grandchildren, Kerrigan P. Zambrana, Maximiliano B. Zambrana, Rheanna M. Bunette, Alysia M. Brewer, and Edward L. Santiago; several nieces and nephews, and extended family members.

Robert Holden Wilkinson, Jr., born October 11, 1932, to the late Robert Holden and Gladys Duvall Wilkinson, died at Duke Hospital on November 28, 2019. He was 87 years of age. He graduated from High School in Northern Virginia. He then attended the College of William and Mary and received a B.S. in Biology in 1954. He earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1958. He served in the United States Navy in Great Lakes, Illinois, and, then, moved to Richmond, VA, where he completed his residency in Radiology at the Medical College of Virginia. He went into private practice for several years in Portsmouth, VA, before being recruited to Duke Medical Center as part of the Nuclear Medicine department in 1967. He conducted research, diagnosed and treated patients, and taught interns, residents, and fellows at Duke Medical Center and the Veterans Administration Hospital. He retired as a Professor of Radiology in 1999. He taught his daughters the love of reading, gardening, how to sail their 24-foot boat, and encouraged their love of the ocean. He was a part of a writing group and enjoyed writing stories about events from his life and that of his family. An avid reader and bookseller, he also collected many first edition science, medicine, and literary books. He volunteered for many years with the Friends of the Durham Library. Robert H. Wilkinson, Jr., M.D., is survived by his three daughters and their families, Elizabeth Wilkinson Edmondson (Ed), Mary Lynne White (Charles, Catherine, Joseph, Naomi, Rebecca, Robert, and newest great-grandchild, Valerius), and Kathleen Holden Wilkinson. Robert H. Wilkinson was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Mary Margaret Moore Wilkinson, his parents, Robert and Gladys Wilkinson, and sister Eleanor Letitia Maurer.

Bryce Wayne Black, age 68, of Roxboro, North Carolina, departed this life Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in Duke University Medical Center located in Durham, North Carolina. He was born in Person County and a member of Christian Apostolic Holiness Church in Semora. His father, John Black, precedes him in death. He is survived by his mother, Bishop Mary G. Black of Semora; children: Bonnie Black and Minki Black; stepdaughter, Janet Lee Nichols (Stacy); siblings: Elder John Earl Black (Debra), Patricia Ann Black, Roy Edward Black (Kathleen), Bishop William McKinly Black (Cynthia), Gail Jeanette Johnson (Bernard) and Ferlon Nathaniel Black (Tamera); grandchildren: Bilal Black (MiKayla), Maci Black, Madision Tate, Khaleel Tate, Thaddeus Dozier, Rheagan Tate and Kaidence Tate; step-grandchildren: Tempest Payne (Camdon) and DaShawn Chapman; one uncle, Clifton Goods (Mildred); one aunt, Dorothy Lott; and other additional grandchildren, relatives and friends. Bryce had worked with Duke University in Duke North Hospital for nearly twenty-five year years as a Specialty Floor Technician. He will be missed by family, friends and by his community.

Lillie Pearl Montgomery, 92, of Durham, North Carolina passed away at her home on November 26, 2019. She was born in Selma, North Carolina to Charles Montgomery and Pearl Lenora O'Neal Montgomery, who preceded her in death. Lillie focused on caring for others, and spent most of her career as a Certified Nurse, eventually retiring from Duke University Health System in December of 1991. Lillie enjoyed visits from friends and car rides to explore the many changes occurring within the city of Durham. For those fortunate enough to spend time with Lillie, she shared her infectious smile and her quick wit. Her brother Charles Montgomery predeceases her.

Wanda Kay Middleton Robertson, was born on September 08, 1955 and passed away on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at the young age of 64. Wanda had worked at Duke University with PRMO (Patient Revenue Management Organization) as a Patient Account Associate, in Hospital Billing. Her career with Duke began on February 16, 1987 retiring on January 01, 2019 sharing thirty-two years of life with her Duke family. Wanda will be missed greatly by family, friends, community and by her colleagues.  As a tale, so too is life. It is not about how long that tale may be, but rather how good that tale was and how well it will be told.

John Vassilowitch Jr., passed away on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at the Hock Family Pavilion at the young age of 73. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey to the late John and Olga Vassilowitch.  John graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 and obtained the status of ABD from Duke University, teaching at both high school and university levels. He was employed with Duke University for nearly thirty years. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran and especially enjoyed his large collection of Bing Crosby records and memorabilia. John is survived by his brothers, Paul Vassil of Bernardsville, NJ, Ted Vassilowitch of Toms River, NJ and David Vassilowitch of Lincoln Park, NJ; his special companion and best friend of forty-six years, SallyAnn H. Ferguson of Jamestown, NC; as well as numerous other family members and friends. The family would like to extend a special thank you to his cousin, Joan Patterson of Southport, NC for her support and care during his brief illness.

Thomas Muir Gallie, Jr., 94, died on November 25, 2019, at The Forest at Duke in Durham, North Carolina. He was born on August 25, 1925, in New York City to Thomas Muir Gallie and Mavis Chubb Gallie. Tom grew up in Riverdale, N.Y., where he attended the Fieldston School. After graduating from The Lawrenceville School, he attended Harvard University (A.B. Engineering Science and Applied Physics), the University of Texas (M.A. Applied Mathematics) and Rice University (Ph.D. Mathematics). While pursuing higher education, he also married his first wife Mary Cordts Gallie, who predeceased him in 1988, and had four children (Thom Gallie, Charlie Gallie, Ann Gallie Beverage and Beth Gallie.) After earning his Ph.D., he moved to Durham, North Carolina to teach at Duke University, ultimately becoming a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science. Perhaps he will be best known for writing the grant to purchase the first computer at Duke University and as a founder of the Computer Science Department.  Despite his many professional accomplishments, friends will remember him for his good nature. His children will remember him for making them breakfast each morning, taking them to Duke sporting events, generally setting the bar high, and throughout their lives being generous to a fault. Besides sports, Tom's interests included reading, the stock market, travel (including two sabbaticals in Switzerland), dogs, and sailing on Kezar Lake in Center Lovell, Maine.  Tom was also extraordinarily optimistic about the world's future. The final gifts he gave his children were copies of Steven Pinker's book Enlightenment Now, the Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. Tom agreed with Pinker's assessment that knowledge is improving the world.  Tom was predeceased by his brother Bud Gallie and his grandson Tom Gallie. Tom is survived by his spouse Elizabeth Button Gallie of Durham; his four children and their spouses (Karina Gallie, Connie Buford, Parker Beverage and Scott Benson), his step-daughter Faith Edwards, five grandchildren (Clare Beverage, Emily Beverage von Klemperer, Cordtsy Gallie, Torrie Edwards and Dillon Edwards), and one great grandchild (Ella von Klemperer.) He is also survived by his sister Rosalind Tufts and brother-in-law Nate Tufts of Northfield, MA, and many nephews and nieces and their families.

Cheryl Lynn Chervinko, passed away very unexpectedly early Saturday morning, November 23, 2019. Her family was home with her at the time. Cheryl was a young 45 years of age. She was a resident of Durham, North Carolina, but was born at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Illinois on July 29, 1974 to the late Jeffrey Lawrence Etherton and the late Clara M. Stephens. She grew-up and attended elementary and grade school in DeSoto, Illinois and is a 1992 graduate of Carbondale Community High School. Upon graduation, she was a military wife and mother living in Twentynine Palms, California. Upon returning to Southern Illinois, she attended John A. Logan College and worked in various supporting roles in the healthcare field. In October 2001, Cheryl and her family moved to Durham, North Carolina where Duke University Health System employed her. During her eighteen-year tenure she worked in supporting and office managerial roles for Duke Urology, Pediatric GI & Nutrition, Pediatric Hospital and Emergency Medicine, and Hepatology where through her resourceful independence, initiative and leadership she earned and retained the admiration and respect of her faculty, staff and peers. Her Duke family was an important part of her life as it was an honor and privilege for her to be part of this team. Cheryl was a very proud mother of one daughter, three sons, and one daughter-in-law. During her life, she was an active Girl Scout co-leader and leader to her daughter’s troop. She was a very enthusiastic and active swim mom to her daughter and youngest son. She was a proud mom of her second oldest son’s academic accomplishments and successful graduation from college. She was a very proud and active supporter of her oldest son during his military service and deployments. In addition, Cheryl was very blessed to have the best daughter-in-law come into her oldest son’s life. Cheryl lived a full and well-rounded life, which revolved around her children, as they were her world. Her wishes for all of them is to keep moving forward, and being successful, in life as she very much loved them equally in her own unique and special way. Cheryl had a love and passion for the beach and for ‘travelling’ in general, to see and experience different places within this great nation of ours. Her most recent adventures took her to Gettysburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia and the Caribbean. She was also very enthusiastic and passionate with trips to Southern Illinois for family and friends. When family trips would happen, there was always a lot of attention and devotion to her mother-in-law. She is survived by her loving husband of 28 years, JJ Chervinko, oldest son Ryan, daughter-in-law, Estefany, second oldest son, Eric, only daughter, Shelbie and youngest son Ethan.  

Bonnie West, passed away on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at the young age of 87. She had worked with Duke University as an Accounting Clerk Sr. with the Accounting Administration Department. She began her career with Duke on August 25, 1980 retiring on March 01, 1998 after sharing eighteen years of life with her Duke family. Family, friends and community will miss her. Grief is the price we pay for having loved and I would pay it over and over again.

Judy Sue Hatfiled Hale, was born on March 05, 1942 and passed away on Thursday, November 21, 2019. She was 77 years young. Judy was born in Logan County, West Virginia. She was the daughter of the late Joe and Ruby Finley Hatfield, wife of the late Thomas Albert Hale and mother of the late Tamara Hatfield. Three sisters also preceded Judy in death. Judy retired after over twenty years of service from Duke University Health System where she was employed as a Clinical Nurse IV, in the Emergency Room. She was of the Baptist faith. Judy is survived by two daughters, Teresa Swan and husband Robert of Lexington and Tina Christiansen and husband Michael, of Timberlake; two sisters, Patty Geld and Mary Reider, both of GA; seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

Galan Devon Hoover, 83, of Timberlake, died Tuesday, November 19, 2019. Born in June 10, 1936 in Somerset County, PA, Galan was the son of the late George Harmer and Anna Baker Hoover. Galan had formerly been employed by Duke Medical Center, working as a Laboratory Assistant, in the Medicine-Nephrology Department. His career begin on March 18, 2002 retiring on January 01, 2008. He was a member of Somerset Baptist Church. Mr. Hoover is survived by his wife Grace Alberta Sellers Hoover; four children, Blaine Edward Hoover, of Timberlake, Galen Frederick Hoover, of Freidens, PA, Anna Grace Hoover, and Rose Marie H. McCleary, of Hillsborough; one brother, Herbert Hoover, of Rockwood, PA; one sister, Blanche H. Olher, of PA; ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

James Otis Kithcart, born December 14, 1957 to Mary Francis Chavis passed away Wednesday, November 20, 2019, at the young age of 61. James had been employed by Duke University Health System working as a Housekeeping Specialist in the Davidson Building ( South Duke). His career with Duke began on September 17, 1982 retiring on February 01, 2012 after sharing thirty years of life with his Duke family. James was a devoted and loving  husband to the late Angela Kithcart. Surviving are sons, Jameison Torian (Ja'kori) of Hillsborough, North Carolina and Derrick Jeffries of Durham, North Carolina, daughter, Jasmine Torian (Jay) of Burlington, North Carolina, six grandchildren, brother, Leroy Kithcart (Nana) and sister, Darletta  Kithchart (Bob) all of Durham, North Carolina, Mother- in- Law, Annie Frances Torian, a host of aunts, uncles and friends.

Bessie Kelly Walker, of Horse Shoe went home to be with the Lord Friday, November 15, 2019 at the age of 84. She passed peacefully in her home. A native of Slippery Rock, PA, Bessie lived in Durham thirty years before moving to Henderson County in 1996. She was a daughter of the late Roy and Nina Kelly; Bessie was also preceded in death by a grandson, Joey Bellamy; a great-grandson, Daniel Neal; five sisters; and one brother. Bessie worked with Duke University Health System in the operating room as an Operating Technician for thirty-five years, retiring in 1996. She attended Words of Life Tabernacle and was active with MRLEC (an enrichment center that ministers to the mind, body and spirit of seniors within the community and local churches). Bessie also volunteered with ABCCM (a non-profit committed to serving those in need). Survivors include her children, Kelly Bellamy and her husband James of Horse Shoe, Joel Rex Walker and his wife Jill of Roxboro; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; a brother, Earl Kelly and his wife Betty of Grove City, PA; and a number of nieces and nephews.

John Addie “JA” Moore, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away at his home on Thursday, November 14, 2019. “JA” was 70 years young. His parents, Buck and Bertha Moore, preceded him in death. “JA” was a longtime member of Guess Road Baptist Church where he served as Deacon, Sunday School Teacher and choir member. “JA” retired from Duke University Health System in 2007 where he worked in the Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Department. He spent nearly thirty years with his Duke family. “JA” is survived by his uncle, Wilton Foster; aunts, Rachel Denton, Lucy Denton, Lois King of Louisburg, NC, and Linda Rich of Castalia, NC; in addition to many cousins and best friend, Stuart Herndon.

Randall Kenneth Heffelfinger, 68, passed away surrounded by family on November 10, 2019. Randy was born on November 27, 1950 in Reading, PA to Kenneth and Pauline Heffelfinger. He grew up “the apple of his mother’s eye” in the Oley Valley countryside as the middle child with two lovely sisters, Robin and Sharon. He loved drumming in the marching band and conducting sanctioned and unsanctioned science experiments. Winning third place in the National Science Fair sent him to college in the big city of Pittsburgh where he graduated from University of Pittsburgh, followed by St. Joseph’s School of Medical Technology in Reading. After graduation, he launched his career in the laboratory of Caron Hospital at Chit Chat Farms a substance abuse rehabilitation center. Next step was a cross-country move to Gallup, New Mexico where he ran the clinical laboratory at McKinley General Hospital and spent his free time adventuring. He fell in love with skiing, hiking, back packing and a lady named Mindy. They married on October 16, 1982 and lived in Albuquerque before moving back east to be closer to family. Randy and Mindy started their own family in West Virginia. Randy earned his MBA and worked hard so Mindy could stay at home with their two beautiful daughters. Randy’s career in healthcare brought the family to Maine, then New Hampshire and finally to North Carolina where he became a proud member of the Duke University Medical Center family. In each new home they found amazing communities with whom they explored the great outdoors. On every single outing, Randy could be heard saying, “Just another day in paradise.” Though Randy fell in love with cycling in New Hampshire, he let his passion for it run wild upon retirement. In between rides, he took up cooking and volunteered widely within the community. He spoke often about his faith and considered himself incredibly lucky throughout every step on his journey. Randy is survived by his wife Mindy McMaster; daughters Erin and Abbie; son-in-law Tukei Peter; and sister Robin Bates. He was preceded in death by his sister Sharon Long and his parents Kenneth and Pauline Heffelfinger.

Lucy Nola “Sis”Bullock Watson, was born to the late Maceo A. Bullock Sr. and Emma J. Bullock on July 22, 1941. She was called to her heavenly home on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at the young age of 78. “Sis” was preceded in death by three brothers, Maceo A. Bullock Jr., Ronald L. Bullock Sr. and Mark A. Bullock; along with one sister, Judith B. Paris. “Sis” received her education in the Durham County School System and graduated from Little River School in Bahama, North Carolina. Shortly after graduating from high school, “Sis” earned her Beautician’s License in New York. She returned to North Carolina and attended Durham Industrial Education (now Durham Technical Community College), where she earned her Nursing Degree and began employment at Duke University Medical Center. During her employment at Duke, “Sis” completed Advanced Licensed Practical Nurse Certification and became the Charge Nurse of Pediatric Cardiology. She retired from Duke after over 30 years of dedicated service. After retiring from Duke, she followed God’s inspiration and was licensed to preach the Gospel. She received her Certificate of License from the Gospel Ministry in 1995 and was officially ordained in 1999. She also served in Ministerial roles at New Calvary Baptist Church, Apex First Baptist Church, Morehead Avenue Baptist Church, and Cornerstone Community Church. “Sis” later became the Interim Pastor at New Red Mountain Missionary Baptist Church. It was under her leadership; the Women’s Ministry and The Prayer Line were established. “Sis” is survived by her husband, Ronald C. Watson; one step-daughter, Bridgette Morris; one sister, Veda Sims; seven brothers, Bobby T. Bullock Sr. (Patricia), Lucious G. Bullock (Verna), John H. Bullock (Vanessa), Clinton S. Bullock Sr. (Peggy), Alvin L. Bullock (Linda), Connie M. Bullock (Shirley), and Kenneth H. Bullock (Joyce); five sisters-in-law, Cleopatra Bullock, Pearl Bullock, and Amenda “Jenks” Bullock, Linda Warmley, Clotilda McLauren; and two brothers-in-law, Raymond N. Paris and Ocha Watson; 15 nieces and 10 nephews, and a host of relatives and friends.

Harriet Thomas Hilliard, 70, of Durham, North Carolina passed away Wednesday November 06, 2019. Harriet was born on December 15, 1948 to Thomas Hampton Hilliard, Jr., and Gladys Pauline Hilliard in High Point, North Carolina. She retired as accountant for Duke University’s Alumni and Development Department after sharing five years of life with her Duke family. She was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. Harriet enjoyed gardening, going to fairs, festivals, and car shows. She had a strong work ethic and will be lovingly remembered by all who were fortunate to have known her. Harriet was preceded in death by her parents; and sisters, Iris Willeby, Shirley Sumner, and Hope Ellis. Her son, Brian Scism (Deborah) of Efland, NC; sisters, Henrietta Smith, Helen DiPietro, Hilda Hester (Sherrill); grandson, Taylor Scism; and many nieces and nephews, survive her.

Reverend Doctor DeVlambing  A. Peace, of Portsmouth, Virginia, born in Durham, North Carolina, passed away at the age of 80, on Sunday, November 03, 2019. His mother Nannie Elizabeth Peace Morgan and his brother Thurman Morgan predeceased him. He is survived by : his wife Dora J. Peace; his children, Manuel V. Peace (Annette) of Novi, MI, DeVlaming A. Peace, Jr. of Atlanta, GA, Christopher O. Peace (Donise) of Clinton, MD, Karone P. Blondin (Weaver) of Belle Isle, FL and Devese J. Branch (Jonathan) of Portsmouth, VA; his grandchildren, Dezmond Kee (Deirdre), Lauren Cobb (Michael), Terrell Starks (Sierra), Emanuel Peace, Christian Branch, Nigel Branch, Evan Branch, Christopher "CJ" Peace and Dillon Peace; his great grandchildren, Micah Cobb, Michael Cobb, Dylan Echols, Dezmond Kee, Jr., Dax Kee, King Starks, Assiah Starks, Jalaya Smith, Jakyren Hunt and Zakayah Hunt; his sister Mary Jane of Washington; his niece Donja of Washington. DeVlambing began working with Duke University in the Medical Department on September 01, 1959 retiring October 01, 1999, sharing forty years with his Duke family. Family, friends and community will miss him.

Dr. Irwin Fridovich, 90, passed away Saturday, November 02, 2019. Dr. Fridovich was born on August 02, 1929 to Louis and Sylvia Fridovich in Brooklyn, NY. After attending the Bronx High School of Science and the prestigious City College of New York, Dr. Fridovich met and married Mollie Finkel. In 1951, he and Mollie moved down to Durham, North Carolina, where Dr. Fridovich completed his PhD in Biochemistry at Duke Medical Center. He was invited to remain as a faculty member, and had a long and distinguished career, including becoming a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor. He published over four hundred scientific articles, and discovered superoxide dismutase, essentially founding the field of Free Radical Biology. He served as President of several professional societies, and earned several lifetime achievement awards. Despite his many accolades, Dr. Fridovich was a devoted family man. He never missed a dinner with his wife and two daughters, and always loved to spend weekends with the family, cutting and splitting firewood for his wood stove, tending his ‘blueberry patch’ on ‘the land’, hiking in Duke Forest in cool weather, canoeing in the summertime. He continued to visit Duke University every weekday until about four months prior to his death, to read the latest scientific journals, and especially to enjoy lunch with his best friend, Raj, and his colleagues at Bullocks. Dr. Fridovich will be deeply missed by his friends, family, former colleagues and community. Dr. Fridovich was preceded in death by his parents (Louis and Sylvia); wife of fifty-nine wonderful years, Mollie Fridovich; and brother, Bernard Fridovich. He is survived by his daughters, Sharon F. Freedman (Neil), and Judith L. Fridovich-Keil (Mark); brother, David Fridovich (Miriam); grandchildren, Benjamin Freedman, Rebecca Neustein (Thomas) and their children, Judah and Ariella, David Fridovich-Keil, and Sara Fridovich-Keil; and numerous loving family members.

Gwendolyn Bolden Johnson, 72, passed away on Monday, October 28, 2019. She was born April 12, 1947. Gwendolyn had worked as a Clinic Assistant, Sr. with the Private Diagnostic Clinic in Obstetrics/Gynecology Departments. Her career with Duke began on December 09, 1968 retiring September 01, 2004 sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family. All who knew and loved her will miss her.  She was more than ‘just a person’ she was home.

Virginia “Jenny” Goforth McDowell, of Apex North Carolina, passed away on October 28, 2019 peacefully in her home at the young age of 71. She was born December 26, 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia to the late James Walker Goforth, Jr. and Virginia Cole Bryant Goforth. She was a graduate of Virginia Tech and was employed with CP&L then later with Duke University as a Staff Assistant, working with (Talent Identification Program) TIP-District Education. Her career with Duke began on December 20, 1999 retiring January 01, 2014 sharing fifteen years of life with her Duke family. Jenny loved her work, and loved animals. She was an avid animal advocate, never stepping over anything that needed her assistance. Her greatest love of all she held for her family and most especially her granddaughter. She is survived by her sons, Patrick McCormick and his wife, Kristin and Scott McDowell; sisters, Jane Shupe and June Mason; and granddaughter, MacKenzie Piper McCormick.  All who knew and loved her will miss Jenny terribly, and all who knew Jenny most certainly did love her.

Reagan Sheppard, passed away on Monday October 28, 2019 at the young age of 45. She had been an employee of Duke University Health System beginning her career with Duke in April of 2007 working as a Bio-Medical Waste Handler, in the DN Ancillary, Operating Room. Reagan was an active member of Duke’s workforce upon her death, sharing twelve years of life with her Duke family. She will be remembered fondly and missed greatly by her family, friends, community and colleagues. Every life is noted and cherished, and nothing loved is ever lost or perished.

Beulah Harris, was born on February 08, 1945 and passed away on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at the young age of 74. Beulah was a resident of North Carolina at the time of passing. She was the valedictorian of the Henderson High School Class of 1963 and a 1967 graduate of Salem College in Winston-Salem. She began her career with Duke University Health System on August 07, 1984 working with the Pastoral Services Chaplain Services as an Administrative Assistant. She retired on March 01, 2007 after sharing twenty-three years of life with her Duke family. All who knew and loved her will miss Beulah.  What a soul leaves behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven in to the lives of others.

Matthew Ethan Soderberg, 21, lost his battle with leukemia on Friday, October 25, 2019 at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Matthew was born in Alexandria, Virginia to his parents, Carl Richard Soderberg and Tracy Davenport Soderberg. Matthew was a junior at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. A devoted Hokie, he was proud and excited to be majoring in Biology. In summer 2019, Matthew worked at the Duke Lemur Center, which he loved. As he entered his junior year, he was debating whether to focus on conservational biology or cancer biology research. Matthew was a 2017 graduate of Voyager Academy High School in Durham, North Carolina. He ran cross-country, he was on the swim team and he participated on the yearbook. He was in the National Honor Society. He studied Chinese and was privileged to attend the Voyager Academy trip to China in 2015. Matthew was a kind, loving person. He brought joy into many lives. A person of many passions, he loved animals, technology and cooking. He treated everyone with respect. In addition to his parents, Matthew is survived by his beloved twin brother, Adam Thomas Soderberg; his grandmother, Eleanor Davenport, stepgrandfather Wilton Delano, and many loving uncles, aunts and cousins. He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents Evelyn Soderberg Delano and his grandfather Richard Carl Soderberg, and his paternal grandfather Calvin “Dave” Davenport.

Robert “Bernard” Mack, the son of the late Robert Otis Heath and the late Mamie Suggs Mack, was born February 05, 1966 in Durham, North Carolina. He transitioned from this life into his eternal life on October 24, 2019 at the young age of 53. Bernard graduated from Durham High School in 1984. After high school, he first worked as a cook at Darryl’s Steakhouse. Subsequently, he worked concurrently at UPS and Duke University for nine years before deciding to continue with Duke University alone for the next twenty-two years working as a Staff Specialist in Plant Accounting. Bernard was baptized at Morehead Baptist Church at an early age and in 2001, he joined Union Baptist Church where he served as Assistant Scout Master of Troop 411 for six years and he served in the Usher Ministry for almost six years. Bernard also served as a board member on his neighborhood Homeowner Association for ten years. Bernard and Kennedine Bishop were united in holy matrimony on September 10, 2001. To this union was born one son, David Kennard. Bernard was humble, kind, and compassionate. He was very attentive to his family. He was always present at celebrations for family members and he was always eager to bring the family together in fellowship by hosting special events. Bernard loved to travel, so much so that he, Kennedine, and David spent much of their leisure time traveling to visit family and friends. Bernard had a passion for service that was perhaps best evident in his leadership and work with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. He especially enjoyed the camping adventures. Finally, Bernard had a grateful spirit. Even while hospitalized, there was always a smile, a thumbs up, a fist bump, or a hug for caregivers, family, and friends that offered assistance and support. Bernard is survived by his wife, Kennedine; his son, David Kennard; his grandmother, Lorraine Mack; his father, Robert Louis Mack; three sisters, Rhonda Minnifield (late Charles), Monica Mack, Artris Arnette (Torrell); two brothers, John McNair (Karen) and Kevin Green; mother-in-law, Bessie Taylor (Willie); father-in-law, Andrew Bishop, Sr.; one sister-in-law, Demetris Bishop; four brothers-in-law, Tyrone Woodard, Andrew Bishop, Jr. (Melonie), Rudolph Bishop, Percell Bishop (ShaLonda); three special aunts, Wilma Ruffin, Carolyn Cooper, and Vernette Bailey; four special cousins, Debra Smith, Steve Smith, Rodney Smith and Darren Smith; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Peggy Elliot Moody, most current of Hudson, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday October 24, 2019, at the age of 83, leaving to mourn family and friends. The common thread, stitching together family, friends and colleagues, was Peggy’s kindness, courage, her bright engaging smile, and her willingness to always help another. She was a complete and utter joy to be around and work with.  She was considered an inspiration to all who knew and loved her, wearing many hats, teacher, guide, friend, confidant, Mother. Family, friends and community will greatly miss her.

Wilhelmina Matilda Reuben-Cooke, was born in Georgetown, South Carolina on December 13, 1946.  She was the eldest of six children of the late Reverend Dr. Odell R. Reuben and the late Dr. Anna Mays Daniels Reuben.  She was named in honor of her parents’ mothers.  On June 22, 1968, Wilhelmina Matilda Reuben married her best friend and soulmate Air Force 1st Lieutenant Edmund Douglas Cooke, Jr. of Springfield, Ohio, and together they reared two daughters.  Descended from a long line of missionaries and educators, Reuben-Cooke lived a life devoted to family, spiritual growth, community service, mentorship, and the promotion of educational opportunities.  She and her husband were founders of and remained active leaders in the Covenant Christian Community. Her husband and daughters were exceptionally proud of her theological studies at Wesley Seminary. Wilhelmina’s extended family looked to her wise, gentle leadership and her model of grace, generosity and achievement in the pursuit of Christian service.  Wilhelmina attended public schools in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated from Mather School (HS 1963), a Christian boarding school in Beaufort, South Carolina.  She served the Mather School National Alumni Association in varied leadership positions, including President of the MSNAA’s Washington DC Chapter. She was a Full Professor at the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) David A. Clarke School of Law, after serving as UDC’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Previously, she was Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Syracuse University’s College of Law.  Earlier, as Associate Director of Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Public Representation, Wilhelmina engaged in and supervised litigation before the Federal Communications Commission and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. One of the first five African-American undergraduate students at Duke University, Wilhelmina open doors and broke down barriers for generations of students of color who have followed. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and awarded a Woodrow Wilson Scholar.  Her election as Duke’s first African-American May Queen was noted in the New York Times.  Her sense of responsibility to justice and equity called her to action in the civil rights movement, including protesting in Durham and Chapel Hill, and signing an open letter against the memberships of key Duke administrators and faculty members at the then all-white Hope Valley Country Club.  After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School (1973) with her husband Edmund, she relocated to Washington, DC, where she began her legal career as an with Associate Attorney at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering working in communications, antitrust, tax, securities, criminal and general corporate law. In 2011, Wilhelmina was awarded the Duke University Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor granted by the Duke Alumni Association for her exemplary service, including two terms on the Duke University Board of Trustees.  In 2013, a $1 million scholarship fund was established to honor Wilhelmina and the four other first black undergraduates at Duke. Wilhelmina attained numerous other honors, including the Sojourner Truth Award from the Syracuse University chapter of The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, the C. Eric Lincoln Distinguished Alumni Award from Duke’s Black Alumni Council, and the Black Citizens for a Fair Media Annual Award for Public Interest Advocacy.  Wilhelmina served on numerous community, civic and professional boards, including The Duke Endowment.  She was a member of the Links, Inc. and an Alpha Kappa Alpha Legacy. Wilhelmina Matilda Reuben-Cooke made her transition to Glory on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at INOVA Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.  She is survived by Edmund D. Cooke, Jr., her devoted husband of  more than 51 years; her adoring daughters, Ms. Wilhelmina  Nilaja Cooke (IV) and Ms. Shani Malika Cooke; her loving siblings, Dr. Lucy J. Reuben (Dr. John A. Cole),  Ms. Anna Marie Reuben, Mr. Odell R. Reuben, Jr. (Mrs. Earnestine Reuben), Dr. Jayne S. Reuben Ms. Janice S. Reuben, and Mrs. Barbara Anne Sims (Mr. Thomas Sims Jr.), as well as nine nephews (Kwame Odell Oliver, John Akayomi Cole, Odell R. Reuben III, Xavier Reuben, James Reuben, Calvin Painter, Thomas Sidney Sims, Nicholas Edmund Sims, and Jair YA Cole) and one niece,(LaRisha D. Porter); numerous grand nieces, nephews and cousins.  Wilhelmina embraced Attorney Angela Dougan Sherrer as her daughter-of-the-heart, and Phillip J. Sherrer and Marcus P. Sherrer as grandsons. Her parents Reverend Dr. Odell R. Reuben and Dr. Anna Mays Daniels Reuben; her parents-in-law Mr. Edmund D. Cooke, Sr. and Mrs. Cassie Mae Corley-Cooke and her sister-in-law Ms. Judith Karen Cooke predeceased her.

Eva G. Chiles, died Friday, October 18, 2019. She was born December 23, 1933, living a long, valued and happy life passing at 85 years of age. She had worked with Duke University Health System as an Administrative Secretary for the Diagnostic Radiology Department. Eva’s career begin with Duke on February 01, 1962 retiring on February 01, 1988 sharing twenty-six years of life with Duke. All who knew and loved her will miss her.

Cheryl Lynn Pervis Poteat, was born February 07, 1961 to the late Isaac Pervis and Vernie Estelle Cheek Melton in Durham, North Carolina. She passed away on Friday, October 18, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina. Cheryl was educated in the Durham Public School System. She furthered her education at Durham Technical Community College. Cheryl was a dedicated employee working with Duke University Healthcare System as a Sterile Processing Technician III in the Sterile Processing Department for thirty-four years. She enjoyed watching sports, soap operas and reality court programs. Cheryl will be remembered as a hard worker and protector of her children and family. She is preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Bessie C. Cheek. Cheryl leaves to mourn her loss, one daughter, DeAundrea Pervis-Whitted (Johnny); two sons, Daryl Pervis (Chastity) and David Johnson (Ebonie); one sister, Susan Pervis; two brothers, Charles Cheek and Isaac Cheek (Alice); grandchildren, DeAundre' Pervis, James Worthy, Karmon Smith, Desyrae Whitted, Izaiah Pervis, Daviyon Johnson, Jamir Lee, D'Anthony Johnson, Dekari Johnson and Brooklin Smith; along with a host of other relatives and friends

Dorothy O'Donnell Bailey, known by most as “Mike” Bailey, 96, died October 16, 2019 at her home at Carolina Meadows, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, of congestive heart failure. She was born in 1923 in Urbana, Illinois and grew up a tomboy playing at the round barns at the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois. She moved on to competitive bowling as well as speed skating at local ice rinks. Her husband, Joseph R. Bailey, and her brothers, Robert M. O’Donnell of Denver, Colorado and Dave O’Donnell of Urbana, Illinois, preceded her in death. Mike graduated from the Univeristy of Michigan in Ann Arbor and went on to receive a Master of Arts in geography, supporting herself through employment on a Consolidated Aircraft B-24 Liberator assembly line at Willow Run, Michigan but mostly with her drawing and illustration skills. Art featured strongly in the O'Donnell family. Her father taught history of architecture at the University of Illinois, and her mother painted in oil. Her brother, Rob, became an accomplished landscape architect. She met her husband, Joe Bailey, in Ann Arbor, and they married in 1946. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Durham, North Carolina where Joe taught Zoology at Duke University for thirty-seven years. Mike worked as a draftswoman for the Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, housed in the Physics Department at Duke University for twenty-five years until personal computers superseded most handmade graphs and charts. She befriended dozens of physics graduate students and never forgot those friendships. Although a nervous traveler, she completed two yearlong trips to Brazil in 1954 (Rio de Janeiro) and again in 1961 (São Paulo) with her family while her husband carried out herpetological research on sabbaticals from Duke. In 1971, while on a third sabbatical, they traveled to Australia (Townsville) with a visit to Papua New Guinea. These trips left her with powerful memories and served as important benchmarks in her life. They also forged an appreciation for other ways of life. Survivors include her daughter, Patricia E Bailey (Patsy) and son-in-law, Alan B. Fearing, of Chatham County, and son, Robert M. Bailey (Mick) and his partner, Faith Van Noppen, of Orange County.

Lucille C. Jones, 92, of Durham, formerly of Wilson passed away Wednesday, October 16, 2019. She had previously worked for Duke University Health System as a Licensed Practical Nurse, in Medical Unit-8300 retiring after sharing ten years of life with her Duke family. Surviving are her daughter, Jennifer J. Thomas (Leon) of Durham; one son, Jerry Edgar Jones (Debbie) of Wilmington; five grandchildren, Amory O’Neal, Ashley Milton, Christian Jones, Addison Jones, and Jerryd Jones; three great-grandchildren, Brina O’Neal, Ezra O’Neal, and Chesney Jones; and a sister, Rachel Pope of Wilson. Her husband, Charles E. “Buck” Jones; one son, George Stephen Jones; parents, Linster J. and Sidney Dunn Caton; three sisters, Marie Jackson, Rebel Pope, and Mildred Siano; and two brothers, Howard Caton and Ernie Caton, preceded her in death.

Bonita L. Forbes-Graham, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.  She had previously worked with Duke University Health System in Surgical Unit-2100 as a Health Care Coordinator from 1984 until current date. She leaves to cherish her memories: husband, Nathan Graham; two daughters, Shanon Graham and Natasha Graham; two sisters, Pamela Forbes Godfrey (Clyndell) and Kimberly Forbes Jones (Thaddeus); brother, Crosby S. Forbes (Kathy); and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Bonita’s family will remember her as a devout worshipper, who loved her family first. She was a role model for her children, a warm and wonderful person who held a humble heart in her chest. A rare flower now flourishes in heaven.

Patricia Mary Mackey, 62, of Raleigh, North Carolina peacefully passed away on October 15, 2019. She was the daughter of Austin and Mary McGowan. Patricia was born September 19, 1957 in Staten Island, New York. She was united in matrimony to Michael Paul Mackey on September 26, 1977. This union was blessed with three children. She was employed as a Register Nurse working in Signature Care at Duke University Health System for the last thirty years of life. She was an avid fan of Duke Basketball, attending concerts, traveling, and enjoying time with family. Her life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children Lisa Mackey Caudle of Charlotte, NC; Michael Clyde (Kim Connery) Mackey of Creedmoor, NC; Matthew (Jane Elliott) Mackey of Charlotte, NC; Grandmother of Chloe and Andrew Caudle of Charlotte, NC; Cruz Favor, Evan, and Declan Mackey of Creedmoor, NC; Austin Mackey of Charlotte, NC. She was the youngest of fifteen, survived by seven sisters and three brothers, and preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers. Many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends also survive her.

Patricia Ann Blackston, phenomenal woman, loving Mother and a remarkable Grandmother, was called home to be with the Lord on Monday, October 14, 2019. She was educated through the Durham public school system.  She started working at Duke University on January 10, 1963 as a Nutritional Services Supervisor retiring after forty-five years of service, when she found out she had stomach cancer. Even that didn’t stop her as she continued to cook and take care of others. During the next few years lung cancer was discovered, she survived neck cancer then cancer was detected in her heart. Through it all, she trusted God and continue to go with all the treatment they would give her. If you knew Pat Blackston, you would know she was a fighter and she fought until her last breath. For fourteen years, she keep life over cancer but on October 14, 2019, God said, "Come home my child the fight is over you can rest now". Even in pain, she was continued to cook for family and friends because that was her love, doing for others. She also loved to sew, to make ceramics and I am sure some of you reading this, have some of her work. There is nothing she could not do, fearlessly she would try anything and end up mastering that particular craft. Pat loved to help people. If and when you needed her she would be there to cook one of her famous dishes or give you cash, advice or just a listening ear. Pat was a giver and she never wanted you to be hungry, broke or disheartened. The family will miss those Sunday dinners that she hosted. Half of Duke Hospital would be at the family table calling her "Mama Pat" and asking, "Where is the peach cobbler and lemon pound cake".  With a smile in her heart and a grin in her pocket, she would happily stay up late preparing meals to serve people the next day. She rarely would eat, saying how it tastes is as good she put this together, and she cooked with love and affection. Patricia loved her Korean soap operas, music, cooking but most of all she loved her family. Happiness was going to the food bank to get food for others in need. Everyone enjoyed her down home cooking (especially her homemade roll, cakes, chicken just to name a few). She was affectionately called “Momma “by her kids and “Momma and Nannie “by her grands, she would often call her grandchildren by their parent’s names. Today, yesterday and tomorrow we will celebrate her wonderful, productive and blessed life. Don’t be sad or cry because she lived her life in her own way, how she wanted to, and loved every moment of this grand adventure. She wouldn’t want too much fuss over her. She was loved and appreciated every day she was on this earth and now, she is in a better place. We never lose the people we love even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision made. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories and on our souls. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their life and love. Patricia (Pat) is proceeded in death by her parents Eddie (Buster) Blackston and Gerletha McClain Blackston, Brother Eddie (De Carlos) Blackston, sisters Leather Johnson, and Arnetta Blackston Walker.  She is survived by her daughter Stephanie Cooper (Terrence) of Elizabeth City, NC, Yvette Bolden (Erik) and Toya Blackston from Durham. one brother Chandler Blackston, Four Sisters, Linda, Sandra, Sheila Winstead (Charles) of Durham and Karen Blackston of Washington, DC. and one sister-in-law Sheila Rankin Blackston, one Aunt Essie Mae Boatwright of New York. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Tanaka Eaddy(Jeff), Sherie Royster-Flowers (Fitz), Corey Royster, Kahari Torien, Tamir, Khadijah Abdusamad, Alana Ja’nesse Bolden, two great grandsons, Devon Eaddy and Landon Flowers, along with countless nieces, nephews, friends and other family. To her friends, Josephine Young, Doris Flower, Gwen Cash, Sandra Yates and Shirley Abdullah she would call and talk to every day. Her play Sister Esther McKoy and to her Play children to many to name and all who were blessed to have known her. The many Doctors at Duke who she admired and helped her for so many years. UNC Hospice of Pittsboro and Chapel Hill North Carolina.

Joy Smith Gunn McManus, age 90, passed away on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at her home with her loving family by her side. Joy Smith Gunn McManus was born in Durham, North Carolina on January 02, 1929, to the late Orlando Godfrey Smith and Mary Fannie Harris Smith. Joy attended the Durham City Schools and graduated from Hillside High School in 1944. Joy had worked for Duke University Health System as a Licensed Practical Nurse for thirty-one years eventually retiring on February 01, 1994. She leaves to cherish her memories four daughters, Vivian D. Gunn, Joanne G. Brown, Rose McManus Scale and Anjeanette McManus; three sons, James Marshall Gunn (Jackie), Alan Thomas Gunn and Charles McManus (Anne); and a host of other family members and loved ones.

Charles Franklin Murphy, was born on March 15, 1931 and passed away on Monday, October 14, 2019. He was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. Charles had worked for Duke University with the Faculty & Adjunct Effort, beginning August 13, 1979 retiring on October 10, 1994. Charles was 88 years old. All who knew and loved him will miss him.

Allie B. Austin Malone, daughter of the late Pearlie Peoples and Obie Austin, passed away on Friday October 11, 2019.  She was born on June 23, 1946 in Boykinville, VA and was educated in the Southampton Virginia Public School System. She married Rufus Malone, who preceded her in death. She later married James McCrimmon who also preceded her in death. Allie was a member of the Preiss-Steele Choir and enjoyed being at the W. D. Hill Recreation Center. She worked at Duke University for thirty-one years in Dietary Services. She enjoyed singing, playing video games, fishing and spending time with her grandchildren. She was predeceased by two brothers, Raymond Deloatch and Willie Deloatch and five sisters; Susan May Deloatch, Lorraine Deloatch, Lisa May Deloatch and Hattie Justice. She is survived by two sons; Frankie Malone and Rufus Malone, both of Durham, NC; two daughters, Arline Malone and Dotti E. Malone also of Durham, NC; one stepdaughter, Myra Brothers; eight grandchildren, Leondras Malone, Kieshara Malone, Kimberly Richardson, Tashonda Harris, Bryant Malone, Jazmin Malone, Aaliyah Martinez, plus a new additional granddaughter, Lydia Gamble; two stepgrandchildren; six great grandchildren; one step great great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Quincelene Parrish, age 69, of Hillsborough, North Carolina, departed this life Wednesday, October 09, 2019 at home peacefully in her residence. She was a member of Olive Hill Missionary Baptist Church. She attended Person County Schools and graduated in 1967.  In 2008, Quincelene joined the Duke University family working as a Housekeeping Specialist for Housekeeping Operations and was an active employee upon her death. She is preceded in death by her husband, Owen Ray Parrish, Jr.; her parents, Jack and Irene Poteat, two sisters, Esther Mae Hargrove and Alice Mae Poteat; three brothers: Charlie Johnson, Tommy Lewis Poteat, Jasper “June” Poteat; and a foster brother, Albert Lewis Poteat. In addition to her parents, Jack and Irene Poteat, she is preceded in death by her husband, Owen Ray Parrish, Jr.; two sisters, Esther Mae Hargrove and Alice Mae Poteat; three brothers: Charlie Johnson, Tommy Lewis Poteat, Jasper “June” Poteat; and a foster brother, Albert Lewis Poteat. Quincelene will be greatly missed by family, friends, community and by her colleagues.

Barbara Vorsanger Smith, 90, passed away on Wednesday, October 09, 2019. Barbara Smith was born on September 25, 1929 to the late Herbert and Claire Vorsanger in Englewood, NJ. Although she thought of herself as a mother, homemaker and chef, she also served in many other roles. Barbara worked at Duke University as the Vice President of Development of Major Gifts. She also served as the first female President of Judea Reform Congregation. A life-long advocate for social justice, Barbara served as Chair of the Democratic Party for Durham County, as President of the Durham League of Women Voters and as its lobbyist to the North Carolina General Assembly. She served on the Boards of both the Durham Chamber of Commerce and the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, as Chair of the North Carolina United Way, as well as serving as a non-governmental representative to the United Nations' Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. She also enjoyed serving on the Board of The Genesis Home helping families work their way out of homelessness. She also very much enjoyed serving as Chair of the Play Readers at The Forest at Duke. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, colleague and friend. Barbara Smith is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, Joel Smith; children, Herbert L. Smith (Sharon), Joanne Smith Rohde (Tim), and Eliot F. Smith (Page); brother, Robert Vorsanger (Agatha and their three loving daughters); sister-in-law, Sylvia Roth; grandchildren, Stephen Smith, Thomas L. Smith, Rachel Rohde, Thomas K. Smith, Harry Smith, Marie Page Smith, and Leah Rohde.

Kathryn Faye Farrow Atwater, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina ascended into paradise on Wednesday, October 02, 2019, taking hold of her Master’s hand after a lengthy illness. Kathryn passed away surrounded by her loving family, in her room at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina. Kathryn was born on November 16, 1938 in Durham, NC.  She was the oldest of six siblings.  Kathryn was married to the late Nello Atwater Jr. on September 02, 1970 and were happily married for twenty-seven years until his passing on January 16, 1997.  She attended Lincoln High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and eventually went on to work as a Sterile Processing Technician at Duke University Health System where she retired after twenty-five years of service. Kathryn loved the Lord and lived by his word everyday of her life.  She loved music and in her early years, you could always find her dancing to her favorite songs, snapping her fingers and simply enjoying life. She was a devoted mother who always put her beloved sons first and foremost.  She was kind and loving and as her health began to decline, she was always known to show everyone her appreciation and gratitude. Each time anyone would show her acts of kindness or assistance, she would say multiple times “thank you”. She would also say, “I love you” numerous times, which meant she was ready for you to leave so that she could get her rest. She was predeceased by her husband Nello Atwater Jr, parents Rudolph Farrow and Nellie Jones Stroud, brother Rudolph Farrow Jr., son Michael Farrow, grandson Timothy (TJ) Atwater, nephew Hoover Byrd Jr. and great nephews Chris Byrd and Antonio Byrd. Kathryn was blessed with the love and support of her family. The many loved ones she leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her memory are her siblings Priscilla Byrd Jones, Reginald Farrow, James Stroud (Daisette), and Willie Stroud; children Donald Farrow, Tim (Kim) Atwater, Tony (Bernadette) Atwater, and James Atwater; grandchildren Tamika Farrow, Michael Farrow Jr, Shequilla Farrow (William), NaQuan Bryant, Jordan Atwater, Jalen Atwater, Donald Farrow Jr, Donald Yates, and Stephanie Parker; 17 great grandchildren,  a host of  nieces, nephews, and other treasured family and dear friends.

Margaret Overby Averett,  88, went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on Thursday, October 03, 2019. Margaret was born August 29, 1931 to the late Pleasant Cain Overby, Sr. and Callie Couch Overby. In addition to her parents, Margaret was predeceased by husbands, Jimmie Coggin, Jr. and Bill Averett, her only child Jimmie Coggin, III and five siblings: Pleasant Overby, Jr., Charles Overby, Bruce Overby, Katie Overby Blake, and an infant sister. A native of Durham, North Carolina, Margaret attended school in Durham, and then received her RN from Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolinla. She worked as a Registered Nurse in Charlotte and at Duke University Health System from 1970 until her retirement at age 60. Mrs. Averett had many friends and was an active member of Durham's Asbury United Methodist Church. Surviving are numerous nieces and nephews, who would like to thank her niece, Jan Blake Beecher, for her years of care and dedication to Margaret.

Brenda Mitchell, passed away on Tuesday, October 01, 2019 at the young age of 66. Duke Primary Care, had employed Brenda where she worked as a Certified Medical Assistant. Her career began with Duke University on February 09, 2015. She was an active employee upon her death. Colleagues, friends and family will miss Brenda greatly.

September 2019

Gloria Jean Dudley Adcock, 75, a resident of Creedmoor went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, September 27, 2019 with family by her side. Gloria’s journey began on June 21, 1944 in Florence, South Carolina to the late Carol Lee & John McKiver Dudley. She was raised in Ruby, South Carolina and graduated from Ruby High School in 1962. After graduation, Gloria moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, working for the Credit Bureau for seven years then, moving to Creedmoor in 1970. Gloria, blessed by a friend, Linda Tomlinson, helped her acquire a job in the lab at Duke University Hospital. While gainfully employed at Duke working in Pathology Research, Gloria received her two-year training and obtained her certification as a Histologic Technologist. Gloria worked seven years at Duke, then eighteen years at Burroughs Welcome and then returned to Duke working fifteen years before retiring. Because she loved her job, her colleagues, the doctors and all the other lab staff, Gloria worked four more years’ semi-retired. Her Love for Traditional Country and Gospel Music brought her much joy and pleasure throughout the years, but Gospel Music gave her comfort, assurance and sustained her in the fight with cancer. Jonathan Abbott graciously shared his gift of singing gospel music just for her. Words cannot express what a Blessing this was to Gloria. She is survived by the love of her life, Bruce (PawPaw) Adcock of Creedmoor; her daughter, Angela Walls (Scott Jacobs) of Black Mountain; three grandchildren, Josh Aiken of Asheville, Scott Walls & Kris Walls both of Liberty and great grandchildren, Jorden and Alayna. Gloria also leaves behind a sister, Carol D. Greene of Bessemer City, North Carolina, one nephew, four nieces, a close cousin Linda Evitt of Creedmoor and her four-legged daughter, Precious. The family of Gloria Dudley Adcock wishes to thank and recognize Dr. Neal E. Ready, Jennifer A. Tenhover NP, and Dr. Jason Webb, Palliative Care, Duke Hospital Staff 9th Floor, Duke Cancer Center Staff, Duke Hospice Staff, neighbors, church and family for the loving care and support during Gloria’s fight with cancer.

Bing Crosby Hopkins, of Rougemont, North Carolina, passed away on Friday, September 27, 2019. He was a young 74 years old. Bing had worked with Duke University Health System, as a Clinical Technician II, in Central Lab Support Services, beginning on November 22, 1982 retiring on November 01, 2010 after sharing nearly thirty years with his Duke family. Bing will be greatly missed by family, friends, and community.

Arthur Leonard Brodie, was a young 88 years old when he passed away on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. Arthur had worked for Duke University as a Food Service Worker for DS-Contract Operations from 1982 to 2010 serving nearly thirty years with his Duke family. All who knew and loved him will miss him.

Harry Lee Allen Jr., 86, passed away Saturday September 23, 2019 in the early morning hours. He was the son of the late Harry Lee Allen Sr. and Martha Louise "Lois" Briggs Allen. Harry Lee served in the Navy during the Korean War for four years and retired from Duke University Medical Center after twenty years working with Duke Medical Center, in the Maintenance Department as a Mechanic. He is survived by his children, Gail Allen and Bonnie Allen; sister, Christine Marie Allen Floyd; granddaughter, Carly Fulghum; grandsons, Zackary Strickland and Jonathan Fulghum; great-grandchildren; Nathan Batten, Paul Peele Jr., Kennedy Strickland; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his wife of sixty years, Rowena Moss Allen and brother, Roy Burnette Allen.

Thomas Finley Newcomb, M.D., died in hospice on Saturday, September 23, 2019 at the Duke Hock Family Pavilion. Dr. Newcomb moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1985 after serving as Chief of Staff at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial V.A. Hospital in San Antonio. He was also a Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs for the University of Texas. He served as the Chief of Staff at the V.A. Medical Center Durham and as Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Vice Chancellor Health Affairs for Duke University. For two years he was the Acting Director V.A. Medical Center Durham and from 1988-1995 served as the Director, Regional Medical Education Center Durham. Dr. Newcomb became Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Duke in June 1998 and retired as Durham VAMC CoS in 1999, but continued to serve Veterans as "just a Doc" performing exams at a V.A. Clinic until the age of 81 retiring from government service in 2008. Thomas was born in Buffalo, June 1927, to the Rev. Dr. Thomas and Naomi Newcomb, Tom grew-up in Pittsburgh. He put off college to join the Navy during World War II serving as a Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class from 1945-1947. Despite being a physician and serving twice as a V.A. hospital Chief of Staff, he often bragged about being a Navy Corpsman to garner better creditability with his Veteran patients. Following school at the University of Pittsburgh in 1951, he was a Research Fellow in Hematology in Seattle and a Fulbright Scholar in Medicine researching in Norway. He taught at Harvard Medical School and served as the Associate Director of Hematology at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. In 1959, he moved to Florida as a Professor of Medicine and Head of Hematology and Biochemistry for the University of Florida. He began his career with the V.A. while there as the Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Education. In 1972, he accepted a position at the V.A. Central Office in Washington, D.C. as Director Medical Research Service. He served both V.A. HQ and the UF until moving to Texas in 1978. While in Washington and for years afterwards Dr. Newcomb testified numerous times before Congress advocating for hospital and research budgets targeted for Veteran's health care regardless of service connection. Board Certified in four states in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dr. Newcomb practiced medicine for over sixty-three years. Following patients for decades, he published over 25 medical research articles. His research and practice is now complete, but thanks to the Duke University Anatomical Gifts Program, he will receive his final wish, self-prescribed in 2007, posthumously continuing to teach by donating his body for training the next generation of medical professionals. Ultimately, he will rest when interned at Arlington National Cemetery.

Rita Maynor, passed away on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at the young age of 67. Rita had worked with Duke University Health System as an Access Specialist, for the Duke Outpatient Access Clinic. She began her career with Duke on October 20, 1986 retiring on October 01, 2018 sharing thirty-two years of life with her Duke family. She will be greatly missed by family, friends, community and co-workers.

Rosa Caruso, a former Staff Nurse with Third East, employed by Duke University Health System, passed away on September 18, 2019. Rosa’s career with Duke began on February 01, 1988 retiring April 01, 1992. Family, friends and community will remember Rosa fondly.

Marvin Randolph Pring Jr., was born in Roanoke, Virginia on Tuesday, March 31, 1936 and passed away on Monday, September 16, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina at the age of 83. His wife Lucy Marie Pring predeceased him. His son David Pring, his brother Sherman Pring, and his niece Teresa Wilson survive him. Marvin had been a former Material Control Supervisor Associate, VP Pro & Supply, with Chemistry Material OFC at Duke University. His career began on April 01, 1964 retiring July 01, 1997 sharing thirty-three years of life with his Duke family. Marvin will be greatly missed, as he was greatly loved by family, friends and community.

Marilyn Faye York Woody, wife of the late Wayne David Woody, passed away Monday, September 16, 2019, at Parkview Health and Rehabilitation Center in Chapel Hill, surrounded by family heartbeats, after a lengthy battle against Alzheimer's disease. Marilyn was born July 10, 1931, in Alarka (Bryson City), North Carolina, the daughter of the late James Monroe and Sarah Lindsay York. Marilyn was a resident of Durham, where she was retired after sharing many years of life with her Duke University family, where she worked as an Accountant Clerk Senior in the Accounting Department of Dining Halls. Marilyn’s career began with Duke on July 01, 1973 retiring twenty- three years later. She is survived by her five children, Mary Waynette Woody Harrison, David Walker Woody, Kristi Ann Woody Miller (Christopher), James York Woody (Regina) and Timothy Wayne Woody (Sherri); 11 grandchildren, Daniel Jenkins (Katie), Jennifer Chambers (Clint), Emily McClure (Sam) Jill Harrison (John), Alyson Taylor (Nick), Kristin Hassan (John), Mallory Woody, Clarissa Woody, Traci Woody, Sarah Woody, Evan Woody; 12 great-grandchildren, Brandi Morris (Derek), Kasey Jenkins, Ashlyn Jenkins, Walker Chambers, Jenna Chambers, Olivia Parker (Tyler), Oliver McClure, Montgomery McClure, Samantha McClure, Emma Ryan, Joshua Taylor, Ryleigh Taylor; two great great-grandchildren, Tatum Morris and Nash Parker; sisters, Vergie York (Bryson City), Rachel Smith (Bryson City) and Zell Yarborough (Lexington); many nieces and nephews, including a niece that has the standing of being a niece on two sides, Delight Woody Branton (Charles) of Durham.In addition to her husband who requested she always have an army of heartbeats watching over her, and her parents, Marilyn was preceded in death by her daughter, Sarah Jane Woody Jenkins, and her siblings, Dan York, Mae York, Enoch York, Beulah York Nations, Ralph York, Holden York, Joel York, Leslie York, Willis York, Antha York Elders, Lassie York Woody.

Viola Parker Mitchell, 92, passed away on Sunday, September 14, 2019 at Duke Hock Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina. Viola had worked with Duke University Health System as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the Surgical Unit. She began her career with Duke on April 01, 1970 retiring January 01, 1989 sharing nearly twenty years of life with her Duke family.

Christine Tapp Hines, was born on January 28, 1924 and passed away on Friday, September 13, 2019 at the age of 95. Christine was a resident of North Carolina at the time of her passing. She was a graduate of Hillside Park High School after graduation; Christine became employed by S&W Cafeteria as a Food Server.  Later Christine was employed by Duke University Health System in the Hospital Dietary Department as a Food Supervisor. Her career with Duke began on February 02, 1950 retiring February 01, 1986 after sharing thirty-six years with her Health System family. Christine transferred her church membership from Community Baptist Church to White Rock Baptist Church June 16, 1968, where she was ordained as a Deaconess, served on the ‘after-funeral’ services, and sang in the Senior Choir. All who knew and loved her will miss Christine.  

Evelyn Davis Morgan, recently of Lilburn, Georgia, died Tuesday, September 10, 2019. She was born August 21, 1923 in Salisbury, North Carolina to the late Harvey Curtis Morgan and Flora Plummer Morgan, formerly of Mitchell Avenue, Salisbury, North Carolina. Evelyn attended Salisbury, North Carolina schools and graduated from Catawba. She went on to graduate from Duke University School of Nursing, receiving both a BSN and MSN degrees. She also performed graduate work in Oncology Nursing at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Evelyn became a Clinical Nurse Specialist in cancer research at Duke's Comprehensive Cancer Center, working there until her retirement in 1988. Evelyn shared thirty-five years of life with her Duke family. It was because of her loyal service to the Center and to her patients, the Cancer Center named an award in her honor given annually to an outstanding oncology nurse. Aside from loving her work, Evelyn also loved to sing. While in high school and college, she sang in glee clubs and choruses. While at Duke, she was a member of the Duke Chapel Choir. Her interest in history led her to join the Durham Preservation Society. Another love was her church. She was a member of Duke Memorial United Methodist Church for many years. Evelyn was pre-deceased by her parents, Flora and Harley Morgan of Salisbury NC; and her brother, Dr. William Clayton Morgan of Salisbury, MD. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Louise Vaughan Morgan of Salisbury, MD; a nephew, Dr. William Clayton Morgan, Jr. and his wife Helen Morgan, of Yucca Valley, CA; her nieces, Susan Wilkin of Lilburn, GA and Carol Breslau of Salisbury, MD; five great nieces and nephews, three great-great nieces, and one great-great nephew.

William Michael Barton, 69, passed away on Monday, September 09, 2019 peacefully at his home in Rougemont, North Carolina. He was born in Durham, North Carolina the son of the late Donnie Lee Barton and Geraldine Cates Barton. Mike is survived by his wife of forty-seven years, Rachel Ann Parham Barton; son, Michael Jesse-Lee Barton; daughter in-law, Jessica Charity Barton; granddaughters, Myra June Barton (Junebug), Cecelia May Barton (CeCe); brother, Tony Wayne Cates; sister-in-law, Martha Hinson Cates; sister, Brenda Rose Jackson; brother-in-law, Jack Parham III; seven nieces/nephews; fifteen great nieces/nephews and two great great nieces/nephews. Mike loved his family first and foremost and was a continuous positive influence in all their lives. His dedication to family served as a wonderful example for other young family members. His son and others now carry on this admirable tradition. Mike joined the US Marine Corp in 1967 and served in Vietnam as a demolition expert. He served his country with pride. He was medically retired due to significant combat injuries. He was the recipient of multiple purple hearts and the bronze star. He was a strong supporter throughout his life of veteran organizations. Mike was a fine soldier, who went above and beyond without having to be asked. Mike continued his career and went on to retire from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 553, IBM, and Duke University Medical Center Engineering and Operations after serving for nearly twenty-five years. All who knew and loved him will miss him.

Sarah Jinwright, born June 03, 1943 passed away on September 06, 2019.  She was 76 years of age. Sarah had been employed by Duke University Health System working as a Nurse Anesthetist with the DN Anesthesia Department. Her career with Duke Health began on January 24, 1972 retiring on January 31, 2007 after sharing thirty-five years of life with her work family. Family, friends and community will miss Sarah.

Doris Cox Bellafatto, passed away on Wednesday, September 04, 2019. Doris had been a former Staff Registered Nurse for Duke University Health System working with the Surgical Unit. Her career began on November 29, 1982 retiring February 01, 2003, sharing twenty-one years of life with her Duke family. Those she serviced with a caring love and perpetual kindness will miss her most of all. Rest in peace.

Elreta McClary James, passed away at the age of 97 on Tuesday, September 03, 2019. Elreta’s career began on May 21, 1948 retiring March 01, 1985 having worked nearly forty years as a Linen Room Attendant on West Campus Cafeteria with Duke University. Community, family and friends will dearly miss Elreta’s eternal smile and undeniable grace.

Portia “Bernice”  Suggs, was born July 24, 1925 and passed away on September 03, 2019. It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Bernice of Durham, North Carolina. Bernice was gifted with 94 years of a wonderful long life. During her lifetime, she shared nearly forty-five of those years working as a Licensed Practical Nurse for Duke University Health System, with the Advanced Duke Outpatient Program. She will be dearly missed by all those people she touched with her kindness and grace. Rest in peace Portia Bernice. You earned your angel wings.
 

Colonel John A. Feagin Jr., MD, former resident and active Vail community member, died peacefully on Sunday, September 01, at his home in Jackson, Wyoming, amid friends and family. He was 85. John Autrey Feagin Jr. was born into a military family on May 09, 1934, at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio when his father was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base after graduating from West Point. John’s mother, Katherine Feagin, was a third-generation Texan. His appreciation and respect of service to country and love of Texas were deeply rooted from his youngest days. He enjoyed the mobile life of an Air Force brat while his father was stationed at Hamilton Air Base in Marin, California, and Tonopah, Nevada, but always connected back to the family home in Texas. He spent summers selling watermelons and ice on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. John entered West Point in 1951 as one of the youngest in the Class of 1955. While he clearly was headed for a life of service to country and others, he was encouraged to attend the United States Military Academy by his father because of the secured paycheck upon graduation. At West Point, he enjoyed being a Sunday School teacher, member of the NCAA-championship water polo team and class treasurer. John was forever proud of his classmates and the lifelong bonds forged at the Academy. His first career dream had been to fly in the Air Force, but, failing the eye exam, he was on to active duty service with the 82nd Airborne, Fort Bragg and two years of “soldiering.” John was granted a “leave of absence without pay” to attend medical school. He loved the Army and wanted to be a surgeon-soldier. He was among the first three West Point graduates to be granted that permission. He attended medical school at Duke University from 1957-61. In Durham, he met Martha Bagley, a Duke undergraduate from Alabama. They married in 1959, and they had the first of three children when Randle was born at the Duke hospital. John then did his internship at Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii and his Orthopaedic residency from 1963-67 at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. There they had two children, Rob and Nancy. John served in Vietnam in 1966-67 with the 85th Evac in Qui Nhon. He was humbled by his time as a soldier surgeon serving his country. A tour of duty as surgeon and team physician at West Point was followed by a fellowship in hip replacement surgery in England with Sir John Charnley at Wrightington Hospital. When John returned from England, the Army sent him to the Presidio at San Francisco and then once more to West Point to be hospital commander. Running a hospital and moving up the chain of command in the Army had its rewards but took time away from his passion of caring for patients. In 1979, he retired from the Army and moved his family to Jackson to begin a private practice, run a medical clinic at the base of the young ski resort and raise a family in a mountain town. He became immersed in the ski town lifestyle, both in his personal and professional lives.  In his Orthopaedic practice, he was able to continue to specialize in sports medicine whether it was attending to the local football team, caring for the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol, or serving as the Team Physician to the U.S. Olympic Ski Team. All the while, taking the opportunity to foster a love for the outdoors and adventure in his family. He arranged for the whole family to learn about climbing and mountaineering, even instigating a family outing to summit the Grand Teton. He was also able to get his pilot’s license during those years and loved flying to rural clinics around the state. After Jackson, John returned to Duke University in 1989 to continue his teaching and research career. He joined the Orthopaedic faculty at Duke University in the Sports Medicine Division, where he remained until 1999. He was a team physician for Duke University Athletics, reuniting with Coach Mike Krzyzewski, whom he had taken care of when Mike was a basketball player at West Point. While at Duke, they won two basketball national championships. It was a special time and he was ever thankful for the opportunity to be surrounded by the excellence of the coaches and players. During his tenure at Duke, he embarked on one of his highlight adventures — flying his Cessna 182 in the footsteps of Charles Lindbergh, across the Atlantic. His only regret was that he could not take his trusty copilot Samba, his English sheepdog. Samba had over 5,000 logged copilot hours. After Duke, it was John’s friendship and camaraderie with Dr. Richard Steadman that brought him to Vail. John became a dedicated supporter of the Vail Valley Medical Center, Howard Head Sports Medicine, The Steadman Clinic and the Steadman Philippon Research Institute and he spent the next ten years of ‘retirement’ mentoring Fellows and helping to build and grow the visions of the local medical community. John’s influence and network of mentees were instrumental in bringing top-notch physicians from around the country here to Vail, who will continue to carry his passion for patient care for our local community. John, and his wife of ten years, Martha Head, were active supporters of Vail in every sense and took pride in helping Vail grow while still preserving its character and history. John enjoyed playing golf at Eagle Springs Golf Club and attending lunch with his favorite group of friends and colleagues in the No Name Lunch Club. John returned to Jackson, Wyoming, in 2015 where the remainder of his days were lived out making beautiful memories with his children and grandchildren. Along the way, John was awarded numerous honors and continued to serve in a variety of ways. He was President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine; served on the USMA Board of Trustees; earned the United States Military Academy’s Distinguished Graduate Award, and was named to the Sports Hall of Fame of the AOSSM and West Point. The Feagin Leadership Program at Duke University was established to honor and build on Dr. Feagin’s legacy of leadership in patient care in medicine. The program is in its 11th year of teaching and inspiring young medical professionals. To many, the program is the culmination of his life work, with a focus tying together leadership, education, patient care and ethical values. John is survived by his children Randle (Melissa) Feagin; Robert (Susan Temple) Feagin; and Nancy (Jonathan Carpenter) Feagin; and grandchildren Whitney Feagin; Lillian and Walter Duquette and Helen Feagin; and Connor Carpenter. He is also survived by Martha Feagin, his former wife, lifelong partner in family, and champion supporter; sister Katherine Jeter (Col. John R. Jeter, USMA ‘55); nieces and nephews; and so many extended cousins, family and friends that he cherished.While serving as a mentor to many he remained forever grateful to his family for sharing his life’s journey and for his friends, colleagues and extended family for tolerating his peripatetic course. He always tried to live the West Point Cadet Prayer: “Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier  wrong. … and grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service.” May it be said, “Well done.”  John lived life. He loved it, respected it, appreciated it, found adventure and excitement in it, making it memorable beyond expectation.

August 2019

Robert William Henkens, 87, of Beaufort, North Carolina, passed away Saturday, August 31, 2019. Robert was born in Chicago on August 07, 1932. At the age of 17, he left home and found work on the railroad in Alaska. He joined the United States Navy and served during the Korean War. After the war, he studied art, but switched to chemistry in order to support his growing family. He obtained degrees and research experience at the Universities of Omaha, Washington, Yale and Harvard eventually receiving his Ph.D. He joined the faculty of the Duke University Chemistry Department where he combined research and teaching for many years while also writing papers and authoring patents. He resigned from Duke to lead a biotech company, Alderon Biosciences, Inc., which he founded and supported with federal and state grants. His invention of a portable hand-held monitor for accurately measuring blood lead levels in children was hailed as “a gift from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to the children of the world”. His innovative research continued throughout his life, bringing advanced electrochemical monitoring technologies to bear on many human health problems. His pleasure in scientific discovery was matched only by his enjoyment of travel and exploration of the world with his wife. The family will celebrate his life privately. He is survived by his wife, Celia Bonaventura of the home; his children, Cathi; Paul; Susan; David; and stepchildren, Michelle and Marina.

Judy Elizabeth Matthews, age 74, passed away Saturday, August 31, 2019. Judy was born on November 12, 1944 to Otis and Margeret Matthews in Durham, North Carolina. She retired from Duke University Medical Center after serving nearly thirty years as a Senior Registered Nurse, working with Private Diagnostic Medicine. Judy loved cooking, catering (in her spare time), and crocheting. All who knew her will lovingly remember her. Her parents; her life partner, James Starnes; and her son, Claiborne S. “Ivy” Woods, IV, preceded Judy in death. Her son, Matt Woods and his wife, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild survive her.

Annie Taylor Pittman, age 81, of Morehead City, North Carolina, passed away Thursday, August 29­, 2019, at Carteret Health Care Center. Annie had a caring and nurturing spirit, she was an amazing mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and her family adored her immensely.  Annie used her nurturing spirit and her skill as a License Practical Nurse to care for numerous people over the years. She especially appreciated her time at Sea Level Hospital where she retired from after serving nearly forty years. She loved the Lord and enjoyed her church family at Williston United Methodist Church where she is a member. She is survived by daughters, Vanessa Fetter of Jacksonville, Teressa Asby of Morehead City, Lisa Gillikin of Morehead City and Katrina Gillikin and husband Curtis of Otway; son, Darrell Pittman of Brevard; sister, Elaine Robinson and husband Edwin of Beaufort; grandchildren, Gary Fetter Jr., Hieromonk Enoch, Zachary Pittman, Jennifer Norman, Melissa Willis, Jacqueline Asby-Madison, Cody Pittman, Brittany Pittman, Cassandra Pittman, Jeremy Gillikin, Michelle Gillikin, Emily Gillikin, Amanda Pittman, Patricia Behan and Frank Pittman; and 28 great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Franklin Pittman; parents, Charlie and Katie Taylor; and grandchildren, Marissa Pittman and Marsha Asby.

Erma Elizabeth Paden Whittington, “Aunt Erma”, of Ellport, Pennsylvania walked through the gates of Heaven into the arms of her Lord and Savior August 23, 2019 at Jameson Care Center, New Castle, Pennsylvania. She was gifted with an incredible 102 years of a wonderful, loving life.  Erma was born February 14, 1917 in Mahoning Township near Hillsville, Pa the oldest daughter of the late Milo D. and Florence N. Paden. Erma was a graduate of Seminary High School, Poland, Ohio, Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa and the University of North Carolina Library School. She also attended Slippery Rock State Teachers College where she added Elementary Education to her teaching certificate, after which she taught at South New Castle Borough, Union High School, and Sharpsville Junior High. In 1949, Erma began a new Career as a Librarian at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina remaining there for thirty-eight years until her retirement in 1987. Erma resided in Durham, North Carolina for sixty years and was a member of the Yates Baptist Church in Durham, where she was as active member teaching Sunday school and singing in the Choir. Erma was also a life member of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, The National Active and Retired - Federal Employees, and the American Library Association. Erma is a life member and Past Worthy Matron and pianist of the Southgate Chapter #177 of the order of the Eastern Star. Erma has resided in Pennsylvania with her niece, Jean Biehls and nephew the late Gary Biehls from 2008 to the present. She attended Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Chippewa and is a member of the Small Group Bible Study. Erma also attended the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portersville. Erma's greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends as well as reading, word searches, crosswords, watching Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Basketball, (Duke) Pirates, Penguins and Steelers. She cherished time at family gatherings, basketball, football, and softball games, shopping, and going to lunch with friends. Erma was preceded in death by her parents Milo and Florence Paden, her husband of forty-six years Tolbert Mansfield Whittington Jr, two sisters Grace Shehy and Ruth Musser and four brothers, Wilbur, Hugh Dale, Kenneth and Fred Paden. Three Nephews. Edwin Paden, Robert Shehy and Jim Paden, two great nieces Darlene Musser and Tiffany Paden, one great nephew Scott Paden. Erma is survived by three nieces Jean Biehls, Kathleen (Tim) Sturgeon and Sylvia (Laney) Shoup and six nephews Dale (Gayla) Paden, Bill Shehy, Dennis (Betsy) Musser, Hugh (Karen) Paden, Gary (Becky) Paden and Jeffrey Paden, Twenty great nieces and nephews and also numerous great great nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.

Beverly J. Wright, passed away on Friday, August 23, 2019.  Beverly attended North Carolina Central University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Watts School of Nursing. Beverly immediately began working as an Emergency Department Staff Nurse with Duke Regional Hospital.  She continued to serve the hospital as Nurse Manager with the Emergency Department. From there, she went onto work as the Life Support Coordinator serving in the Training Center with Duke University Health System. Her career began with Duke Health System on December 18, 1972 retiring June 01, 2017 sharing forty-five years of life with her Duke family.

Hilary Joan Hewitt Roe Smith, a longtime resident of Croasdaile Village, died peacefully on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at the age of 92. Hilary was born on October 20, 1926 to Edgar Harry and Grace Andrews Roe in Welwyn Garden City, a new town/garden city established shortly after WWI twenty miles outside of London, England. She had a happy childhood and recalled with fondness her summer camping holidays as a girl guide at the English seaside. She was a teenager during WWII and during school holidays contributed to the war effort harvesting crops at local farms. After graduating from Anstey Physical Training College, Hilary taught girls physical education for several years, first at Ely and then at Salisbury. In the evenings, she taught English country dancing. Hilary met Peter Smith who was in chemistry graduate school at nearby Cambridge University. Peter was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for post-doctoral work at Harvard University and in 1951, Hilary and Peter married and immigrated to the United States. The couple lived in Boston, MA, and then West Lafayette, IN, before moving to Durham, NC, with their four children in 1959, where Peter became a professor in the Chemistry Department at Duke University. Hilary, after her children were in high school, worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Duke Philosophy Department and then as an Editor on the Carlyle Letters Project in the Duke English Department. After her children started their own families, she commuted to Fayetteville, NC earning a certificate in physical therapy from Fayetteville Technical Institute. She soon found a part time job as a physical therapy assistant at Durham County General Hospital. For many years, she combined work on the Carlyle Letters in the morning and physical therapy in the afternoons. This was a perfect combination. She was a careful reader with a well-rounded knowledge of English literature and history, and she loved tracking down obscure references made by the Carlyle's in their letters. But she also loved having an active job where she could help improve the physical health of patients and boost their spirits. Hilary enjoyed the community life of Durham. When her daughters were in girl scouts, she volunteered to be a scout leader and camp counselor in the Girl Scouts organization; when her sons were in Cub Scouts, she served as a den mother. Hilary had a strong social conscience. She was a long time member of the League of Women Voters. She also participated in Coffee, Talk and Action during the 1960's and volunteered at the Children's House, a program for children in underserved, poor communities in Durham. She was an enthusiastic and effective teacher of many things, from swimming, to making kites, to Origami, and her children, grandchildren and many others were the beneficiaries. She was an enthusiastic thespian all her life having a special way of making audiences laugh. She appeared in many Duke Players productions and, after moving to Croasdaile, was involved in many of the theatrical presentations there as well. Even as she maintained her English essence delighting people with her wonderful accent and precise, inventive use of the English language, it was a proud day for her when she earned her American Citizenship at a swearing in ceremony in Greensboro, NC. Hilary loved playing tennis and ping-pong. At Croasdaile, she was often seen at the ping-pong tables. She loved the good things in life and found ways to help others through tough times. Hilary enjoyed walking and tennis. She shared many inspirational thoughts and wrote loving notes to friends and family. She had a great enthusiasm for word games and charades. She was funny and graced entertaining observations about the world around her with those she knew and loved. She had a remarkable way of turning anyone's gloominess into laughter; Hilary was an extraordinary, good-hearted person who left a bright, indelible impact on family, friends, community and those who encountered her. She was much loved and will be missed in ways impossible to express. She is survived by her children, Helen A. Smith and her husband, Archie C. Johnson, Jr. and their son, David H. Johnson, of Durham; Dr. Eric P. Smith and his wife, Dr. Cynthia C. Chua, of Cincinnati, OH, and their children, Lauren C. Stone and her husband, Ben Stone and daughter, Georgina, of Santa Monica, Sarah E. Smith and her husband, Christian Hughes, of Seattle, WA, and Julia H. Smith of Seattle, WA; Dr. Richard H. Smith and his wife, Dr. Sung Hee Kim, of Lexington, KY, and their children, Dr. Rosanna K. Smith of Athens, GA, and Caroline T. Smith of New Haven, CT; Gillian C. Smith and her husband, Thomas W. Murrell, III and their children, Thomas W. Murrell, IV and Henry (Harry) G. Murrell, of Charlotte, NC. The Smith family will be forever grateful for the loving care provided by the caregivers at Croasdaile Village.

Samuel M. Kirkland Jr., 84, died Sunday, August 18, 2019 at Duke University Medical Center after a year of failing health. He was born in Orange County to the late Samuel M. Kirkland, Sr. and Pauline McMillan Kirkland and was married to the late Delores O'Mary Kirkland. He was a Christian and served in the National Guard. Samuel was an avid Duke Fan, avid golfer, member of the Eno Seniors Golf Association and staunch supporter of the Salvation Army. Boys and Girls Club. Samuel was formerly employed with Duke University working as a Staff Specialist in the Office of Admissions. His career began on March 27, 1973 retiring August 01, 1998 sharing twenty-five years of life with his Duke family. He is survived by his daughter, Teri Kirkland; sons, Chip Kirkland (June) and Ricky Kirkland (Melissa); grandchildren, Emily Morgenstern (Dan), Caroline, Joseph and Sammi Kirkland; and grandpuppy, Sophie Grace. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, infant brother and brothers, William "Bill" and Carl Kirkland.

Jack D. Flanary, age 86, went to be with his Lord Saturday, August 17, 2019 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He was born in Scott County, Virginia to the late Kemp and Maxie Carter Flanary. In addition to his parents, Jack is also predeceased by his brother Bob Flanary. Proudly he served his country while enlisted with the United States Navy, Rank EM1, on the USS AGGRESSIVE. Jack was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. He retired from IBM after twenty-six years of service and retired from Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University after serving Duke University for nearly twenty years. Jack is survived by his wife, Marilyn Cook Flanary of fifty-eight years; sons Jack D. Flanary, Jr. and Brent Carter Flanary; grandchildren Alexandria Leigh Flanary and Tyler Jackson Flanary. He is also survived by sister Mary Sue Griffin and husband Herman Griffin of Church Hill, TN. Jack was affiliated with Yates Baptist Church, Grey Stone Church and Hope Valley Baptist Church for over fifty-three years.

Shirley Howard, 66, departed this life on Thursday, August 15, 2019. Shirley was born to the late James and Martha Daniels. Educated in the Granville County Schools, she was a proud graduate of Mary Potter, Class of 1970; the last graduating class of the Rams. Later, she received an Associate Degree from Durham Business College. She had been employed with Duke Primary Care as an Interviewer for Duke University Affiliated Physicians located in the Oxford Family Practice Clinic. Her career with Duke began April 14, 1979 retiring on August 10, 2004 after sharing twenty-five years of life with her Duke family.  As a young adult, she joined First Baptist Church of Oxford. And to many local churches, she served as the Pianist. In addition, she provided piano lessons.  Shirley will be missed by all who knew and loved her and she was loved by all she knew and met. Left to cherish precious memories of Shirley are one stepson, Jon Phillip Howard (Brittney) and Noah Days (grandson) of Cary, NC; two sisters-in-law, Delois Cotten (Wade) of Durham, NC and Barbara Caldwell (Charles) of Rock Hill, SC; two uncles Robert Brooks, Jr. of Oxford, NC and Thomas Daniels of Texas; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents, Shirley was also preceded in death by Phillip Howard; and son Sean Howard.

Evelyn D. Schmidt, M.D., age 93, known to her family, friends and colleagues as "Evy", died Thursday, August 15, 2019, at Duke Medicine Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina. Since 2013, she had been a resident of Hillcrest Convalescent Center in Durham. Evy was born on September 02, 1925 to Mae and Louis Schmidt in New York, New York. She is survived by her brother, Alvin Schmidt, and his wife, Delores of Monroe Township, New Jersey, and by her nephew and niece, Greg Schmidt and Kim Selert, and their children.  Evy graduated from Duke University in 1947 (Phi Beta Kappa) and from its medical school in 1951. Her medical residency training in pediatrics was at the Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Yale University Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut where she was a fellow in pediatric cardiology. She earned a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University, New York, New York. Evy practiced medicine in Philadelphia and New York City before moving to Durham in 1971. In Durham, she became the Executive Director of Lincoln Community Health Center and served in that position for over forty years. She retired from Lincoln in 2011. Until her retirement, she was Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Community Medicine, at both Duke University Medical Center, and Attending Physician, Department of Pediatrics, Durham Regional Hospital. She was active in more than twenty organizations during her career and was the recipient of fifteen honors and awards.  Evy was a caring and compassionate physician, an effective and energetic health care administrator, and a tireless champion and advocate for the underserved and the underprivileged persons in Durham, the region and, indeed, beyond. While Evy's concern for others in need seemed limitless as to basic human needs, she had particular concern for health care, health wellness, education and nutrition. Few people have contributed as much, worked as hard, or advocated more strongly, for those among us with muted voices, than Dr. Evelyn Schmidt.

Wayne Thomas Thompson, age 53, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday morning, August 15, 2019 at home with his fur babies Loy, Simone and Barood. Wayne was a native of Brooks, Georgia. He was the son of Eugene and Doris Thompson. Wayne was a 1983 graduate of Griffin High School, 1987 graduate of Mercer University and 1989 graduate of University of Georgia, Athens. Wayne began his career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel as a Residence Area Director. In 1991, Wayne moved to Duke School of Nursing, to Student Information Services and Systems (SISS), then to Duke Kunshan University, China as Associate Dean of Student Information Service & Systems. Wayne is survived by his parents, a sister Teresa Musselwhite (Tommy) of Macon, GA a brother Barry Thompson (Judy) of Griffin, GA and four nieces and nephews. His family of friends, Linda Evans, Anne Joyner, Jae Joyner, Lois Wright, Pam Watkins and Pat Vereen. Family, friends, colleagues and community will miss Wayne.

Sharon May Upson Stager, age 73, passed away on Wednesday, August 14 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Sharon was formerly from Kalamazoo and Traverse City, Michigan and Durham, North Carolina before residing near family in Wisconsin. Sharon is survived by her husband, Edwin, of fifty-four years, their two sons, Eric and his wife, Sharon (Sabatino), of Lincoln, RI and Ken and his wife, Whitney (Clark), of Appleton, WI. They have five grandchildren, John, David, Annika, Olivia, and Noah. Sharon cherished her family and was a loving daughter, mother, and grandmother. Sharon was born on July 24, 1946 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was the only daughter of Berneth and Arzonia (Roberts) Upson. Sharon graduated from the Registered Nursing Program at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1967 and obtained her Bachelor's in Nursing from the University of Michigan. She also completed graduate work in Nursing at Grand Valley State University. During her career, she worked for many hospitals, home health care and as a public health nurse. It was in December 01, 2001 that she began her career with Duke University Health Care working in the Cancer Center as a Registered Nurse Clinician retiring on June 01, 2014.

Michael Freeman, 65 of Chintelly Court, Durham, North Carolina died August 9, 2019 at Duke University Hospital. He was born in Wilmington, NC to John Franklin Freeman and Henrietta Walker Freeman. Michael had been employed by Duke University Health System working as a Histology Technician II, in Surgical Pathology. His career with Duke began on July 30, 1982 retiring on January 01, 2019 after sharing thirty-seven years with his Duke family. Michael will be greatly missed by family, friends, community and colleagues. All who knew him loved him.

Karl Meeler Hancock, Jr., age 64, passed away Friday, August 09, 2019. Karl was born on February 22, 1955 to the late Karl and Gladys Hancock in Durham, North Carolina. Proudly he served his country as a sailor with the United States Navy. Car shows and martial arts were two of Karl’s favorite activities. He loved woodworking and worked as a carpenter. Karl also worked with Duke University beginning on July 01, 1978 retiring on January 01, 2014 sharing nearly forty years of life with his Duke family. Karl is survived by his wife Teresa; sons, Troy Hancock (Denise) of Wilmington, NC, Karl Hancock, III (Taylor) of Haw River, NC; daughter, Pepper Pollard (David) of Hillsborough, NC; brothers, Michael Hancock (Kelly) of Virginia, David Hancock of Emerald Isle; sister, Pam Moore (Andy) of Durham, NC; grandchildren, Zoey Hancock, Gauge Hancock, Osiris Meeler Hancock, Paislee Hancock, Dalton Pollard, Brooke Pollard, Kirstin Pollard, Molly Pollard, Dylan Pollard, Alyssa Pollard, Kyle Pollard, and Kemp Pollard.

Gertha M. Lloyd, age 76, departed this life on Thursday, August 08, 2019. Gertha had worked with Duke University Health System as a Laundry Equipment Operator, Senior in Laundry Services. Her career began on April 05, 1966 retiring on January 01, 2005 sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family.

Patricia L. Peters, age 89 of Youngsville, North Carolina passed away on Thursday August 07, 2019. Patricia was a Licensed Practical Nurse, working with Duke University Health System in Surgical Unit-6100. Patricia’s career began on April 10, 1989 retiring on May 01, 1997. Family, friends and community will miss Patricia.

Henry “Red” Nello Raynor Sr., age 89, passed away on Saturday, August 03, 2019 at the Brian Center of Yanceyville. He was born in Granville County to the late Albert and Vann Riddle Raynor. In addition to his parents, “Red” was also predeceased by his wife, Jannett Barbara Anne Raynor. He had worked at Duke University Medical Center for thirty-two years as an Insulator, Zone Mechanic with MC E&O Maintenance of Duke University. “Red” was a member of the Knap of Reeds Masonic Lodge #158. He is survived by his daughter, Debbie Davis; son, Henry Nello Raynor, Jr. “Bunny”; grandchildren, Jeffrey Brad Davis, Brandon Scott Davis, Elizabeth Jordan Raynor, Matthew Todd Raynor, Bryan Keith Raynor; and four great-grandchildren. “Red” will be missed by family, friends and by his community.

Michael Frank, MD, passed away with his family at his side on Thursday, August 1, 2019. Dr. Frank was the Samuel L. Katz Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics in the Duke University School of Medicine, professor of immunology and medicine, and an internationally respected physician-scientist. He served as the chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 1990 to 2004. Throughout his long career, he made an important mark on the specialty of allergy and immunology and as an esteemed mentor to many in the field. Dr. Frank was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He developed an early interest in science and knew he wanted to be a medical researcher before the age of ten. He credits reading Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kraif as a young boy as having inspired an early fascination with the immune system. Entering the University of Wisconsin at age 15, Dr. Frank developed an interest in infectious diseases through microbial biologist, and subsequent Nobel Prize winner, Joshua Lederberg. He then went on to attend Harvard Medical School and was a house officer in medicine at Harvard and in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He eventually assumed positions of increasing responsibility in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the NIH from 1966 to 1990. While there, he focused most of his research efforts on the role of complement in the immune response to infectious diseases and published widely prior to coming to Duke. Elected to membership to many prestigious organizations and societies, including the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), he was also the recipient of numerous awards, including the European Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his discovery of the cause and treatment of hereditary angioedema, a rare, autosomal dominantly inherited blood disorder. Dr. Frank was recruited to Duke from his position as the clinical director at NIAID in 1990 to succeed Dr. Samuel L. Katz as the fourth chair of the Department of Pediatrics. Upon arriving at Duke, Dr. Frank encountered numerous financial and personnel challenges, the most pressing of which was a limitation in departmental space to accommodate what he perceived as the need to expand the breadth and depth of clinical expertise. When he arrived, the department had 63 faculty, and during his tenure as chair, he succeeded in expanding the faculty to 125 in addition to leading the construction of the new McGovern-Davison Children’s Health Center to accommodate the outpatient activities of the of the department. In 2004, he stepped down as chair and returned to basic and medical research. Notably, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Foundation recently honored his life’s work with the creation of the Michael M. Frank, MD FAAAAI Lectureship.

Amy Carol Hales Mitchell, wife of Anthony L. Mitchell, passed away at home after a hard fought battle with cancer on Thursday, August 01, 2019. Amy was born the daughter of Earl Hales and Judy Hales Conn. She was raised and loved by her mother and stepfather, William (Bill) Conn. She had the honor of being mother to Ayanna Jordan Mitchell. Amy leaves behind sister, Cindy Hales Markham, stepsister, Amy Pinney, and half-brothers, Michael and Randy Hales. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed. Amy had a strong work ethic and was a dedicated, long time employee of Duke University Medical Center. She enjoyed her work in the Grants Department serving as the Department of Medicine Research Administrator for Grants & Contracts and appreciated the love and support of her work family. Amy began her career with Duke on March 23, 1998 and was an active employee upon her death, sharing over twenty years of her life with Medical family. Few people may know that Amy’s dream job would have been to be a marine biologist. She loved and was intrigued by anything found underwater and enjoyed visiting various aquariums. Amy loved the serenity and peace she found at the beach. Amy had a vast vocabulary and loved word games. She was an avid reader and a skilled baker. She designed many delicious and creative cakes for family events and celebrations over the years. She loved her family, and will be dearly missed and carried forever in their hearts. Her friends, colleagues and community will also miss Amy greatly.

Yardley Elaine Schuyler, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 01, 2019, at the age of 86 after a brief illness. She was the daughter of John Smullen and Bernice Davis and born on December 22, 1932. She was preceded in death by her first husband, William Leon Schultz, in 1959, and by her second husband, Philip Buckley Schuyler, in 1982.She is survived by her five children, Roxanne Jones, Paula Nichols, William Schuyler, Jennie Simpson, and Beau Schuyler, as well as her sister Lorraine Crocker. She took great joy in her grandchildren, Schuyler, Anni, Katrina, Lee, Charlotte, Caroline, Catherine, and Landon. She was also thrilled to have the opportunity to hold her two great grandchildren, Catherine and Elizabeth. She loved extended family gatherings and happily hosted many of them. Yardley was born and raised in Saint Johnsville, New York. She graduated from Little Falls High School in 1950, worked as a dental assistant until she moved with her husband Bill Schultz to New York City and Los Angeles, and shifted her focus to raising her children. She married Philip Schuyler and they lived throughout the country, raising their children in California, New York, Maryland, Texas, and Washington. After Philip's death, she earned her Bachelor's degree from Central Washington University and moved to Durham, North Carolina, where she worked at Duke University Medical Center as a Financial Analyst and Grants Manager. She retired from the Duke Department of Psychiatry in 1999 after sharing early fifteen years of life with her Duke family. During this time, she also took great pleasure in helping to raise her grandchildren who lived near her. She had a great love of learning, and was a lifetime student. She continued her education and shifted her focus to classes on art and literature throughout retirement. In retirement, she was also able to expand her lifelong pleasure in travel, touring the Bahamas, Central America, Europe, China, Vietnam, Egypt, and Turkey, to name only a few. She saw pyramids, volcanoes, and glaciers, and loved them all. Yardley was a strong and wonderful mother, grandmother, friend and person. She will be dearly remembered and missed by all who knew and loved her.

July 2019

Darsha "DeeDee" Taylor, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at the very young age of 48. Darsha was working as a Financial Care Consultant for Duke University Health System in the Pain Medicine Clinic. She began her career with Duke on December 22, 2008 and was actively employed upon her death. Darsha will be missed by family, friends, community and by her colleagues.

Ellie Adcock Ray, lifetime resident of Durham, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Monday July 29, 2019 following several years of declining health. She passed away at Brookshire Nursing Center where she resided for the last months of her life. She was born in Durham on April 10, 1934 to the late Joe Snow Adcock and Mellie Bullock Adcock. Her sisters, Dorothy Adcock Sykes and Mellie Adcock Riggsbee, her brothers, Joe Adcock and Ovid Adcock predeceased Ellie. Her husband James Freeman Ray predeceased Ellie in 1994. Ellie is survived by her daughter Karla Ray Young (Philip) of Durham; son Douglas Freeman Ray of Durham; granddaughter Chelsey Young Files (Greg) of Wilmington; and great-granddaughter Virginia Grey Files. Also surviving are her brother Tom Adcock (Jo) of Myrtle Beach, SC; brother-in-law Commie Riggsbee of Raleigh; and numerous nieces and nephews. Ellie had a great love for her family and her church. She was a faithful Christian and an active member of McMannen United Methodist Church. She was a longtime member of the Asbury Sunday School Class and the United Methodist Women. She worked 39 years for Duke University as a Sponsored Program Specialist Senior, in the Sponsored Program Office, where she developed many lasting friendships. Ellie retired in 1997 after sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family. The family wishes to thank her home caregivers, Grace Underwood, Rhonda Lippard and Kathy Graham for their compassionate care. The family also appreciates the special care given to Ellie by the Brookshire Nursing Center staff and Duke Homecare and Hospice staff.

Paulina Calvete Sherrard, was born on November 01, 1941 and passed away on Monday, July 29, 2019 surrounded by her loving family in Columbia, South America. Paulina was born November 01, 1941 to Paulino and Eufracia Ferreira Gomez Calvete in Columbia, South America. She worked with UNC Hospital along with Duke University Health System. Paulina had been an Appointment Coordinator for Family Medicine Pickens Clinics since 2006. She retired from Duke on March 01, 2012 after sharing six years of life with her Duke family.  All who knew her will lovingly remember Paulina. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Mario and Milton; sisters, Solmilena and Marlene. She is survived by her son, Daniel Sherrard and wife Betty; daughter, Nora “Beth” Connelly; brothers, Benjamín, Alfonso, and Leõnidas; sisters, Dora, Florangela, and Jasmina; grandchildren, Dustin Tant, Michael Tant, Kristin Sherrard, and Kelsey Sherrard.

Hildur Brockhouse Blake, died in Durham, North Carolina on Thursday July 25, 2019. Hildur was born on March 13, 1919 in Providence RI, the second child of Ethel and Joseph Brockhouse. Her father, a professional pianist, instilled in her a life-long love of music. She was educated in the public schools of Providence and Philadelphia, PA, graduating from East Landsdowne High School in 1936. She earned an RN degree from Methodist Hospital of Philadelphia in 1940. In May 1941, she married Robert Blake, and their union lasted until his death in 2014. In 1942, Hildur and Bob moved from the Philadelphia area to Durham, where she worked as a nurse with Duke University Health System until giving birth to her first child in 1945. In 1956, eighteen months after giving birth to her third child, she returned to nursing at Duke Hospital eventually retiring in 1984 sharing nearly thirty years of life with her Duke family. Her religious faith was a central part of Hildur's life. For over seven decades, she was an active member of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church, serving the church community in many capacities, including Sunday School teacher, Deacon and Elder. She was honored with a lifetime membership in the Presbyterian Women. She was a life-long student of the Bible, and in the 1950s, she took courses in Bible studies at Duke University, becoming a Biblical scholar.  In addition to volunteer activities sponsored by the church, she taught Red Cross first aid courses in Philadelphia during World War II and volunteered locally with Meals on Wheels, the Red Cross Bloodmobile and the Duke Eye Center. She and Bob enjoyed traveling, and her travels took her to South Korea, Scandinavian countries and many places in the US. They particularly enjoyed the Blue Ridge Mountains, Crabtree Meadows being one of their favorite spots. In 1992, they moved to The Forest at Duke Retirement community, where they enjoyed many years of friendships and social activities. Born a year before women obtained the right to vote, Hildur was excited to cast her vote in her twentieth presidential election for a woman. In addition to her parents and husband, her brother, her sister, a niece, a nephew, and her son- in-law died earlier. She is survived by her three children, Robin Blake (Cokie), Janis Aghjayan and Kennard Blake; four grandchildren, Kevin (Pam) and Russell Blake, Garo Aghjayan (Kim) and Ani Kelly (Rob); and six great-grandchildren, Ellie Blake, Hannah, Blake and Finn Aghjayan, and Addison and RJ Kelly.

H. Newland Oldham Jr. MD, Professor Emeritus of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Medicine passed away on July 25, 2019. His Medical works include over 2359 citations and 748 reads, most prominently: Efficacy of the internal mammary artery in combined aortic valve, Collagen Subtypes III and IV Expression in Human Vein Graft Atherosclerosis. H. Newland began his career with Duke Medical Center on July 01, 1965 eventually retiring July 24, 2019 after sharing nearly 55 years of life with his Duke Medical family. In the end, it is not the years in your life that have counted but rather the life you have placed into the years. We all die, the goal never has been to live forever, the goal is to have created something that will and H. Newland Oldham Jr. MD accomplished that and much more. Peace be with you.

Rebecca Atem Agborbesong, 75, died peacefully on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at her home in Durham, North Carolina after a yearlong battle with uterine carcinosarcoma. She was born in Ossing village, Cameroon, the first of eleven children, to the late Abel Tiku Atem and Emilia Bessem Atem. She completed her primary and secondary education in Cameroon and completed her college and nursing education in Germany. She was a retired nurse practitioner who practiced in Germany, Cameroon and the United States. Becky was a remarkable woman whose life was dominated by three themes: The first theme was her strong faith in Jesus Christ. She was a devout Christian whose words consistently matched her many good deeds. She served on the prayer, evangelism, world missions and children’s ministries for many decades. The second theme was her love of children. She was a beloved mother of four biological children and countless adopted and foster children and grandchildren. Her home was nearly always full of children. A legendary Children’s Minister and Sunday School teacher, her work spanned several decades in Africa, Asia and the United States. The third theme was her hospitality. Becky was an excellent cook who loved entertaining and whose doors were always open. Her warm smile and personality could light up any room. On January 12, 2004, she joined the Duke University Health System working as a Nurse Care Assistant I in the Acute Intensive Care Unit-32. She retired on July 01, 2011 sharing seven beautiful years in Duke’s Health System. Rebecca was preceded in death by her husband, Ben Ayuk Agborbesong; her parents, and siblings, Helen Chendi, James Ebai Atem and Eyong Atem. Rebecca is survived by her daughters, Patience Reich (Padget Spencer), Bate Agborbesong; sons, Tiku Agborbesong (Magdalene Emade), Ayogh Agborbesong (Florence), Hudson Ebotmanchang (Seraphine); grandchildren, Rea, Nathan, Jennie, Janice, Johnrowe, Jessejon; and siblings, Richard Atem, Susan Kleis, Lucas Atem, Haddison Atem, Dr Paul Atem and Meg Ossiander.

Judith A. Temple, passed away on Monday July 22, 2019 at the young age of 73. Judith has been a Payroll Specialist, working Duke University in Corporate Payroll Services. She began working with Duke on August 31, 1987 retiring June 01, 2011 sharing twenty-four years of life with her Duke family.

Lillie Mae Rogers Bass, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the young age of 78. Lillie had been a Patient Menu Technician working for Duke University Health System with Rankin Food Services since 1966. Lillie retired in 2002 sharing thirty-six years of life with her Duke family.

George W. Stephens III, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on July 19, 2019 at the young age of 68. George had worked for Duke Medical Center since 1971 as a Library Assistant Senior. He retired on September 01, 2009 sharing thirty-eight years of life with his Duke family.

Costella Parker Harris, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at the young age of 85. Costella had worked at Duke University Health System as a Clinical Laboratory Prep Technician in Carl Clinical Laboratory since 1969. She retired 1996 sharing twenty-seven years of life with her Duke family.

John Herd Thompson, passed away on July 13, 2019, seven months after being diagnosed with stage four-lung cancer. He was born in Winnipeg in 1946 to Joe and Gladys Thompson. John served as a junior cadet officer in the Chippawa Division of the University Naval Training Division. He earned a Bachelor's Degree with Honors from the University of Winnipeg in 1967, a Master's Degree a year later from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. degree in history from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1975. In a forty year teaching career, John taught North American history at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, at McGill University in Montreal and Duke University in North Carolina where he retired as a Professor Emeritus on Canada Day, July 01, 2012. John was also a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He published numerous academic papers and authored many books on North American history. Starting in 1988, John served 14 years as a historical consultant for the Heritage Minutes series of historical micro-dramas broadcast on Canada's national television networks and screened in Cineplex-Odeon theatres across the country. John was a passionate baseball fan and an avid jazz musician who played saxophone and clarinet. Later in life, he became a snowbird enjoying winters in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Wherever he was, John was well respected and known as a good friend, a kind soul, an amiable person and a considerate intellectual with whom you could always enjoy an engaging conversation over a pint. He is, and forever will be sorely missed. Surviving John are his loving partner and high school sweetheart, Margaret, with whom he reunited after forty-five years; children, Anne and Mark; sister, Beth (Bill); nephew, Chris (Gina); niece, Kathryn (Andrew); and the many great-nieces and nephews who will remember him affectionately.

Dr. George Robert (Bob) DeLong, resident of Riverwoods in Exeter, NH, passed away on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at age 83, after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Born April 21, 1936 in Lafayette, IN, Bob was the first child of George and Ruth DeLong. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Ade, in 1958, and they embarked together on a lifetime of travel, adventure, and service that lasted sixty-one years. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Bob graduated with high honors from DePauw University in 1957 and cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1961. He practiced medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital for twenty-six years before transferring to Duke University Hospital for another nineteen years. His clinical research focused on Autism and Iodine Deficiency Disorders, which led to a twenty-year project in western China to eradicate this disease. A lifelong train enthusiast, Bob loved to ride the rails around the world. Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy; his four children, John, Ann, Peter, and Susan; four grandchildren, Sarah, Katie, William, and Connor; his sister, Helen; his brother, Jim; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Dr. Wolfgang Karl (Bill) Joklik, born in Vienna, Austria on November 16, 1926, died in Durham, North Carolina on July 07, 2019. The older of the two sons of Karl Friedrich Joklik, and Helene Giessl Joklik, Bill moved, when he was eleven years old, to Sydney, Australia, where his father headed the Australian branch of the Austrian company Styrian Steelworks. He attended Cranbrook School and the Sydney University from which he graduated with a First Class BS degree and an MS degree in Biochemistry. He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the University of Oxford, England, in 1952, working in the laboratory of Sir Paul Fildes at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. After a year’s postdoctoral work in Copenhagen, he joined the Department of Microbiology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Nine years later, in 1962, he moved to the Albert Einstein College of medicine in New York, and in 1968 was appointed Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Duke University Medical Center, a position he held for twenty-five years. He guided the growth of the Department from an initial six faculty members to thirty-three when he retired, and to a ranking as one of the top three Medical School Microbiology Departments in the country. Trained as a biochemist, Bill was one of the pioneers of Molecular Virology. His work on the mechanisms underlying how viruses infect cells, multiply and cause disease laid the groundwork for the development of vaccines and antiviral agents. He published more than 250 research papers and reviews, and for 25 years was Editor-in-Chief of and a major contributor to Zinsser Microbiology, one of the two leading texts for medical students. He was Editor-in-Chief of Virology, the primary journal in its field, for eighteen years. He was a member/chairman of numerous Study Sections and Committees of the National Institutes of health and the American Cancer Society. His work was widely recognized. In 1981 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, in 1982 he was elected to the Institute of Medicine, in 1986 he was awarded a Humboldt Senior Investigator prize, and in 1991 he was awarded the ICN International Prize in Virology. He founded the American Society for Virology and was its first President in 1982. He was President of the American Medical School Microbiology Department’s Chairmen’s Association in 1979. His career at Duke was similarly distinguished. He was elected a James B. Duke Professor in 1972 and played a leading role in founding the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in the early seventies; he was the first Chairman of the Cancer Center Planning Committee. He was a member of the Academic Council and of the Duke University Press Board, and the recipient of one the two 2005 Distinguished Faculty Awards from the Alumni Association of Duke University Medical Center. Bill was a member of Immaculata Catholic Church, of the Rotary Club of Durham, of Hope Valley Country Club and of Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, NC. He had won primary volunteer interests after he retired. One was Caring House, which provides accommodation for out-of-town cancer patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy or radiotherapy at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, the other was the Durham County Public library. He was a long-time member of the former’s board (of which he was president in 1995-1997) and of the latter’s Foundation. He played a leading role raising endowments for both. Throughout his career, Bill’s primary concerns were teaching, research and the mentorship and sponsorship of his close to one hundred graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He maintained cordial relations with many of them for many years, promoted their careers assiduously with advice and personal recommendations, visited them worldwide, and greatly enjoyed return visits from them. Bill married Judith Vivien Nicholas in 1955 in Canberra, Australia. Judith succumbed to breast cancer in 1975. In 1977, he married Patricia Hunter Downey. Bill was predeceased by one daughter, Patricia Ann Downey, and two grandchildren, Maya Caroline Mason and Hunter Blair Lavinder. He was survived by his wife Pat; his brother Gunther Franz Joklik (Pamela Fenton Joklik); his children Richard Gunther Joklik (Jean Glasson Joklik), Vivien Helene Joklik, John Robert Downey II (Elizabeth Bruni Downey), Mary Downey Goodwin (Danny Dowell Goodwin), and Frances Downey Magruder (James Frederick Magruder); his grandchildren Marshall Allen Mason IV, Ruth Mason Pitstick (Phillip Edward Pitstick), Judith Park Joklik, Ella Vivien Joklik, Larissa Sophie Joklik, Alina Marie Joklik, Laura Corbin Downey, John Robert Downey III (Leigh Greer Downey), Elizabeth Downey Rand (Benjamin Rush Rand), Preston Mechling Lavinder, Cameron McCormick Lavinder, David Charles Johnson, Patricia Judith Roberson, Mary Elizabeth Roberson, Charles Mechling Downey Roberson, and Carrol Saunders Roberson III; and great-grandchildren Ian Emiliano Dominiquez Mason, Avery Laine Pitstick, John Henry Downey, Benjamin Rush Rand Jr., Katherine Virginia Rand, and Henry Blair Lavinder.

Marilyn May Lombardi, was born April 19, 1958 and passed away on July 07, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at the very young age of 41.  She will be remembered for her wisdom, enthusiasm, curiosity, grace and beauty.  She possessed a smile that was beyond effervescent. Marilyn was the type of person who indelibly just touched people leaving a lasting imprint upon their heart. Marilyn worked with Duke University School of Nursing, Faculty and Staff beginning her career on April 01, 2010. She was an active employee upon her death. Family, friends, community and colleagues will miss Marilyn, as she was loved by all who knew her.

Jean Elizabeth Brenner, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away on Friday, July 05, 2019, in Leesburg, Virginia, she was 88 years young. Jean was born in Washington, New Jersey to the late Harold and Helen (Swisher) Jensen. In addition to her parents, Jean was predeceased by her husband, Carl F. Brenner Jr., and a sister, Joyce Long. Jean is survived by her daughters, Donna Rich (Stan) of Herndon, Virginia, and Barbara Brenner (Christopher Grimes) of Citrus Heights, California; two grandsons, Kevin Rich and Kyle Rich; a sister, Janet Smith (Frank), and several nieces and a nephew. Jean worked at Duke University from August 26, 1968 through November 01, 1995 sharing nearly thirty years with her Duke family.

Nancy Carol King Casey, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio (formerly of Durham, North Carolina) passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield, Ohio on Friday, July 05, following a brief illness. She was employed at Duke University Medical Center for forty-one years working as a Patient Relations Representative for Clinical Financial Services before retiring in 1996. She was an avid reader of books, lover of birds, and her children fondly remember her love for walking the beach collecting shells. Nancy is survived by her daughter Connie Casey of Concord Township, Ohio and son Bill Casey of The Woodlands, Texas. Grandchildren Luke Taylor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Samuel Taylor of Portland, Oregon, Dylan Casey and Ashton Casey of The Woodlands, Texas, Clarke Lewis (Celita) of Jacksonville, Florida and Connor Lewis of The Woodlands, Texas. Great-grandchildren Jameson and Liam Lewis of Jacksonville, Florida. Brother George "Pete" King of Durham, North Carolina, and niece Connie Wilkins (Larry) of Durham, North Carolina along with numerous great-nieces and -nephews. Nancy was preceded in death by father Ilie Lee King, mother Mary Morris King, brothers Robert, Joe, Dorris, Claiborne, and Jesse, sisters Irma Yates, Virginia Ball, and Gracie Wilson.

Patricia Gwaltney Jerome, passed away on Wednesday, July 03, 2019 after a long illness. She is survived by her husband, six children, fourteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, two brothers, and one sister. Patricia was predeceased by her parents, three grandchildren, and two brothers. Patricia was born in Statesville, North Carolina in November 1940. She grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Southern High School. She had a very fine classically trained operatic voice winning a full scholarship from the Juilliard School of music in New York but elected to marry rather than attend. She professionally sang as a choir member at Duke Chapel and has since sung in numerous church choirs finally at Mt. Bethel UMC as a gift. Patricia was a devout Christian. Patricia lived in North Eastern Florida for a short time and in Northern California for a few years before returning to Durham. Here she worked at Duke University for many years as a Registrar for RCH-IP SDS Registration. Her career began on February 08, 1979 retiring September 01, 2002 sharing twenty-three years with her Duke family.

Harrison Brooke, born March 14, 1935 passed away July 02, 2019. He was 84 years young. Harrison had been employed by Duke University working with Facilities Management in the Facilities Management Division. Harrison began working for Duke on July 14, 1969 retiring on December 31, 1992 after sharing twenty-three years of life with his Duke family. Wishing both family and friends peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in their hearts.

Pearline Elmay Archer, was called home by our heavenly Father on Monday, July 01, 2019. She was born on October 15, 1933, to the late Joseph Burton and Louise Pitter-Burton in Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies. Pearline immigrated to New York where she became a member of Manhattan Holy Tabernacle (Harlem), then Soul Harvest Church (Brooklyn). She relocated to Durham, North Carolina in 1989, and became an active member of New Shiloh Holiness Church. At NSHC, she was a Communion Organizer, member of the Mother's Board, and the Pastor's Aide Committee.  For many years, Pearline worked as a CNA at Cedars of Chapel Hill Retirement Community, and as a caretaker at Duke University Hospital Research Center. "P" or "Sta Pearl" (Sister Pearl), as she was known by all, was a God fearing woman who enjoyed gardening, playing the piano, and shopping. As a loving mother, she would go to the end of the earth to give her children a better life. She was without question a strong disciplinarian, and left a lasting impression on anyone she came in contact with. She is survived by her beloved sister, Winsome "Sweetie" Brown and three brothers, Alric Burton (Susanne), Leon "Dudu" Burton (Gloria), and Andrew "Popsy" Burton (Sydna). She also leaves to cherish her memory three daughters: Audrey Morgan (Orrett), Lurline "Baby D" Archer-Campbell (Aston), and Delrose "Blossom" Archer; three sons, Livingston "Levine" Archer (Sheila), Barry "Scott" Archer (Carmen) and Denzil Archer; two very special friends, Ms. Patricia Fray and Nancy Scurlock; and a host of grands, great-grands, nieces, nephews, relatives, church family and friends.She is preceded in death by her two sons, Noel Courtney Archer and Merrick Donovan Archer; her late husband, Delbert Joseph Archer; and a very special mother-in-law Beatrice "Ninny" Archer.

June 2019

Rose Marie Ann Luise D'Silva, born on  August 10, 1937 passed away on June 26, 2019. She was 81 years young. Rose Marie D'Silva was born in Karachi, when it was British India, and grew up in a close-knit Goan Catholic family and community. Her father Leo Anthony de Sousa was a charismatic intellectual man, a physics professor and church organist, who became president of D.J. Sindh Govt. Science College. She was deeply affected by her mother's untimely death when she was only seven years old and the eldest of five children, and by the turbulent years after Partition, with the city's designation as the capital of Pakistan. She completed a Master's degree in Chemistry, and taught in college, always feeling responsible to her brothers and sisters. A friendship forged through her father's leadership exchange visit to the US enabled her to live with a loving family during her graduate work at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Rose Marie completed a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, alongside her fellow graduate student in the same lab, Themistocles (Tim) D'Silva. She did post-doctoral research at the University of Rochester before they married in 1965, and began their family near Worcester, Massachusetts. Soon they moved to South Charleston, WV, for Tim's first job as a research chemist, where they raised four children, and where she taught organic chemistry in evening classes at what was then Morris Harvey College. She was known as a tough but fair teacher, dedicated to making sure her students understood concepts. In 1981, the family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Rose Marie joined the Duke University Chemistry Department, and worked as the undergraduate laboratory manager there, running the chemistry and organic chemistry labs, directing graduate teaching assistants and advising students for twenty years. Rose Marie was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She encouraged a broad and excellent education in academics and especially in music, supporting her children's and grandchildren's many activities and travels, and taking tremendous pride and vicarious pleasure in their accomplishments. She was an energetic, outgoing, organized, amazingly resourceful woman, with many talents and interests: an avid reader, fantastic baker, and excellent seamstress. She is remembered for her generosity to others and the warmth of her hospitality, as well as the strength of her opinions and her unapologetic defense of her principles. Rose Marie and Tim were a tremendous example of marriage for nearly fifty-four years. In retirement, they were fortunate to travel extensively to many countries and historic sites; Rose Marie loved to research and plan their trips, and relished their many visits to far-flung family and friends. She was an active member of the Newman Center Parish, volunteering in many capacities. She formed friendships easily, and made great efforts to keep in touch with people from every phase of her long life, notably showing special concern for older relatives and friends. Rose Marie died peacefully, surrounded by family, shortly after injuries sustained in a sudden collapse, while walking with her husband in her usual state of good health. In addition to her loving husband Tim, Rose Marie is survived by her four children, Marisa D'Silva Whitesell (Chapel Hill), Karena D'Silva (NYC and Chapel Hill), Carl D'Silva (fiancée Joni Jacobsen, Chicago) and Marc D'Silva (wife Chinar, Cambodia), and five grandchildren, Blaise, Romy and Carmen Whitesell, and Caia and Eva D'Silva, as well as two brothers, Terence de Sousa (California) and Bernard de Sousa (England), two sisters, Margaret Van Milder (Virginia) and Joan Davies (England), and many nieces and nephews. 

Lydia Lane “Penny” Herndon, passed away on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at Duke Regional Hospital. She was 80 years young. Lydia was born in Durham, North Carolina, the daughter of the late Fred Coombs and Lydia Lane Anders. She was a former Staff Specialist with Duke Hospital Auxiliary beginning her career on August 23, 1993 retiring September 01, 2004.

Laura Jane Gordon Chambers, was born on September 02, 1927 and passed away on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at the grand age of 91. Laura was a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina at the time of passing. Laura was a former Licensed Practical Nurse, working with the IV team of Duke University Health System. Her career began March 06, 1967 retiring June 10, 2003 sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family.

Naomi Robin Quinn, Professor Emerita of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, died on June 23, 2019, in Durham, North Carolina, at home with family.  Naomi was 79 years young. In death, as in life, she followed her own inner voice, with fortitude and resolve. An innovator in the field of cognitive anthropology, her interests spanned neuroscience, human evolution, psychodynamic approaches, childhood socialization, and gender. Naomi earned her AB in anthropology from Radcliffe College in 1961, with Bea Whiting as her mentor, and her PhD at Stanford in 1971, under advisor Roy D’Andrade. Her dissertation research in Ghana focused on how people acquired and processed information in everyday contexts. She critiqued microeconomic decision models discovering that instead of calculating the probabilities of different outcomes, people relied instead on simplifying heuristics and cultural precedents. Her realization that much of cultural knowledge is not readily verbalized led her to invent new methods of analyzing interview data to uncover implicit cultural schemas and to later edit Finding Culture in Talk (2005). Naomi joined the Department of Anthropology at Duke University in 1972 where she would remain for the rest of her career, serving as chair from 1989-1996. In 1976, she began a study of American marriage, and influenced by schema theory in the cognitive sciences, pioneered cultural models theory in the influential volume, Cultural Models in Language and Thought, co-edited with Dorothy Holland (1987). Later she and Claudia Strauss collaborated on A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning (1997), where they articulated a view of cultural schemas as motivating and potentially enduring but also flexible and adaptive. More recently, Naomi explored the neural, emotional, and evolutionary bases of culture learning and cultural practices. In a 2013 volume, Attachment Reconsidered: Cultural Perspectives on a Western Theory, edited with Jeannette Mageo, she examined the effects of early attachment and separation on adult intimate relationships cross-culturally. In 2018, she edited the volume, Advances in Culture Theory from Psychological Anthropology. Naomi received many honors during her long and productive career. The two of which she was most proud were the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Psychological Anthropology, (she served as President-elect and President from 1991-1995), and the 2001 Squeaky Wheel Award for promoting greater gender parity from the American Anthropological Association Committee on the Status of Women. However, she counted as her greatest achievements raising two wonderful daughters as a single parent; contributing to the collective struggle for women’s equality and racial justice; and learning to be an effective teacher. Naomi was an extraordinarily generous mentor and colleague who delighted in bringing people together to share ideas. Those of us who were privileged to know her will also remember her kindness, quick wit, and above all, her vitality. She is survived by daughters Rachel Afi Quinn (and daughter-in-law Eesha Pandit), Esther Quinn-Cuffie (and son-in-law George Cuffie, and granddaughters Aja, Iyana, and Orora Quinn-Cuffie).

Susan Coon, passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the young age of 66. She was a longtime Dean of University Life at Duke. She characterized herself on Twitter as “wife, mom, cellist, vocalist, Unitarian, admissions officer, & recovering arts administrator who loves walking in Duke Gardens.” The eZine of Kalmazoo College carried this note in 2017: “Sue retired on June 30, 2017, after a forty-one-year career in higher education. She served as manager of Stewart Theatre at North Carolina State University for eight years, then spent thirty-three years at Duke University as Director of Cultural Affairs, Dean of University Life, and most recently as Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions.”  Susan Louise  Coon was born on June 29, 1952, in New York, New York, the second child of Dr. Minor Jesser Coon and Mary Louise Coon, nee Newburn. At the end of her father's sabbatical year at New York University, the family returned to Philadelphia. In 1955, the family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Growing up in the cultural and intellectual stimulation of a college town was seminal for Sue. The family enjoyed outdoor activities, including camping, skiing and especially sledding in the Arboretum. Susie was a free-range child and spent many hours outside with the other children of the neighborhood, riding bikes, climbing trees, and playing in the vast field at the end of the block. Sue enjoyed music for her entire life, having studied voice, cello, guitar and piano formally. After a forty-year gap, she returned to the cello, which was both a great pleasure and a great challenge for her. Sue's lifelong love of travel and studying languages was fostered by the family's sabbatical year in Zurich, Switzerland. She and her brother, Larry, were enrolled in a public school, Muhlebach Schulhaus, where the language of study was German. Sue graduated from Kalamazoo College with Honors in 1974, Phi Beta Kappa, majoring in French and Theatre Arts. Her study abroad year was spent in Caen, France, where she was able to enjoy many performances and side trips. After graduating from college, she spent five months in Europe before returning to Ann Arbor, where she began graduate school at the University of Michigan. After one semester at the University of Michigan, Sue transferred to New York University, where she received her Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration in June 1976. Sue accepted a position as Manager of Stewart Theatre at North Carolina State University. It was there that she met Conrad Walton Weiser, who was Director of the NCSU Crafts Center. They were married in 1978. Their first child, Sarah Emily Jane Weiser, was born in 1982. In 1984, she accepted the position of Director of Cultural Affairs at Duke University. Sue and Conrad's second child, Philip Konrad Richard Weiser, was born in 1987. Their grandson, William Jesser Davis, son of Sarah and John Davis, was born in 2015. After a Student Affairs restructuring, Sue was named as Associate Dean, and then Dean of University Life. After another Student Affairs restructuring, Sue moved to Undergraduate Admissions, where she stayed until retiring after thirty-three years at Duke in 2017. Unfortunately, her retirement plans for travel, playing cello, and looking after her adored grandson, were seriously affected by a diagnosis of ALS. Sue and Conrad have appreciated the help of family and friends, who accompanied her on her difficult journey.

Beatrice “Bea” Solomon Knott, went to be with the Lord at the age of 86 years on Friday, June 21, 2019, young after a short stay at Hock Family Pavilion Duke Hospice Care. She was born on Aug. 23, 1932 in Roxboro, North Carolina, to Alice Marie and George Thomas Solomon. Bea was privileged to be part of one of 11 children born to “Papa and Kay’s Mama” as they rose far and above the norm for parenting. Always engaged and teaching their children to be ‘always engaged’ as well. Bea is survived by two sisters: Kay S. Whitfield (Jerry) who resides in Bushy Fork and Shirley S. Bowers (Marvin) who resides in Greensboro, North Carolina. Preceded in death were five brothers: Earl Solomon, Mack Solomon, Buck Solomon, Bernard “Bunny” Solomon and Tom Solomon and three sisters: Cleo S. Long, Alma S. Dunevant, and Mae Love (who passed as an infant.) Everyone knew, the apples of her eye were her abundance of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren whom she loved beyond measure. During the prime of her life, she was married to Horace Dolowayne “Don” Knott. Together they had seven daughters including two sets of twins. Six of her daughters are living in Roxboro and are listed from eldest to youngest: Donna K. Moore (Thomas), Deborah K. Williamson (Ray), Diane Knott, Patricia K. Horner (Billy), Vivian Alice K. Stanley (Joe), and Karla Marie K. Hudson. Residing in Hickory is her youngest daughter, Kim Beatrice K. Atkinson (Eddie). She had eight grandchildren, from eldest to youngest, who faithfully remained close to her: Alice Perdue (GR), Sally Adams, Blair H. Lochbaum (John), Nicole Moore (Kyle), Logan Atkinson, Laura Marie Moore, Byron Atkinson (Kara), and Austin Horner. Her nine great-grandchildren are Abigail Perdue, Michaela Perdue, Liberty Adams, Waverly Adams, Peyton Lochbaum, Kinsley Alice Moore, Addie Lochbaum, Keagan Moore and Asher Atkinson. Her blessings reached way beyond her immediate family into numerous extended family members that are too many to list. Just know she loved each and every one of her extended family and her immediate family will continue to love all those who entered her heart, as much as Bea had. Her greatest passion and accomplishment was accepting the Lord Jesus as her Savior and honoring Him through her devoted service as a volunteer pianist at Salem Church. A few of Bea’s other passions and skills included an unwavering devotion and love for children (Oak Lane children held a special place in her heart), babysitting, dog-sitting (she didn’t really care much for dogs but her children needed her help, so she would rise above her own thoughts and feelings to be present in the most positive ways for her children). Bea always listened with a God-like ear and heart. She taught us all by role-modeling how to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and strength. Bea also attained many earthly accomplishments such as attending Louisburg College, knowing how to manage a full-time job while maintaining a home, raising a family, cooking, sewing (she always made her family’s clothing), raising a garden which included canning and freezing the bounty. This list could go on forever but there is one last skillset worth mentioning, in the age before YouTube, she was a self-taught, unlicensed hairdresser, which we believe, was driven by her disciplined and wise money-managing skills. She cut all her children’s hair for years. Her trademark style was remarkably consistent. Bangs were always cut straight (mostly not so straight) across the forehead and excessively short. When asked why so short her answer was, “Because I do not have to cut it so often.” Proof that time and money were valuable resources to her and your embarrassment was character building. There needs to be more “Beas” in the world, today. She was and is dearly loved and greatly cherished.

Arie L Long, of Durham, North Carolina passed away at the young age of 77 on Thursday, June 20, 2019. Arie worked at Duke University as a Housekeeping Specialist, with Few West II Service Management. Arie’s career with Duke begin on July 02, 1990 retiring June 01, 2007 sharing seventeen years of life with Duke. Family, friends and community will mourn the loss of Arie.

Elizabeth Carrington Pendergrass, peacefully departed this life on June 20th, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. She was born April 10th, 1921 to Luther Macon Carrington and Lucy Pearl Hobgood Carrington in Stoval, North Carolina.  Elizabeth grew up in Burkeville, Virginia, on the family farm, surrounded by a large family of sixteen siblings, three sisters and thirteen brothers, eight of whom served simultaneously in the military in WWII. She attended Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia and Watts Hospital School of Laboratory Technology in Durham, North Carolina, graduating in 1943. She retired from Duke University Health System with more than fifty years in the medical profession. After her retirement, she enjoyed travel in Europe and excelled in quilt making, creating almost a hundred beautiful and artistic quilts for members of her family, all of which are used and treasured to this day. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Pendergrass Sr. and grandson, Christopher Lee Calvert. Elizabeth is survived by a sister, Ella Carrington Schipke, three children, Christopher Busch and wife Lora, Karen Green and husband Bill, Robert Pendergrass Jr, five grandchildren: Matthew Busch, Kylie Green, Bobby, Tara and Heather Pendergrass, and six great grandchildren.

Phyllis Joy Gaskill Hunnings, of Otway, passed away Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Carteret Health Care. She was 78 years young. Phyllis had a great love for her family, her extended family and her church family. Her love for people was broadened when she adopted and supported several children from Compassion International. All who met her knew her kind heart and caring spirit. Phyllis had worked for Duke University Health System beginning May 01, 1966 retiring April 01, 2006 after sharing forty years of life with her Duke family. She is survived by her husband, Melvin C. Hunnings of the home; daughter, Susan H. Perkins and husband Chuck, of Stuarts Draft, VA; son, Robert Hunnings of Raleigh; sister, Deborah Gaskill Whittington and husband Don of Dunn; brother-in-law, Bruce Riegel of Raleigh; grandchildren, Scott Perkins, Michael Perkins, Jessica Perkins and Rachel Perkins; nieces, Stephanie Hancock and husband Mark and Alyssa Willis, Donna Morton and husband Jim; and nephews, Preston Henry, Phillip Whittington, Connor Morton and William Morton.She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Vergie Gaskill; grandparents, Romain and Gladys Gaskill and Albert and Dorothy Gaskill; sister, Bonnie Gaskill Riegel; and nephew, Philip Willis Jr.

Dr. Michael K. Reedy, Professor Emeritus, Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, died Tuesday, June 18, 2019, the day before his 85th birthday. He was visiting family in Seattle when he suffered a massive stroke, on June 15th. Dr. Reedy had gone for a swim with his nephew in Lake Washington, while family prepared an early birthday celebration. His stroke happened upon returning to their car, whereas Michael was immediately rushed to the hospital. Three days later the family made the difficult decision to remove life support, and he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. Michael was the oldest of five siblings, born in Seattle, but his early childhood was lived in Tanana, Alaska. His family moved back to Seattle when he entered middle school, attending Meany and then Garfield. Michael left high school his senior year, when the University of Chicago offered him a scholarship. In 1961, he graduated from the University of Washington Medical School, where he fell in love with the electron microscope and muscle structure. After Medical School, he completed a postdoc in the lab of Hugh Huxley, at the MRC-LMB, Cambridge, England. His postdoctoral research resulted in a seminal paper supporting the swinging crossbridge theory of muscle contraction, published in Nature, 1965. Michael was on the faculty at UCLA for three years, before being courted by the head of Anatomy at Duke University. Mike joined Duke's faculty in 1969, moving to Durham, with his first wife, Deirdre, and their two children, Tad & Heather. He stayed at Duke through his department's merge into Cell Biology and remained until his retirement. Mike's love for muscle structure and function was immediately obvious to anyone who spoke with him. He was affable and enthusiastic. That enthusiasm was his special gift as a scientist, enabling him to assemble and motivate diverse teams of scientists from around the world. His teams pioneered rapid freezing of muscle to give 1-ms snapshots of actively contracting muscle with electron microscopy, and later developed real-time live action X-ray movies of contracting muscle. Mike's second wife, and scientific partner, Mary Reedy, uniquely blessed his life and work for many decades. They shared a love and enthusiasm that was palpable-and manifested in the birth of their son, Carter, in 1974. Their partnership came to an end when Mary lost her battle with breast cancer in 2008. Michael had the distinction of maintaining a single NIH R01 grant to study muscle throughout his long career, continuously funded for 44 years, until retiring in September of 2016. He retained his sunny outlook on life and remained active: traveling for pleasure, visiting family & friends, swimming regularly, and still coming into the lab at Duke Univeristy. He was a bright light in the lives of many, and will be sorely missed. Michael's youngest brother, Terry, preceded him in death, August 2018. Mike is survived by siblings: Sharon, Diane and Pat; first wife and friend: Deirdre; children: Tad, Heather (& Dan), and Carter (& Angie); grandchildren: Mim, Franklin, Marisol and Nayeli; dear family friends & caregivers: Nancy and Rebecca- and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and their families.

Somora Farrington, known to many by her nickname ‘Stick’ was born February 13, 1949. She passed away on June 16, 2019. Somora had an unwavering faith in God, she was a member of Seed Time Harvest and at one point was a member of the choir. For a number of years, she had become very involved with the church and assisted with numerous events when her health would allow. She was educated in the Durham school system and worked at Duke University Medical Center for thirty-five years as a Medical Supply Assembler Senior, in Sterile Processing, where she made countless friends before retiring. Anyone that knew Somora, knew that she had a great love for family. All anyone had to do was to mention the word ‘grandbabies’ and the biggest smile would radiate from those beautiful hazel eyes of hers. She was a caring and praying woman who trusted and believed wholeheartedly in the path of Jesus. She leaves to cherish her memories her son Stevie (Cierra) Farrington of Detroit, Michigan, her daughter Cherie Farrington of Hillsborough, North Carolina and five grandchildren, KayShawn, Ke’Von, and King, Hillsborough, North Carolina and Rosie and Roshelle of Detroit, Michigan along with a host of family and friends.

James Woods NeSmith, passed away at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, on June 15, 2019, attended by his loving family and friends. James was a very young 67 years of age. The cause of death was Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). James was born in 1951 in Wauchula, Florida and grew up in Gainesville, Florida. His father, James NeSmith, also died of ALS. Family members who grieve his passing are his wife of twenty-three years, Marda Messick; his mother, Carlotta Clavel NeSmith, of Gainesville; his brothers, Chris NeSmith (Lee) and Peter NeSmith (Laura), also of Gainesville; his sister, Katy NeSmith (Jim Cox), of Tallahassee; his children, Cara NeSmith and James NeSmith (Erica), both of Durham, North Carolina; nieces Jules NeSmith and Alex Gortot; nephews Jamie NeSmith and Patrick Cox; and grandson Logan NeSmith. He was educated at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville. As a skilled pediatric cardiac sonographer, he worked at Duke Medical Center for over thirty years. James also worked with the A.I.Dupont Children's Hospital in Wilmington, DE. After moving to Tallahassee in 2008, he enjoyed tutoring students at Tallahassee Community College. James touched many lives with his friendliness and joyful spirit. He gladly shared his wide-ranging enthusiasms: baking, running, tending his collection of tropical bromeliads, music, travel, and extensive literary interests. He will remembered with great affection by many friends, colleagues, and the congregation of St. Stephen Lutheran Church.

Dr. James Wyngaarden, was born October 19, 1924 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, the second of four children born to the late Prof. Martin Wyngaarden and the late Johanna (Kempers) Wyngaarden. At 94 years of age, he peacefully passed away at his home on Friday, June 14, 2019 following a lengthy illness. Dr. Wyngaarden was a giant in the leadership of medicine during the last half of the twentieth century. He embodied the description of the complete physician as he advanced medicine through his accomplishments as a scientist, educator, clinician, and administrator. He was a creator and model physician-scientist and was considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of molecular medicine, an approach which seeks to determine the molecular basis of diseases so as to facilitate their treatment and cure. Following a lifetime devoted to medicine, Dr. James B. Wyngaarden will long be regarded as amongst the finest of the greatest generation of physician-scientist leaders of the twentieth century. As a scientist, his research in purine metabolism elucidated the understanding of diseases such as gout, and his work was critical for the development of drugs for their treatment. As an educator, he understood the importance of the physician-scientist and was a leading proponent for training and supporting the careers of these critical contributors to medical progress. He was the first to call attention to the waning interest of many young physicians in pursuing such a career, referring as early as 1979 to the physician scientist as “an endangered species,” and took steps to remediate the situation such as starting a special research training program for physicians at Duke University. As a physician-author, he wrote some 250 biochemical research, medical education and science policy papers including co-editing five editions each of “Cecil’s Textbook of Medicine” and “The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease”. As a physician-administrator, he helped train legions of leading scientists, department chairs, and health system heads. He chaired the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (1965-1967) and then at Duke University (1967-1982), elevating Duke’s Department of Medicine to one of the nation’s best. He served as Director of the National Institutes of Health (1982-1989), Associate Director for Life Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President (G. H. W. Bush) (1989-1990), Director of the Human Genome Organization (1990-1992), Foreign Secretary of the US National Academy of Sciences (1990-1994), and Assistant Vice Chancellor of the Duke University Medical Center (1991-1994). Throughout his career, Dr. Wyngaarden served on numerous federal and private advisory committees. He was a member of the original Scientific Advisory Committee of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1969-1982), on the President’s Science Advisory Committee (1972-1973), on the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science (1977-1980), as the Director of the World AIDS Foundation (1987-1989), and as a Principal of the Washington Advisory Group (1994-2002). Dr. Wyngaarden’s notable achievements were recognized by his election to the National Academy of Sciences, The National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal College of Physicians, and the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. Further he received the Anlyan Lifetime Achievement Award from Duke University, the George M. Kober Medal from the Association of American Physicians, and eight Honorary Degrees including one from Duke University. He attended Calvin College and Western Michigan University and earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan in 1948. He married Ethel Vredevoogd in 1946 and over a ten year period, their family grew with five children, including Patricia, Jana, Marty, Lisa, and James B. Wyngaarden, Jr. They raised their family primarily in Durham, NC although they spent 1963-1964 in France while Dr. Wyngaarden was on sabbatical as a Visiting Scientist at the Marie Curie and Pasteur Institutes in Paris. Their marriage lasted thirty-one years. Dr. Wyngaarden was an accomplished tennis player throughout his life, and as an adult enjoyed skiing, sailing with his adult children, and traveling. He delighted in the continued growth of his family which numbered eighteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren at the time of his death. He is survived by his daughters Jana Gandy and her husband William of Edgewater, MD, Marty Krauss and her husband Richard of Cambridge, MA, Lisa Wyngaarden of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and his son James B. Jr. and his wife Elizabeth of Durham, NC. In addition to his parents , he was pre-deceased by Lillian (Van Slot), his sister, Martin, his brother, Joanne (De Nooyer), his sister, Ethel (Teer), his former wife, Patricia (Fitzpatrick), his eldest daughter, Brian Rolland, a former son-in-law, and Barbara Walsh Wyngaarden, his daughter-in-law. Over the last several years of declining health, his son Jim devoted himself to meeting all the needs of our father in a loving and deeply respectful relationship. His sisters are forever grateful and awed by the steadfast care Jim provided our father. We also thank the many staff of Vin Rouge who welcomed “Doc”, our father, almost nightly to their restaurant.

Deborah (Debi) Paschall Ackert, 66, passed away at home on June 10, 2019 after a brief but hard fought battle with both breast cancer and metastatic pancreatic cancer. Her daughter and partner were both by her side where they had been for several days. She was also surrounded by her three beloved cats, Orca, Abby and Tupac, who rarely left her side. Debi was born almost three months premature on July 7, 1952 and never lost that fighting spirit. Surviving being that premature in 1952 was uncommon but she beat the odds. She was the only child of the late Walter Benjamin and Mildred Ward Paschall. Her father predeceased her by just seven months. She grew up with her grandparents right next door for most of her childhood and her cousins have memories of tons of play dates. Her parents made it a fun place to grow up and for many of her cousins it was the place to be. She and her husband would go on to raise their only child there and continue the practice of making it a fun place where all her friends were welcome. It was from her parents that she inherited her unwavering love of animals, a trait she passed to her daughter. She would do anything to help an animal that needed it. Debi had many careers that she was very proud of including a stint in the Air Force and Army, being an EMT, and working with the late Sheriff Albert “Lindy” Pendergrass, who she adored, before he was the longtime Sheriff of Orange County. She worked in what was then the Physiological Monitoring Department at Duke University Medical Center until she had to go on disability in 1989. The job she was most proud of was being a wife and mother. Debi married the love of her life in 1978 and from that, point on her primary focus was her family. They had their only child in 1979 and raised her in the same house Debi grew up in right next door to her parents. They instilled a lifelong passion for learning in their only child that started with Debi teaching her to read and write at two years old. She was a loving and fiercely protective mother who put her daughter’s needs and wants before her own, right up until the end. Her daughter is both proud and grateful to have been blessed with such devoted, loving and strong parents. She takes great comfort in knowing her parents are finally reunited. In addition to her parents Debi was predeceased by her beloved husband, William (Bill) V. Ackert, who died of cancer in 1999 after twenty-one years of marriage, ten of her twelve aunts and uncles and several cousins, and just last week her twenty-one year old cat, Lillie. She is survived by the light of her life, her daughter, Tiffany Brooke Ackert of Durham; her devoted longtime partner, Brian Dodge of the home; her paternal aunt, Mary Ellis (Tip) of Durham; her paternal uncle, Wayne Paschall (Jackie) of Durham; many cousins including several that she talked of spending lots of time with growing up, Arbutus (Beauty) Gadd of Corpus Christi, TX, Bill Vierra of Chapel Hill, NC, Meleta Hunter of Creedmoor, NC, Barry Mangum of Raleigh, NC, Dee McClure of Greeley, CO, and Donna Fullerton and Nell Knibiehly both of Creedmoor, NC. She would also like to acknowledge her cousin Donald Paschall III and his wife Debbie for their unwavering support of her daughter. The family would like to thank the staff of Duke Home Care and Hospice and of the Oncology team on 9300 at DUMC for their compassionate and diligent care of Debi in her final weeks. They made a devastating situation a little less stressful. In accordance with her wishes no funeral service will be held. Anyone who wishes to honor her, we ask that you make a donation to your local animal shelter.

Karen George Kirchof, began life March 09, 1953. She was born and raised a tomboy in Lancaster, Ohio on. Karen attended St. Johns Episcopal church during her formative years. She naturally enjoyed the outdoors, playing sports, and being a part of many teams (all were constants for her as an adult too). She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education (PE) and started her career as a PE and health sciences teacher and was later promoted to Women's Athletic Director in Lancaster public schools. Karen continued her formal education after moving to North Carolina earning a Masters of Arts in Education from Western Carolina University in 1983. Post-graduation, Karen began her career center profession at Wake Tech Community College and in 1991 moved on to Duke University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (now Nicholas School of the Environment; NSOE). During the next twenty-eight years, Karen used her exemplary teaching and coaching skills guiding 3000+ graduate students and alumni into environmental careers. Karen was respected as a wise, "straight-shooter" who students and alums often sought guidance from before making career and sometimes life changes. Her importance in their lives was demonstrated through them sharing promotional announcements, wedding invitations, and bringing children, parents and other loved ones to campus to meet Coach "k" (as she was affectionately called). Karen's care for the NSOE and Duke community was wide and deep. She was the "go to" person for staff, faculty, housekeepers, anyone on campus seeking something new or novel, a strategic decision-maker, or a sympathetic ear. In a nod to her love of basketball, Karen was the school's "sixth man" as you could always count on her for an assist and to cheer you on. It is no exaggeration to note, her impact was worldwide. Karen's life was filled with a boldness and passion for many things, and her main passion was helping others succeed and "find their way" in an increasingly complicated world. Karen loved sports and was a Duke Blue Devil basketball season ticket holder for twenty-eight years and fan of the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Cubs. Karen enjoyed shooting shotguns (she was really good), golf (not so good, couldn't putt), hanging out with her nieces and nephews, volunteering at the Duke Cancer Center with Pet Therapy, fishing at Portsmouth Island, Ocracoke or with the Twisted Sisters on the Outer Banks. Karen had a profound love of dogs, first Chi-Chi and Piasano. A day spent in the field hunting over Chief or Tsar or walking the woods was as good as it gets. It was clear - Karen was in her element when outdoors. Karen was truly an extraordinary person, a megaton of TNT in a very small package. Several people have remarked, "She was the best person I have ever known", not a mean bone in her body; a real mentor, coach and a true leader, always by example. Coach "k" knew that any real team had to be greater than the sum of its parts and she instinctively knew how to build one, by coaching and mentoring each individual to be the best they could be while never losing focus of the team goals. Many were fortunate to be on her team, and have her be part of their team. Karen's love were her family, friends and her dogs, of course. Karen is survived by her love of forty-six years Randy Kirchof, her mother Nancy Frick of Lancaster, OH and preceded in death by her father Herbert George Jr. Karen loved and was loved in return by her brothers, Steve and Kevin George, and their families of Columbus, OH and Nags Head, NC. The Kirchof's of Houston, TX, Wilton, CT and Orlando, FL loved her deeply and will miss her for all time. Thanks to the Frick families in Ohio for their love and support. Special thanks goes out to the team at Hock Family Pavilion including Lucy, Patricia, Monique, Darlene and Dr. Shelly. You guys are the BEST, top of the top. Lose the grind to focus on family, friends, loved ones and the big picture. Appreciate the simple things in life, they will never fail you. Listen more than you speak. Change the word ‘expectation’ to ‘appreciation’ and watch your world change as well. Karen Kirchof passed away on Monday, June 10, 2019.

Ann Hill Whitworth, age 83, passed away on Tuesday, June 04, 2019 at her home in Purlear, North Carolina. She was born in Erwin, North Carolina on November 12, 1935 to Frank Weaver, Sr. and Elsie Horrell Weaver. Ann was formerly employed at Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company and was retired from Duke Medical Center after twenty-seven years, where she had formerly been employed as a Patient Service Coordinator with Private Diagnostic Center. She was a member of Greystone Baptist Church until her move to Purlear, North Carolina in 2007. Ann was a member of New Hope Baptist Church, until her passing. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Roy Hill and her husband, Donald Whitworth. Ann is survived by her daughter, Deborah Hill Yates of Purlear, NC; her son, Frederick A. Hill of Durham, NC; three grandsons, Ross B. Yates, and wife, Andrea of Mt. Pleasant, SC, Brett J. Yates of Millers Creek, NC, and Mark C. Yates of Purlear, NC and three great grandchildren, Finley Madison Yates, Bennett Reid Yates, and Cooper Hill Yates.

Barbara Ann Byrd, was born on March 15, 1943 and passed away on Monday, June 03, 2019 at 76 years young. Barbara was a resident of North Carolina at the time of passing.  She had been a former employee of Duke University Health System working as a Patient Service Associate with Duke Primary Care, Timberlyne Family Medical Center. Her career began on October 05, 1994 retiring September 01, 2009 sharing fifteen years of life with her Duke family.

Fetney Irene Watson Hart, 82, born August 02, 1936 passed away on June 03, 2019. Fetney had been employed by Duke University working as a Material Control Clerk Senior, for Contract Operations. Fetney began working for Duke on October 05, 1959 and retired on February 28, 1995 after sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family. May loving memories ease the loss and bring comfort to the hearts of those that will miss her presence here on earth.

Christina Albrechtsen, passed away on Sunday, June 02, 2019. She was a very young 43 years of age. She began working with Duke University Health System on June 28, 2004 and was an active employee upon her death. Christina worked as a Clinical Services Nurse III, with DN PreOp Screening but more than that, Christina affected lives, many of them. “Tina” is not remembered by her years of nursing service,  but rather by the difference she made during those years by stepping into people’s lives, and by creating special moments. Nursing is a calling, a lifestyle, a way of living and Christina honored that profession. When “Tina” passed, her colleagues gathered to say goodbye, “When a calming, quiet presence was all that was needed, she was there. In the excitement and miracle of birth or in the mystery and loss of life, she was there. When a silent glance could uplift a patient, family member or friend, she was there. At those times when the unexplainable needed to be explained, she was there. When the situation demanded a swift foot and a sharp mind, she was there. In choosing the best one from a family’s “Thank You” box of chocolates, she was there. To witness humanity, its beauty, in good times and bad without judgement, she was there. To embrace the woes of the world, willingly, and  offer hope, she was there. And now, that it is time to be at the Greater One’s side, she is there.  “Tina”, we miss you. A birdbath and hummingbird feeder have been installed at the Duke Hospice - Hock Family Pavilion.  Bob Simchock installed his amazing birdbath in a special spot right outside Tina's room at Hock Family Pavilion as Tom Hunter with Duke Hospice carefully hung Audrey Kennedy's beautiful hummingbird feeder right next to it. Tom said right after the birdbath and feeder were set, a hummingbird stopped by to check out the new installations. Probably just Tina stopping by to say thank you.  Friends, family and colleagues are all so very fortunate and humbled to have these incredible artists and friends at Duke Hospice help make Tina's memory forever a part of this special place. Giving a quick update to everyone on some milestone achievements thanks to everyone who loved Tina magnanimous efforts and generosity! Not only have we have achieved Tina's fundraising goal of $10,000 for cancer patient support programs with the Duke Cancer Institute, the tribute bench being gifted in Tina's honor has been assembled and placed in the Duke Garden of Tranquility. The plaque memorializing her name and thanking EVERYONE involved in this tremendous fundraising effort is still on its way, so stay tuned for photos once it’s installed and for her bench will be officially dedicated. In addition to the memorial bench, all involved and them some, have recently procured a beautiful limestone birdbath from local stonemason and artist, Bob Simchock. Bob will be installing the birdbath soon at Hock Family Pavilion along with a blown glass hummingbird feeder crafted by the amazing artist, Audrey Kennedy. These gifts were only made possible with your generosity, the support of these artists, and the incredible advocacy from the staff and leadership at Duke Home Care and Hospice. I humbly thank everyone who has played a part in helping Tina realize her final wishes. I also want to acknowledge the incredible support from Tom Hunter with Duke Hospice for championing the effort of installing Tina’s birdbath and hummingbird feeders in the courtyard garden of Hock Family Pavilion. Tina's gifts will provide comfort to those who cared for her, and are being cared for, at Duke Hospice. Lastly, if you want to support the artists who have contributed to Tina's legacy I would encourage you to visit them online or in person and secure a hummingbird feeder or stone art-piece that helps you personally connect to Tina's memory. Tina will be greatly missed but her warmth, kindness, and gentle spirit will be remembered forever. Her generous and kind heart was her legacy and it will live on eternally.

Onie Jordan, passed away June 02, 2019 at the Hospice Home in Burlington North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her husbands Donald Wells and Walter Jordan. Onie had worked as a Research Aide in Behavioral Medicine at Duke Medical Center. She began her career on December 01, 1955 retiring July 01, 1987 sharing thirty-two years of life with her Duke family. Onie is last of her six siblings. She is survived by her son Wayne Jordan and his wife Claudia. She will be greatly missed by her two grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Joyce Audrey Odham Van Benschoten, born July 31, 1932 passed away on Sunday, June 02, 2019. Joyce had worked for Duke University as a Computer Operator for VPIT-Tele/Video Communications. Her career began on June 05, 1972 retiring October 28, 1994 sharing twenty-two years of life with her Duke family.

Dr. Frederick Cassidy, died June 01, 2019 in Durham North Carolina. He was the son of Lucille (Heim) Cassidy. He was born on February 17, 1960 in Yonkers New York. His paternal great-grandparents, Edward and Sophia (Schlumberger) Kuechle had moved to Yonkers in the 1890’s and were long time members of the former German Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s Church (Missouri Synod) on Hudson Street. He was educated in local schools and received an A.B. degree from Columbia in 1982 with a concentration in mathematics. Following a two-year period as a Cardiovascular Research Technician at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, he attended Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, receiving an M.D. degree in 1988. After completion of his residency in Psychiatry at Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC, he joined the faculty of the Psychiatry Department, attaining the rank of Professor in 2012. He also worked at John Umstead State Psychiatric Hospital, which later became Central Regional Hospital in Butner as an attending Psychiatrist and Director of the Electroconvulsive Therapy Program. His research career focused on Bipolar Disorder. He served as a journal reviewer for over twenty different professional journals in his career, as an Editorial Board Member and a Field Editor for the journal Bipolar Disorders, and as a Counselor for the International Society of Bipolar Disorders, and was a member of their past task forces on Diagnostic Nomenclature, Suicide, Anti-Depressant Usage in Bipolar Disorder. He was recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Robins-Guze Award and the North Carolina Hargrove Research Award, and was chosen as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He was predeceased by this grandmother Josephine (Voelker) Heim, his beagle Alexander Gerd Cassidy and his cat Alex Fletcher Cassidy. He is survived by his cat Simon P. Cassidy and Morey A. Cassidy. Also surviving are a sister Mrs. George (Joanne) Losapio, a niece, Mrs. Michael (Lauren) Renna, Luke Losapio, and another sister, Lucille Donovan.

May 2019

Catherine Wright Kelly, of Durham, North Carolina died May 31, 2019 at the young age of 90 in Duke Regional Hospital. Catherine was the second of six children born to the late John Elvin and Ethel Covington Wright on December 23, 1928. She was educated in the Durham Public School System. Catherine lived a life of unconditional love; she possessed a heart of pure gold and had a warmth about her that could not be surpassed. Her gentle spirit reached out to all, no limits, no boundaries. Her young life was centered by love and admiration for her Mother, her siblings and family. She loved life and lived life “just the way she wanted”, all her life. Prior to her illness, Cat had a good time, happy, enjoying the moment and her company at the time. On February 06, 1976, she married her late husband Eugene Kelly of Wake County; and they were happily united in marriage for thirty-seven years. Catherine was an employee of Duke University Medical Center working as a Housekeeping Specialist for several years; she was also a Union Steward Leader until her retirement on January 04, 1991. She was a strong advocate of “human rights” and always represented those peers whom she served in that capacity. She was predeceased by two brothers, Otis Wright and Jesse (Joe) Wright; two sisters Lillian E. Alston and Edna (Big) Taylor all from Durham, NC. Who they all enjoyed family gatherings and sitting around talking about the “good ole days”. Although her life was filled with journeys and some health challenges, she will always remain in our thoughts, hearts and lives as vivacious and full of vigor. Left to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy of love is her one sister, Elma “Nookie” Rogers, of Durham, NC; her children J. Delores Wright, Silver Spring, MD; Johnny Elvin Wright, Joseph Bernard Wright, Alton (Freddie) Wright and Carolyn Wright Bridges (all of Durham, NC). Also to cherish her memory are eight grandchildren, four great grandchildren and five great, great, grandchildren, and nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Franklin Sesay, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at the age of 70. Franklin was born in Sierra Leone. On September 27, 2010, Franklin joined the workforce of Duke University employed as an Internal Staffing Resource Pool for Central Administration.  He retired sixteen years later.

Victoria Melinda Brannon Austin Pickrell, formerly of Pittsboro, North Carolina, widow of Dr. Kenneth Pickrell, died Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at Springfield Place. She was 90 years young. Victoria was born on July 16, 1924 in Union; she was a daughter of the late Robert Victor and Maude Melinda Dickerson Brannon. She was employed in the Art Department of Duke University and later owned a bridal shop in Durham, North Carolina. She served in the military as a WAVE. Victoria is survived by a son, Gerard Paul Totten; daughters, Johnna Forrester, Melinda Ann Crowder and Victoria Isabel Thomas; a sister, Priscilla Shuler; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A brother, Forrest Brannon, predeceased her.

Angela Thompson Brunson, of Durham, North Carolina born December 09, 1941 passed away on Monday May 27, 2019 at 77 years of age. Angela had worked as a Cashier with Food Court South for Duke University Health System beginning April 11, 1980 retiring September 01, 1999 sharing nearly twenty years with her Duke family.

Arthur ‘Art’ Earl Ferguson Jr., 72 years young, passed away on May 25, 2019. Before he left this world, he had taken time to write his own obituary. “I beat cancer. Born on April 09, 1947 to Arthur and Charmaine Ferguson in Cobleskill, New York, I eventually settled in Wilson, North Carolina graduating from Fike High School in 1965. I set off to see the world as a Navy Corpsman for 4 years then as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 46 years eventually retiring from UNC Hospital. Along the way, I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia, joined Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity and became a Mason but my heart was in helping others. I was a youth soccer coach for my boys as well as a FIFA certified referee for many wonderful years. I enjoyed my time with Habitat for Humanity, serving on the Durham County Public Health Board in retirement, and working with the American Cancer Society to help others deal with and live through cancer. For some reason, I took a shine to refinishing furniture for friends and family, helping them restore family heirlooms. While in Durham, I found a spiritual home at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church where I made many friends and served as an Usher and Deacon helping with the Finance and Building and Grounds committees as well as the care team. Other than my family, my passion and heart was with the scores of men and women I worked with in Scouting. For over thirty-five years, I volunteered with three different troops serving on committees, as a Scoutmaster, and even going to National Jamboree as an Assistant Scout Master. I was proud of receiving the Vigil Honor and worked with Order of the Arrow Ceremony teams for over thirty years with many teams earning national recognition. The OA sparked my interest in making Native American War Bonnets that I would present to all of my "adopted" sons and daughters in Scouting. I loved my wife Susan and my two boys, both of them my "good son", Russ and Chris who have made me proud every day and can't bear that I am leaving all of them behind. I await seeing them again in eternity. Art was preceded in death by his parents Arthur & Charmaine Ferguson. He is survived by his wife Susan and sons Russ (Lisa) and Chris Ferguson, sister Donna Pate (Danny) and their children Jad (Victoria) and Jenna. Art was a former Nuclear Medical Technologist working for Duke Raleigh Hospital. Art happily shared twenty-five years of life with his Duke family.

Charlotte Merritt Miller Womack, of Rougemont, North Carolina, went to her beach chair in the sky on Saturday, May 25, 2019. Charlotte was born January 22, 1941 in Durham, North Carolina, to the late William J. Miller Sr. and Hallie Merritt Miller. Charlotte was the younger sister of William “Bill” (Judy) Miller Jr, of Virginia, and the older sister of Joseph “Joe” Henry Miller. She worked at Duke University Health System for thirty-five years as a Staff Assistant in Medical Transcription with the Gastroenterology Department and loved, loved, loved sitting on the beach following her retirement. Charlotte is survived by her children: daughter, Deborah (Ryan) Combs, of the home, and son, A. Stephen (Lee Cole) Womack Jr, of Hillsborough. Her grandchildren: Cortney (Michael) Bowling, of Rougemont, Brandon Combs, of the home, Kathryn (Matthew) Kearns, of Hillsborough, and Kyle Womack, of Hillsborough. In addition, two great grandchildren, Gatlin and Lylah Bowling, of Rougemont.

Gertie Badgett McLain-Lee, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on May 23, 2019, at the age of 74. Gertie was a former Medical Licensed Practical Nurse, working at the Primary Care Office Roxboro Road. Gertie’s career began with Duke University Health System on March 08, 1965 retiring on June 01, 2002 sharing nearly forty years of life with Duke. Family, friends and community will miss Gertie.

Willie K. Billingsley, was born November 12, 1946 to the late Ollie Barner and Albert Billingsley Sr., in Durham, North Carolina. Willie was educated in the Durham public school system. At Hillside High School, he played in concert and marching bands. He graduated from Hillside High school in 1967.  Willie worked for forty years with Duke University Health System as a Patient Transporter ii, with Patient & Visitor Services. Willie married the late Carolyn Billingsley for forty-nine wonderful years.  He was a longtime member of Dorcas Masonic Lodge # 460 Prince Hall affiliate, Durham, North Carolina. He was also a member of Peace Missionary Baptist Church where he served in the Male choir. Willie was preceded in death by his wife, parents and brother, Deacon Albert Billingsley, Jr. Willie leaves to cherish his memory: three children, Kenith Billingsley, Andre O’Neal and Leticia O. Mendy; eight grandchildren, Jawaun O’Neal, Christopher O’Neal, Corey Williams, Kyra Mendy, Joseph Mendy, Jr., Lincoln Mendy, Lela Faith Mendy and Melanie Watkin; three great grandchildren, Elijah Simpson, Josiah Simpson, and Kyng Mendy; four sisters, Ernestine Turner (William), Claudette Kellam, Gloria Zinga (Zinga) and Darlene Woodley (Lenny); two sisters-in-law, Ola Dixon and Nannie Baile and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, many friends and his loving church family.

Daniel E. Harris, 73, of Durham passed away after a brief illness on Monday May 20, 2019. Daniel was a former Housekeeping Specialist, working for Duke University in Residence Hall Operations. His career began on December 01, 1988 retiring November 01, 2011 sharing nearly twenty-five years of life with his Duke family. Daniel leaves behind his loving wife Odessa Harris.

Jacqueline Claire Eicher, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Duke University Hospital. She was 69 years young. Jacqueline was born in Cumberland County, North Carolina, was the daughter of the late John Hiram Eicher and Hazel Bullock Eicher. Jacqueline was formerly employed by Duke University Health System working as a Radiologist Technician in the Radiology Department of Bone & Chest. Her career with Duke began on May 29, 1975 retiring August 01, 2006 sharing over thirty years with her Duke family.  Jacqueline was known for her fabulous sense of humor and for her gregarious personality. Family, friends and former colleagues as well as her community will miss Jacqueline.

Samuel “Sammy” D. Gentry, of Roxboro, North Carolina, passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the age of 55.  Sammy was born in Person County, the son of the late David N. Gentry, Sr. and Shelby Jean Oliver Gentry Young. He founded his faith in the Baptist Church. Sammy had cancer for several years but remained positive throughout his entire battle. Surviving are his brother, David N. Gentry, Jr. of Roxboro; sister, Rachel G. Tuck and husband, Timmy of Roxboro; nieces and nephews: Elaine Whitt and husband, Anthony, Nicholas “Nick” Gentry III, Leah Tuck and Joshua Tuck; one great-nephew, Troy Whitt. Sammy had been employed with Duke Regional Hospital working in the Material Distribution Division as a Patient Supplier II. Sammy’s career began with Duke on September 18, 2006 as was active until his death. He will be greatly missed by family, friends, colleagues and by his community.

Carol Lee Oakley Holmes, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away at Duke HomeCare & Hospice at the Hock Family Pavilion on Thursday, May 16, 2019, following a brief illness. She was a young 70 years old. A native of Alamance County, she was the wife of Jackie Anthony Holmes, who survives and the daughter of Robert Lee Oakley and Hulda Kathleen Fitch Oakley, both deceased. She was an administrator with Duke University Eye Center and later Duke University Department of Medicine from which she retired. In addition to her husband of the home, survivors include a daughter, April Briggs and husband Stan of Winterville; a grandson, Gene Briggs of Winterville; and sister, Patsy Gibson and husband Buddy of Burlington.

Anna Sempkowski Adcock, passed away on Monday, May 13, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion in Durham. She was 71 years young. Anna was born in East Brunswick, New Jersey to the late Chester Sempkowski and Stella Derent Sempkowski. Anna lived her passion in life helping others as a hard-working and compassionate nurse. Anna was a loyal and selfless friend, a loving wife and mother. She worked over forty years with Duke University Health System in Surgical Dermatology where her empathy, kindness, and humor helped heal and create lasting love and friendship with her patients and coworkers. She enjoyed spending time with her dear friends, caring for her grandchildren, and taking care of her beloved pets and animals. Mrs. Adcock is survived by her husband, Fenrick “Fen” Adcock; son, Nick Fenrick Adcock; daughter, Stephanie Ann Adcock; brothers, Chet Sempkowski and wife, Aileen, and Leon Sempkowski; and grandchildren, Aaliyah Adams and Armani Adams.

Dolores H. Calley, Weeki Wachee, Florida, died Monday, May 13, 2019 at Oak Hill Hospital, she was 70 years young. Dolores was born April 16, 1949 in Jersey City, New Jersey and came to Weeki Wachee nine months ago from Cary, North Carolina.  She was a former employee of Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories, working in the Microbiology Department as a Laboratory Technician II Microbiologist. Dolores was also a published author. She was also very spiritual and found great peace in the natural world that surrounded her. Dolores is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Kevin & Kelly Calley of Weeki Wachee, Florida; Mark Calley of San Francisco, California; daughter, Megan Calley and her partner, David Kelly, of New Canaan, Connecticut; mother, Anne Tsigounis of Bradenton, Florida; brother, Frederick Calley of Denton, Texas; sisters, Patricia O’Neill of Denton, Texas and Calley O’Neill of Hilo, Hawaii; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  

Michael E. Johnson, passed away on May 13, 2019. He was a young 48 years of age. Michael was a man of great statue, modest and humble, filled with integrity in his heart. Michael was intelligent and had an infectious smile that spread to anyone he met. He was a man of character, who possessed great charisma, had hilarity engrained in every bone, Michael was funny beyond words.  He was a calm and peaceful man. Many will miss Michael, as all who knew him loved him. His priority in life was for others, placing them before his own needs. Michael was a Floor Finisher for Duke University Hospital, but his job went well beyond shining the floors, he put a shine on your heart, just by being kind and making those around him (strangers, patients, and visitors) matter.  Michael worked for Duke for sixteen years and was active upon his death. He will be missed by family, friends, colleagues and by his community. Rest in peace Michael, you made your presence known and left a smile on the faces of all you met.

Violet Gloria Worster, passed away peacefully on May 12, 2019. She was born February 16, 1926, in Queens, New York to Gustave and Clara Erickson. She was married to her childhood sweetheart Bill in 1944. In the fifties, they were one of the first families to move into Levittown on Long Island. There she worked for Helena Rubenstein and Doubleday Books. In 1963 she, Bill, and their son Richard, moved to Durham, North Carolina where she ultimately worked in various capacities for Duke Medical Center, finally retiring from Duke Family Medicine where she was supervisor of medical records. Above all, Violet was a loving wife and mother. A kind, sweet person who will be missed, but who is now at home with her Lord Jesus and her beloved Bill, who preceded her in death. She is survived by her son Richard, daughter-in-law Romaine, godchild Susan Borchers, and many surrogate nieces and nephews. Donations in memory of Vi can be made to the Feral Cat Assistance Program.

Cora Mae Douglas, born on May 27, 1930 and passed away on Wednesday, May 08, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion. Cora was a resident of North Carolina at the time of her passing. Cora had attended Durham Public schools. In her early years, Cora migrated to Manhattan New York with her sister Marie. While in New York she decided to go to night school where she received her GED. In 1978, Cora decided to further her education and went to Monroe Business Institute in New York, New York where she received her Associate Degree in Executive Accounting. After working several different jobs, she found her way back home to Durham North Carolina where she worked with Duke University Health System. Cora loved the Southside Community where she spent majority of her life. Cora enjoyed watching television; she loved westerns and sports, especially the Duke Blue Devils sporting teams. Cora loved and was greatly loved by everyone. Everyone she encountered affectionately called her “Grandma Cora”. Cora was a great person who opened her home to anyone who needed a spot to lay his or her head. Cora loved her little family and she always made sure they never went without. Cora was preceded in death by her mother Ella M. Kelly, her father Umstead Smith, her children John Lincoln Smith and Doretha M. Smith, two sisters Mattie and Lorraine Smith and her granddaughter Tequila M. Smith. Surviving relatives include her granddaughter, Natasha Smith; great grandchildren; Antonio Cameron, Zakeeyah Cameron, LaZayrea Smith, Naema Leathers, Ronald Anthony Leathers, Kianta Smith, Jamonte Green, Anyvia Brandon, Harmoni Brandon and Kaden Smith; very dear friend, Marlane Hester; and many other relatives and friends.

Dr. William Elwood Garrett, Jr. of Bahama passed away with his family at his side on Saturday, May 04, 2019, at the age of 70. Born April 23, 1949, in Person County, North Carolina, he was the son of the late William Elwood Garrett, Sr. and Almeade Gentry Garrett. He was a member of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church. Dr. Garrett was a consummate physician, clinician–scientist, and teacher during his over forty years of service to Duke University Medical Center and his patients. As a specialist in sports medicine for thirty years, he served as the Medical Director of the U.S. Soccer Federation and Team Physician for the U.S. Men and Women's National Soccer teams, as well as many Duke Teams. As a teacher, he has the unique distinction of earning the Outstanding Teacher Award by both the residents at the Duke and UNC Departments of Orthopaedics. As a leader, Dr. Garrett served as President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Herodicus Society. He served on the Boards of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He was also awarded the Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Master Orthopaedist Award. Even with all of Dr. Garrett's professional accomplishments, he was best known to friends and family simply as "Billy," Dad to his sons, and Bop to his grandchildren. His quick wit and sense of humor always left people smiling or laughing at one of his famous jokes – even when the joke was on them! From a very early age, he was a mischief-maker, and at 70 years old, that mischievous twinkle in his eyes was ever present. Billy loved life – he loved living it on the tennis courts, on the ski slopes, at the family lakehouse, and on adventures all over the world. Most of all, Billy loved his family, his children, and his wife Janice. He spent forty-nine years driving her crazy and making her laugh – not always on the same days! He was loved by his family as much as he loved them. Billy is survived by his beloved wife, Janice Kirby Garrett; his three sons: David Garrett and wife, Kary; Michael "Mikey" Garrett and wife, Laura; and Jonathan Garrett and wife, Jennifer, all of Bahama; his nine grandchildren: Will, Cole, Bo, Grace, Maggie, Ella, Johnny, Jessie and Julianne Garrett; his brother, Dr. Stephen D. Garrett and wife, Carla; his sister, Bonnie G. Perkins and husband, Richard; his sisters-in-law, Diane Kirby Austin and husband, Bill, and Kim Kirby-Hazel and husband, Jay; many nieces and nephews; his life-long friends, Dr. John R. Bradsher and wife, Shirley. Dr. Garrett Jr. was actively employed with Duke University serving as a Professor-Tenure, with the Orthopaedic Clinic upon his passing. He will be greatly missed by family, friends, colleagues and community.

Michael F. Land, 66, passed away Saturday, May 04, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion. He was born in Silver Springs, Md. the son of the late Chester Land and the late Annette Tomassi Land. Michael was a High School graduate of Cardinal Gibbons Catholic School in Baltimore, before making his home in Durham, NC. It was here in Durham that he established his fabulous style, participated in various choirs, decorated many a home, and established lifelong friendships. Michael retired in 2017 after serving forty years with Duke Health Technology Solutions working as an Application Analyst with the Medical Center involving Maestro Care. Michael’s last fifteen years were spent as Chief Technologist in Interventional Radiology and as Maestro Care Radiant Team Lead and Senior Analyst with DHTS since 2011. He was highly respected by all who worked with him. Michael is survived by his sister, Christina Windesheim; nieces, Kelly Johnson, Tracy Fuhr; great-nephews, Eric Johnson, Andrew Johnson, Jake Fuhr; great-niece, Brooke Fuhr.

Kenneth Wayne Googe, passed away on Friday, May 03, 2019 at the age of 62 years. He was born on July 06, 1956, and was a resident of North Carolina upon his death. Kenneth was a former Surgical Attendant Supervisor working for Duke University Health System in the DN Ancillary –Operating Rooms. Kenneth’s career began on April 02, 1980 retiring November 01, 2010 sharing over thirty years with his Duke family. May you rest in peace Kenneth, knowing all who loved and knew you will carry your heart in their pockets.

John Johnson, passed away at the young age of 74 on Thursday, May 02, 2019. John was born on July 29, 1944; he was a resident of Durham, North Carolina at the time of his death. He was a graduate of Hillside High School's Class of 1962. In 1965, he enlisted in the US Army and served until 1967 receiving an honorable discharge. We thank John for his service to his country and countrymen and women. John had formerly been employed with Duke University, working with the Duke University Police, in Security Operations. John retired November 01, 2009 after serving nearly fifteen years with his Duke family.

Darla Koerselman Phillips, 51, passed away on Thursday, May 02, 2019 at Duke University Hospital in Durham. Darla is survived by her husband, William Atlas Phillips, Jr; daughters, Lauren Phillips, Taylor Phillips; son, Cooper Phillips; brother, Dwayne Lee and wife Susan; brother, George Mosier and wife Kate; and aunts, Anne Vannoy and husband Jim, Carol Bohrer and husband David, Hailey Louise Gadberry, Rose Marie Menendez and husband Carlos; and uncles, John Lee Mosier and wife Shirley, Robert Koerselman. Darla was born to Richard and Morrie Koerselman in San Diego, California in 1968. After a few years of moving around with the Navy, their family settled in Goose Creek, South Carolina in 1976. Here, Darla grew up spending weekends at the beach with her brothers and friends and was an active member of the Rainbow Girls, a service-based youth organization that stems from the Freemasons. After graduating from Goose Creek High School, Darla chose to attend Clemson to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During her time at Clemson, she attended every home football game, was a charter member of Clemson’s Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and made some of her best friends and memories. She laid the groundwork to eventually raise three dedicated Clemson fans and a pseudo-Clemson fan husband. She met Will the summer of 1989 before her senior year, and she graduated in 1990 with plans to attend graduate school to attain her Masters in Nursing Education and start her career at Duke University Hospital-- which worked out perfectly, as Will was studying engineering a few miles away at NC State in Raleigh. After working in several departments at Duke, she landed in the transplant department where she served as a Liver Transplant Coordinator for many years before being promoted to Director of Clinical Operations for Internal Organ Transplant. She held this position up until shortly before her passing, and loved her job, her colleagues, and the work they were able to accomplish for the benefit of their transplant patients. Outside of work, Darla was very involved in the lives of her children. From several years as PTA President, to Booster Club Member, hosting prom dinners, cheering on little league & lacrosse games, and every activity in between, she always managed to “do it all”. She loved photography, scrapbooking with her friends, relaxing on the beach, and visiting new places each year with her family, and of course, the annual trip to Clemson for a football game. Some of her children’s favorite memories with her include making peanut butter balls during the holidays, watching every Tom Hanks movie she saw on the TV guide, and rooting for the Tigers during good seasons and bad seasons. The one thing she had to say about her experience with cancer was that when she died, she didn’t want people to say she lost her battle to cancer. Her feelings towards this can best be described by this Stuart Scott quote: “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”

Janet Elaine Cozart, died Wednesday, May 01, 2019, at Hock Family Pavilion, Durham, where she had been a guest. She was 77 years of age. Born August 13, 1941, in Laurinburg, N.C., she was the daughter of the late John Sr. and Lillie Mae (McNeil) Lennon. A longtime resident of Durham, Janet was a graduate of Hillside High School and later Queensborough Community College's Nursing School, Queens, N.Y. She enjoyed her long career as a Certified Nurse, retiring from Durham Regional Hospital in 2000. In addition to her parents, Janet is preceded in death by her brothers, Bruce Lennon and John Lennon Jr.; and her sisters, Lillian Lennon and Joan Hardwick.  Mrs. Cozart is survived by her husband of 40 years, Robert Cozart, Durham; children, Tim Dunn and his wife, Cathy; Lisa Johnson and her husband, Preston; and Paul Dunn and his wife, Teressa, all of Durham; stepdaughter, Tasheba Ross, Durham; grandchildren, Tamara Dunn, Nanticoke, Pa.; Tremaine Britton, Durham; and Emmanuel Johnson, Durham; step-granddaughter, Quantina Ross, Durham; sister, Dorothy Lennon, Durham; brother, Arthur Lennon, Washington, D.C.; and cousins, friends, nieces and nephews, including Mark J. Lennon and his wife, Jasmine, Hyattsville, Md.; and Damien Lennon, Durham.

Constance “Connie” Karin Fazekas, age 50, passed after a short battle with cancer, joining the church triumphant while surrounded by her loving family on May 01, 2019 at Duke University Medical Center. She was born in Pennsylvania May 23, 1968 to parents A. Daniel and Karen (Pancoast) Fazekas. She moved to North Carolina to escape the cold in 1992 and worked for over twenty-six years at Duke University in the Health System, as a Sonographer and PACS (picture archival computer system)  Analyst. She loved the beach, movies, flowers, dogs, playing the piano, and spending time with family and friends. She married Aaron Thomas June 19, 2004 and they have a dog named Yogi. Connie was a woman full of grace, strength, and love and was an incredible wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and granddaughter. She is preceded in death by grandparents Albert Fazekas, Florence and Carl Pancoast. She is survived by her parents, husband, brother David Fazekas, sister Beth Hancock (husband Todd), sister Heather Allison (husband Simon), nieces Fallon Hancock and Jillian Kovalsky, nephews Colby Hancock and Spencer Kovalsky. and grandmothers Doris Fazekas and Joan Fazekas.

April 2019

Jeannette Calderone, passed away on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.  She was born on September 21, 1935 currently residing in Stuart, Florida. She was 83 years young upon her death.  While living in North Carolina, Jeannette worked for Duke University Health System as an Administrative Clerk for the Clinical Education Program. He career with Duke began on March 17, 2008 retiring on April 01, 2015. All who knew and loved her will miss Jeannette.

Carol Cass, a resident of Wake Forest, North Carolina passed on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Raleigh, of complications from cancer. Carol was 74 years young. She was born on December 14, 1944 in Panama City, Florida, the oldest child of Jay Robert Green and Ruth Buresh Green. Carol grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, graduating from Myers Park High School in 1962. She attended Meredith College for a time and years later, while working and a single mom, Carol obtained her degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Carol possessed both stunning beauty and a towering intellect. Throughout her life, she mastered a number of fields, including owning her own mortgage brokerage, working in real estate and insurance sales, book distribution, as a paralegal, and managing a sound studio. For the past nineteen years, she served as part of the Decedent Care Team at Duke University Hospital in Durham. Carol was a force of nature. During the 1980's, she was life of the party for her "KDNA" social circle in Charlotte, and over the years, her creative spirit shown in mischievous ways: from signing her children’s (Liz and Robb's) school physician forms with the name "P.D. Trician," to concealing the real reason her mother's church circle loved the meatloaf containing special "oregano" that somehow found its way into the freezer. Carol's acerbic wit spared no targets, her "dingy" martini recipe perplexed many a waiter, and holding court with her cousins at Green family reunions always reinvigorated her eccentric charm. The family marveled at how Carol's crafty stubbornness was outmatched only by her capacity to hold a grudge over the most trivial of blunders. But she loved animals at least as much as people, readily worked two jobs whenever needed to support her children, and woe be unto the school administrator if Carol felt her kids were slighted. Carol was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Sandra G. Tamplin. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth C. "Liz" Stafford (Mark) of Winston-Salem, her son, Robert C. "Robb" Cass Jr. (Sherrie) of Raleigh, grandchildren Andrew G. Stafford of Harrisonburg, VA, Sydney C. Cass of Wilmington, William R. "Will" Stafford of Winston-Salem, Tyler G. Cass of Raleigh, her brother, Michael A. Green of Kernersville, nephews John L. Capes (Vickie) of Jamestown, Bradley M. Green of Vale, Frank H. Tamplin, Jr. of Charlotte, and niece Laura G. Skvoretz (Chris) of Huntersville.
 

Derald Gasque Jr., of Chapel Hill, North Carolina passed away peacefully in his home, on Friday, April 26, 2019. He was 56 years young. Derald was loved and cherished by all who knew him, especially by his parents, Pearl Jennings and James Gasque; his siblings, Vanessa Dezurn (Bernard), Renard Jennings (Janice Lattimore), Eric Jennings and Rico Jennings (Antuinette) and by his community. Derald was born January 21, 1963 in Baltimore, Maryland to James Junin Gasque and Pearl Webb Jennings. He attended Calverton High in Baltimore. Derald was a long time employee of the Duke University Health System beginning his career with Duke on February 01, 1999 working in the Bio-Medical field at Duke North Hospital. He was active at the time of his passing. Derald was a dedicated employee sharing twenty years of life with his Duke family. He leaves to mourn his loss, a Mother Pearl Jennings, Father James Gasque, Sister Vanessa Dezurn (Bernard), Brothers; Renard Jennings (Janice Lattimore), Eric Jennings, Rico Jennings (Antuinette), a host of other relatives and friends. Derald will be greatly missed by his colleagues as well.

Jacqueline Ann Reynolds, retired Professor in the Department of Cell Biology of Duke University, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. She was 88 years young. Jacqueline was respected for her work on cell membranes. Born in Los Angeles, she was the only daughter of James and Ethel Harding. She graduated from Pacific University in 1951 and moved with her husband to Washington State where she worked at the McCord Air Force Base Post Exchange while raising four children. After her first divorce in 1960, she became the first female graduate student of Dr. George Halsey at the Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, completing her Ph.D. in three years. It was during these years (1960-66) that her children spent many evenings around her Steinway piano, singing Rogers and Hammerstein, Rogers and Hart, and Harold Arlen show tunes, as well as select numbers from the "Songs of the Gilded Age" songbook. Jacqueline was an accomplished pianist, who also played classical music, most every night after dinner. IBM immediately hired her, and she began work at their Yorktown Heights, NY, facility. During this time, she married John H. Reynolds. The Army called her husband to Ft. Belvoir, VA, and from 1965 – 1966 Dr. Reynolds was a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, bicycling from Chevy Chase, MD, down Wisconsin Ave. into Washington, D.C., to the astonishment of motorists on that four-lane road. After her second divorce in 1969, Dr. Reynolds began work at Duke University, in tandem with Dr. Charles Tanford, who was her life partner until his death in 2009. She was the first female member of Duke’s Academic Council. In non-scientific life, the two enjoyed travelling. When they retired to Easingwold, UK, in 1988, they turn their travel adventures into books about science-related places. This resulted in two books: "The Scientific Traveler: A Guide to the People, Places & Institutions of Europe" and "A Travel Guide to Scientific Sites of The British Isles: A Guide to the People, Places and Landmarks of Science" (John Wiley Press). They also co-authored "Nature’s Robots: A History of Proteins" (Oxford University Press; which also re-released their previous two books). In Easingwold, Dr. Reynolds was a contributor to the Cricket Club, St. John (RC), and St. John the Baptist and All Saint’s (Anglican) churches. She is survived by three children, Ben Reynolds, Deborah Jackson and Rebecca Newton; and by six grandchildren, Stephen Anthony (Reynolds) McCoy, Abigail Sheriff, Benet Reynolds, Louise Newton, Joseph Jackson, Drew Reynolds; and by five grandchildren, Rory Sheriff, Gavin Sheriff, Molly Sheriff, Levi Sheriff, Rowan Newton -- all of the United States.

William J. “Bill” Stambaugh Ph.D., passed into glory and into the arms of his most beloved Jesus, his Savior and King, on Monday, April 22, 2019 at the age of 91. He was born in 1927 in Jersey Shore, PA to Ralph and Genevieve Royer Peoples Stambaugh. He graduated from Jersey Shore High School in 1946. Bill played trumpet in the jazz band. He served his country in the Army, training in army intelligence toward the end of WWII. Under the GI bill, he studied engineering at Penn State, but changed to Forestry and found his true passion. While at Penn State, he played the flugelhorn and marched in the famous Blue Band. He also met and married Shirley Anne Beckley, the love of his life. They moved to New Haven, CT and Bill earned his Ph.D. in Forestry from Yale. While in New Haven, their first daughter, Amy Lee was born. They moved back to State College for a teaching position, and their second daughter, Linda was born. Daughter number three, Nancy Carol arrived, and shortly after, an offer to teach Forestry at Duke University in Durham, NC. While earning tenure at Duke, Bill and family spent their summers in the mountains of Virginia working for the VA Forest service. They were wonderful summers that the family will remember to this day. Bill retired from Duke after thirty-eight years teaching graduate level forestry, and serving as Associate Dean of the School of Forestry. He was a gifted teacher, who shared his knowledge and passion for the outdoors and God's creation. He remained in contact with many of his students through the years. He and Shirley were members of Cresset Baptist Church in Durham, NC. He rededicated his life to Christ in 2007, and was baptized. Bill was a member of the Rotary Club and had a lifelong passion for fly-fishing. Following his retirement from Duke, he and Shirley traveled the USA visiting family friends, former students, and any trout stream that looked promising. Bill was a 30-year cancer survivor, and spent the last several years of his life with Shirley at Brookdale Assisted Living in Burlington. The family wishes to thank the staff of Brookdale for their tender and loving care provided to Bill over his last weeks of life. He was preceded in death by his parents; Ralph and Genevieve Stambaugh. He is survived by his cherished wife of sixty-eight years, Shirley B. Stambaugh, daughters Amee Stambaugh-Clark, Linda S. Scoggins (Randy), and Nancie S. Dillon (John). Grandchildren Travis Worthington, Erin Dillon-Glenn (Katie), Amy Azevedo (Chase), Jessica Scoggins, Jonathan Sargent-Dillon (Jesse) and Jacob Scoggins (Hannah). Great-grandchildren Sierra, Wyatt, Ryan, Griffin, Oaklyn, Dawson, and Everett.

Ronald “Ronnie, Ron” S. Wiggins, 72, born December 06, 1946 passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, April 20, 2019. He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Mitchell Woody. Ronnie was employed by Duke University Medical Center in the Department of Pediatrics as a Business Manager three years prior to his retirement. He also served in the US Army. He enjoyed reading, always learning, hiking, long rides in the country, and most of all spending time with his grandchildren and his daughters. Ronnie is survived by his daughters, Christy Wiggins (Diane Williams), and Stacie Bonin (Joshua); brother, Phil Wiggins (Faye); half-sister, Paula Aguayo (Roy); father, Samuel Wiggins; former wife, Jackie Wiggins; special friend, Julie McIntosh; and his greatest joys, his five grandchildren, Alexandra “Lexi” Bonin (14), Landon Williams (14), Skyler Bonin (12), Emory Williams (11) and Connor Bonin (9).

Klaas Frans, passed away on Friday, April 19, 2019. He was 95 years young. Klaas was the son of the late Jacob Frans and Peiterie Blankman Frans. Also preceding him in death was his wife of forty-nine years, Maria Jongkees Frans. Klaas is survived by two daughters, Beatrix Forsythe (Ronnie) of Durham, Petra Strickland (William) of Henderson, NC; two sons, Henry Frans, Jack Frans (Brenda); four grandchildren, Stacey Vaughn-Frans (Jenah), Michael Frans (girlfriend, Nicole Casper), Bradley Strickland, Andy Strickland; one step-grandchild, Peggy F. McDonald (Cole); and one great-grandchild, Belle E. Vaughn-Frans.  Klaas was a retired Art Handler from the Duke Art Museum. His career with Duke began on October 10, 1966 retiring June 01, 1989 sharing twenty-three years of life with his Duke family.

Larry Allan Johnson, of Caldwell, North Carolina born February 11, 1951, died April 19, 2019 at the young age of 68. Larry was one of eighteen children of Virgie Adeline Holder and Robert Battle Johnson. He attended Oak Grove School and was employed by Duke University Lock & Key Shop for twenty years, as a Licensed Locksmith with Facilities Management until his retirement in 2009. Larry was a member of the Crappie Fishing Club, Schley Grange #710, and Little River Presbyterian Church. Being the multi-tasker he was, Larry also ran a lawn care business. Surviving are his wife, Joyce Powell Johnson, son Steven Dillard (Susan) of Youngsville; step-granddaughter, Lauren Stanley; grandson, Nathan Dillard; granddaughter, Mackenzie Mangum; step-son, Roger Mangum; Sister-in-law, Barbara Powell Franklin; great grandchildren, Matthew Hemp, Lillian Hemp, Gabriella Cruz; sisters Mary Stephenson, Nettie Cox, Betty Hall, Carol Heider (Bob),Linda West (Dean), Pamela Long. Brothers, Billy Johnson (Rhonda), Tommy Johnson (Betty Jean), Henry (Smiley) Johnson (Patricia), Curtis Johnson (Janie).

Richard Butler, age 66, passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2019, at Duke University Hospital. Richard was born on December 21, 1952 to Virginia Butler Kelley and the late James Butler, Sr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a graduate of Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Upon graduating from high school, Richard moved to Durham, North Carolina, where he attended North Carolina Central University. He majored in Music, which was one of his truest loves along with beloved wife Vanessa. Richard was an employee of Duke Medical Center, where his career, as ABMT Support, spanned thirty years. Richard had a rich baritone voice, and he took pride in sharing this gift. In his love for singing, he sang with an acapella group that performed at various events. At Christmastime, you could count on Richard’s group caroling, each and every year. He performed often in the Duke Show Tunes event as a Duke employee. He was a member of the Kent Brooks Ensemble during his time at Greater St. Paul Church. He was also a current, dedicated member of the 100 Men in Black Choir, and was known in the Choir as "Bowtie". He sang at weddings and other special occasions, and was active with this gifted passion for music until his health failed. Richard attended First Calvary Baptist Church and was a longtime supporter of the Ministry. He was a man given to prayer, and he was always ready to pray for others. Surviving relatives include his loving wife, Vanessa Butler; his daughter, Tina Outen of Durham; his mother, Virginia Butler Kelley of Philadelphia, PA; his brother, James Butler, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; his aunt, Bessie Butler of Philadelphia, PA; his grandchildren, Jatovie of California, Sade (Carlos) and Torian of Durham, NC; his brothers-in-law, Norman Smith (Esther) of Washington, DC, Frezell Outen (Susan) of Portland, OR, Robert Outen and Larry Outen both of Durham, NC; his sisters-in-law, Linda Evans, Robin Outen Leathers (Wayne), and Michelle Brockington (Alphonso) all of Durham, NC; two great-grandchildren, Christian and Joel; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.

Marsha Guion Fancher, daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Robert P Thompson (deceased) USMA 1933 and great-granddaughter of Alanson M Randol, USMA 1864, passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2019. Marsha is mourned by her stepbrother R. Sydney Kolls (Jeanne) and her stepsister Elizabeth M. Kolls (Thomes deceased) and her ex-husband Trion Duke Fancher, Jr. (deceased). Marsha loved being Aunt Marsha to twelve step-grandchildren and one great-step grandchild. She was admired by family and friends for her personal courage, loyalty, integrity and for her sense of humor even during difficult times. She was a member of the PEO Sisterhood, Chapel Hill knitting group and was active in the Five Oaks Homeowners Association. She was retired from Duke University where she worked in the Romance Language Department for nearly fifteen years. Marsha will be missed, as she was loved by all.

Sylvia Ann Cearnel, passed Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at the age of 65, peacefully in her home. Sylvia was the daughter of the late Thelma Beatrice Cearnel. She is survived by daughter, Nicole Blacknall; two sons, Jermaine Blacknall and Tyrone Cearnel (Akeba); two sisters, Mary L. Johnson and Geraldine Green; and brother, James Cearnel (Delanie); uncle, Clyde Cearnel, grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Sylvia spent nearly thirty years working for Duke University as Patient Transporter II with Visitor Services. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Dr. Onyekwere E. Akwari, died at his home in Durham, North Carolina on Sunday April 14, 2019.  He was 76 years young.  (Onye), was a proud Nigerian-American and was the first African-American surgeon on the faculty of Duke University. He brought vision and confident persistence paired with an engaging, low-key temperament to his research and clinical work, to his citizenship in his university, and to his participation in the American and international surgical communities.  At Hope Waddell Training Institution in Calabar, Nigeria, he served as senior prefect. He was a varsity track and field and soccer athlete and was active in student government, international relations and civic affairs at the University of Washington from 1962-1966. For his civic work in Seattle, he was awarded Honorary Citizen of the City. He served as president of the student body at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, graduating in 1970.  Dr. Akwari joined the general surgery training program at the Mayo Clinic in 1970 and continued with research interests he had begun in college. His career research was in the neural and hormonal regulation of gastrointestinal motility. He authored clinical research on several rare surgical conditions and published designs for management of some common and uncommon surgical conditions. In a six-month hiatus from Mayo, he designed an Emergency Medicine Residency Program for Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center for the Southeast Health Region of Los Angeles County.In a sense, his life was about imagining what could be - for his patients, for medical science, for his university, and for the field of surgery.  He told his daughter, “My dream was to do something useful and being useful means doing something for other people.”Dr. David C. Sabiston, Jr., recruited him to Duke University as Associate Professor of Surgery at a time when the brash, young medical school had only two other African American professors on faculty with Onye being only the second on the academic tenure track. It was only a decade earlier that the hospital had desegregated its facilities. Minority physicians routinely endured skepticism from patients, trainees, and colleagues regarding their professional qualifications, in ways that continue to linger today. He met the fair and unfair challenges to the legitimacy of his presence with a conviction instilled by his father, namely, that “all human beings breathe free air, thus, no human being is bigger or better than you are, because all are the same.”Dr. Akwari could detect a whiff of suffering in patients and their families and ministered to them. Equally ardent about teaching, he thrived on having undergraduate, medical, and graduate students in his research laboratory and on his clinical service. Many were inspired by his conviction that a surgical career combined with the academic life was the most rewarding option in medicine. In his words: “It provided the privilege of teaching, operating and researching with the possibility of using one to support the other.” Despite the fact that his surgical career was cut short after 17 years by illness, he published over 150 articles and book chapters, presented research at 73 national and international medical meetings, served for 15 years on Duke’s medical school admissions committee and for 12 years on Duke’s faculty governance Academic Council. He served on Duke’s Athletic Council and enjoyed close relationships with the coaches of women’s and men’s basketball, football, and wrestling. He was keenly interested in facilitating the studies of Division I athletes who aspired to medical careers. He opened his home to all, most importantly to students, and he hosted gatherings for other “first” African Americans at Duke. In the 1980’s, he countered vocal opposition in the university on the validity of adding women’s and minority studies to the canon. He felt privileged that during his tenure on Duke’s Academic Council (1981-1993), the faculty voted to broaden Duke’s faculty tuition benefit program to include the children of staff, a signal commitment of the university to the academic mission of generational improvement.A common excuse for failure to racially integrate academic surgical departments in the post-civil rights era was the absence of a pipeline.  Weary of the excuse, four surgeons, including Dr. Akwari, initiated the idea for the Society of Black Academic Surgeons in 1989. Dr. Akwari organized the first meeting, securing the Governor’s designation of Academic Surgery Month in the State of North Carolina. The keynote speech, “The Vanishing Black Male,” was given by Dr. John Hope Franklin with attendance at conference affairs by Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, Governor James Martin, Health and Human Affairs Secretary Louis Sullivan and North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company executives including president, William Kennedy. Dr. Akwari was a member of the American Surgical Association, Alpha Tau Boule' section of Signa Pi Phi, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, past head of the surgical section of the National Medical Association, and served on committees of the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract.  He was a devout Episcopalian.  He was a lover of history, roses, peonies orchids, the red rock country of Utah and Arizona, and classical music. Born in Aba, Nigeria to Theophilus Akwari, an export-import business owner, and Ngarasi Christiana Ukegbu, a shopkeeper, he was the eldest of eight and charged with the high expectations of his culture, as a result. When his home and family businesses were destroyed in Nigeria’s civil war, Dr. Martin Adson, a mentor in the performance of complex abdominal surgery, lent him the money, during his intern year, to re-roof the family home. He repaid the loan and, on a trainee’s salary, assisted all but one of his siblings in emigrating to the U.S. for their educations.  Each has contributed to his/her field and community in the United States.He leaves behind his wife of 40 years, Dr. Anne Micheaux Akwari, their son Chidi J.I. (Anna) Akwari and their daughter, Dr. Christiana Katherine Akwari; three grandsons, Austin Carter Akwari, Cameron Smith Akwari, and Christopher Jordan Akwari; six siblings, Ogbonna, Okechukwu, Ndukwe, Eme, Nnenna, and Uzunma (Joy) Akwari; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is predeceased by his parents and a beloved sister, Ngozi Akwari Obineche.

Jane Ijames Betts, departed this life on April 14, 2019 at the age of 85. She is survived by her daughter Deborah Betts Ginsberg of Durham; grandsons Jacob Traverse (Emily) of Durham and Leon Traverse (Wilder) of Chapel Hill; and four great grandchildren. Her parents, Herman C. Ijames and Clara Bell Ijames of Winston Salem; her sisters Marian Ijames Arrington and Polley Thomas Hall; and brother Alvin A. Thomas preceded her in death. Jane attended the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, beginning at the age of ten. She spent her career as Office Administrator for Caulie Gunnels, MD in the Department of Nephrology at Duke University Medical Center. Jane was an active member of Bethany United Methodist Church in Durham and she loved spending time with her family and friends, as well as traveling and shopping. She took pride in the life that she and Eston built together, and in her ability to overcome life's challenges with grace and confidence. Jane was a brave and gentle soul with a ready laugh and accepting spirit, and a deep abiding love for her family. Jane's family would like to thank their devoted and supportive friends and family members, and the Duke Hospital Medicine Intensive Care Unit for their exceptional care during Jane's final days.

Barbara Jean Dean, 85 years young, resident of Henderson, North Carolina died Sunday, April 14, 2019. She was born in Pickaway County, Ohio on March 05, 1934 to her parents, Marion Hupp and Lila Irene (Maxon) Hupp, who have preceded her in death.  Barbara had worked with Duke University Health System as a Patient Account Associate, in the Duke Non-Hospital Operations. Her career with Duke began on July 22, 1985 retiring on December 01, 2011 sharing twenty-six years of life with her Duke family. Barbara is survived by her children, Randolph Lane Dean (Lori), Kimberly Susan Dean-Wade, Dana Gaylord Dean (Dee Dee), and Anita Irene Dean Crews; fourteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Barbara is preceded in death by her husband, Gaylord Eugene Dean; son, Rockford Lynn Dean; and grandson, Brandon Eugene Dean.

William Colley, Jr., age 78, passed away on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Hock Family Pavilion, Durham, North Carolina. William Colley, Jr., affectionately known as “Junior”, was the first son of Lois Hester Blaxton of Durham, North Carolina. He was educated in the Durham Public School system and a graduate of the Hillside High School Class of 1958. After graduation, he attended A&T State University and in 1963 left college to join the Air Force. In the military he traveled the world, volunteering for three tours in Vietnam and at other times living in places such as Greenland, Turkey and Greece. During his Vietnam service, he was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze stars, the Air Force Presidential Citation, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.In 1982; he retired and settled in Athens, Greece until he returned to the states in the late 1990's. Even though William lived most of his adult life in other parts of the world he eventually came back home to Durham, North Carolina. He worked part-time at Kroger, as a line cook at Hardee's and later as a William became a Driver for Duke University Community Affairs working with the Duke Durham Neighborhood Partnership. William was actively employed with Duke University upon his death. Throughout his life, William loved to play cards and his specialty was poker. He would not miss a poker game if he could help it. In his day, he could also play a mean game of ping-pong. He loved music and some of his favorite artists were the O'Jays, and the Platters. He had the largest collection of old movies, CD's and video tapes you had ever seen. His favorite channel was always the one that played old black and white movies, generally of the cowboy and kung fu genre. William was predeceased in death by his parents, his brother, Reginald Glen Blaxton, and his daughter, Johnetta (Peaches) Colley McLean. William is survived by his son, William Colley III, Ed.D, and daughter, Sharon Denise Colley; eight grandchildren, Lavon Chisley, Javon Chisley, ShaVon Mullen (Darnelle), Dominik Colley, Macajah Colley, Imani Colley, Skye Quinn-Colley and Pilahr Quinn-Colley; six great-grandchildren, MyKayla Chisley, Jordyn Chisley, Kamille Mullen, Kapree Mullen, Karmyn Mullen and Karter Mullen, close cousins, Mayme Webb Bledsoe, Gloria Hester, Larry Scott, Charles Graves, and James Calvin Nunn; one aunt, Marie Hester; a host of many other relatives and friends.

Cary Whitehead Becton, 101 grand years of age, passed away on Friday, April 12, 2019 at Pittsboro Christian Village. He was born in Craven County, NC on October 26, 1917 to the late James Bristow Becton and Emily Whitehead Becton. In addition to his parents, he was pre- deceased by his wife, Lucille Hill Brooks Becton; son, Bradley Becton; brothers, Macon Becton and Braxton Becton; and sister, Inez Peterson. He is survived by: his stepchildren, Lora DeRubeis, Michael Brooks, Robert Brooks and Rosalie Vaught; his daughter Marcia Wright; and his close friends, Marty and Millard Thacker. He is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Cary was an active member of Braggtown Baptist Church for many years where he served as a deacon and on various committees. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of Scottish Rite of Free Masonry of Oklahoma. He was formerly employed as an Engineer with American Airlines for fifteen years, and later retired as a Self-employed Accountant. Mr. Becton is survived by stepdaughter, Lora DeRubeis; stepsons, Michael Brooks and Robert Brooks; daughter, Marcia Wright; stepdaughter, Rosalie Vaught; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and special friends Marty and Millard Thacker.

Myrtle "Pete" Washington, 78, born September 20, 1940 passed away on Thursday, April 11, 2019. She had been employed by Duke University working in the Marketplace beginning August 26, 2002. Family and friends of Myrtle will always cherish the beautiful memories made together.  May she rest in eternal peace.

Louise Annie Mae “Wezzy” Allen Smith, affectionately known as “Weezy”, born August 08, 1943 passed Wednesday, April 10, 2019. She was born in Johnston County, North Carolina to the late Robert Alton and Novie Allen.  She attended Apex Consolidated High School. “Wezzy” was married to the O. D. James Smith, Sr. She was a faithful member of Jesus House of Prayer Holy Church under the leadership of the late Bishop Leon Saunders.  Later she joined Highway House of Prayer Holiness Church, Inc. under the leadership of Bishop George E. Trice.  There she served on many auxiliaries until her health declined. “Wezzy” LOVED attending Gospel Singings and had a special place in her heart for the children she cared for, loving them as though they were her very own. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three brothers and three sisters. She leaves to cherish her loving memories, one son, O.D. James, Jr. (Angela) of Greenville, NC; four daughters, Benita Armstrong, Sonya Smith, Felicia Smith and Gwendolyn Lynch (DJ), all of Durham, NC; one brother, Lee McClain (Barbara) of Durham, NC; six sisters, Minister Kathleen Staten of Apex, NC, Dr. Cecelia Trice (Bishop George), Geraldine Allen, Lillie Allen, Peggy Belton (Valentino), all of Durham, NC; Shirley Dunn (Emanuel) of Fuquay-Varina, NC; one sister-in-law, Sara Rogers (Mike); one brother-in-law, Sylvester Smith of Durham, NC; caretaker, granddaughter Victoria Smith of the home; two Goddaughters, Shirley Wilson of Durham, NC; and Sherry Imokhome (Aodele) of Kansas City, MO; 19 grandchildren; several great grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, friends and Fisher Heights Neighborhood kids. “Wezzy’ worked at Johnson & Foster Dry Cleaners, Wayne’s Dry Cleaners and was a former employee of Duke University Health System working in the Duke South-Davison Buildings as a Housekeeping Specialist. Her career with Duke began June 13, 1980 retiring on September 01, 2008 sharing nearly 30 years with her Duke family. Many will miss her, as she was loved by all.

Ann Fuller Johnson, 86 years young, formerly of Durham, passed away Sunday, April 07, 2019, at Duke Hock Family Pavilion. She was born in Henderson, North Carolina on May 06, 1932.  Ann attended Winthrop University and graduated from Duke Hospital School of Nursing in 1953.  She was a former employee of Duke University Health System working as Head Nurse, in the General Surgical Clinic. Her career with Duke spanned over 40 years eventually retiring on July 01, 1994.  Ann was a member of Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in Durham since 1956, where she was a member of the George Mathis Sunday School Class.  She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling with her family and spending time with her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-six years, Wade O. Johnson; and parents, Edgar and Doris Crews Fuller.  She is survived by daughters, Carolyn Andrews (Scott) of Bennettsville, SC; and Sara Williams of Durham, grandsons, Christopher Andrews of Columbia, SC, Stephen Andrews (Chandler Cunningham) of Tega Cay, S.C., Clark Williams (Haley) of Denver, CO, and Brad Williams (Mary Kate Thurston) of Raleigh, N.C.

Marion Mae Hicks Rosemond, 96 years young, passed away Sunday April 07, 2019 at Duke Regional Hospital. Born and raised in Orange County, Marion was the daughter of the late Shellie Stephen Hicks and Unie Mae Sykes Hicks. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Rosemond was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Edward Rosemond; two brothers, James Leonard Hicks and Larry Hugh Hicks, Sr. She is survived by her daughter, Helen Rosemond Bass and husband, Steve Bass and a granddaughter, Brittany Nicole Bass. Marion was a 1944 graduate of Watts School of Nursing and worked with doctors in private practice. Later she was employed at Duke University for over thirty years working with Public Safety-Parking Traffic Operations until her retirement in 1988. Marion will be greatly missed by family friends and community.

Lueisa Jose Lowery, affectionately known as ‘Lue’, was born February 27, 1953 in Bennettsville, South Carolina to Josephine Poole Hailey and the late Daniel Hailey. Lue passed away, peacefully in her home in Durham, North Carolina on April 06, 2019. She attended to Durham Public Schools and was a member of Ecclesia House of Prayer Church, where she loved singing in the Mass Choir. Lueisa recently retired from Duke University where she worked loyally with Housekeeping Operations for nearly forty years, retiring February 01, 2019. In addition to being a loyal and dedicated employee, in her down time she enjoyed what she did best, taking care of and working in her yard. She could bring any plants and beautiful roses back to life with her love and care. Her other hobbies included shopping, painting, working with her hands; but most importantly, she loved spending time with her family and supporting her children. She is survived by three children; Bryant Hailey (Shamika), Quinton Hailey and Antonio Hailey, all of Durham NC, four siblings; Robert Poole (Monica) of Germany, Ronnie Poole, Joanne Poole (Jerome) and Sharell Hailey (Derrick), all of Durham NC; three grandchildren, Xavier Hailey, Laila Hailey and Davin Hailey; 15 nieces, 26 nephews and a host of loving relatives and friends. It is an exceptional blessing that one so great was afforded the magnificent opportunity to touch the lives of so many. Lueisa Lowery set an exceptional standard in everything she set her hands to do. Though she shall indeed be missed, her legacy shall live on within the lives of those that she impacted with her quiet, authoritative and motherly demeanor.

James Ronald Butler, passed away peacefully into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior on Friday, April 05, 2019, after a long and brave struggle to recover from a stroke he suffered last September. Ron was born in Cheverly, Maryland to Joseph Roy Butler and Helen Butler. He attended Largo High School where he ran track and participated in ROTC. After graduating from high school in 1976, Ron attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). At UMD, he was a history major and desegregated his fraternity, Kappa Alpha, as its first African American pledge. After college, Ron worked in Washington, DC, at the Mayflower Hotel where he had the opportunity to meet a number of the political figures and musicians he admired. Ron also worked for the Archdiocese of Washington as a community organizer and social justice advocate. Ron's interest in politics and social justice issues was lifelong and in 1984, he joined Alan Cranston's presidential campaign in Iowa. While working on the Cranston campaign he met his future wife, Rachel, and moved to California in 1998 to join her. They were married in Reno, Nevada in 1999. Ron worked successfully as a property manager in Virginia and then in California. While living in California, he became a dialysis technician. He continued his career in medicine when he and Rachel moved to North Carolina in 2007. While in North Carolina, Ron worked as a Financial Care Counselor, first at Duke North then at Duke Regional Hospital. In addition to political and social issues, Ron had abiding interests in American history and literature, philosophy, and religion and sports, particularly the variable fortunes of the Maryland Terps, CAL Bears, and the Duke Blue Devils basketball and football teams. Ron served in the United States Army Reserve while in college and after. He was widely read and deeply knowledgeable about all of his many interests. He was also the kindest of men who had exceptional humor, he was very funny. Ron is survived by his wife, Rachel, his mother Helen, and his sister, Lisa. He will be remembered with love by the many members of his own and his wife's families, as well as wonderful friends and co-workers.

Mary Lee Platt Bradley, was born January 18, 1926, in Pamlico, South Carolina, on Thursday, April 04, 2019, God peacefully called her home. Mary was 93 years young. The Bradley family relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina, then moved to Durham, North Carolina where she met and married her husband, Thomas J. Bradley. Mary’s parents died when she was very young. She was raised by her grandparents, David and Mary Johnson, with the assistance of her Aunt and Uncle, Rev. Charlie and Annie McCoy. Mary was a graduate of Whitted High School (later changed to Whitted Junior High). After high school, she worked as an in-home childcare provider. With encouragement and help from her husband, she attended Durham Technical Institute, where she received her Licensed Practical Nurse Degree (LPN). Upon graduation, she was employed with Duke University Health System as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She worked for Duke for twenty years until her retirement in 1988. Mary was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. While a member of Mt. Zion, she served on the Deaconess Board, Usher Board and the Women’s Senior Choir for over forty years. Mary was married to Thomas J. Bradley, Sr. for seventy-three years. Out of this union five children were born, three girls and two boys. She leaves behind to cherish her memories her loving and devoted husband Thomas J. Bradley, Sr.; children, Barbara (Willie) Freeman; Carolyn Bradley; Cynthia (Gattis) Baines; Thomas, Jr. (Mary) Bradley and Kenneth (Joann) Bradley; grandchildren Jacqueline, Christopher (Joan) Willie, Jr. (Tiarra) Freeman, Sharon Bradley, Christopher (Ciarra), Gregory (Kimberly), Rachel, Tamika Bradley, Jamie, Stephen (Robbyn), Paul Baines and Keisha (Maurice) Hawkins; Reggie Bailey; great grandchildren, Carlos Favors, Jaique, Christopher, Jordan, Jazmine, Tamire, Zamire, Aran Freeman, Christopher, Jordan, Zarchary, Dynisha, Demica, Deven, Cherie (Francis) Barclay, Ahmond, Amire, Jada, Daya, Keyon, Que, Winter, Donovan, Billy; great-great grandchildren, Kiyhdir, Reggie Reid, Christian Bradley, Jeremiah, Leona Barclay, Haaziq Salim, Ariel and Thialand; along with a host of other family members and friends. Mary was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. She will be fondly remembered by all. She was passionate about helping others in need. She was a very giving person. Her heart was full of love and she had a contagious smile. Many will miss Mary, as she was loved by all.

Oliver Watkins Ferguson, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1924. In 1943, after two years at Vanderbilt University, he joined the United States Army, serving with the 44th Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations in 1944-45. Following his discharge, he resumed his studies at Vanderbilt, earning the B.A. and M.A degrees in English literature. He was an instructor at the University of Arkansas in 1948-50, then enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois. He received the doctorate in 1954. He taught at The Ohio State University before joining the English faculty at Duke University in 1957. He was Department Chairman from 1967 to 1973, and retired from Duke University in 1993. During his years at Duke, he was First Associate Editor, then Editor, of the South Atlantic Quarterly. In addition to serving on the boards of various professional organizations, he was a lecturer at the National Humanities Center Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC. Among his awards and honors are a Rotary International Fellowship, a Huntington Library Summer Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is listed in Who's Who in America. His publications include Jonathan Swift and Ireland and numerous articles and reviews, chiefly on eighteenth-century English literature. He was bibliographer for the entry on Jonathan Swift in The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (1971). He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joanne Ferguson (resident of The Forest at Duke) and his sons John Whittier-Ferguson (Ann Arbor, MI) and Charles Ferguson (New York, NY).Oliver passed away on April 04, 2019. He was 94 soon to be 95 years young.

Georgia Pettiford Mitchell, the oldest and last survivor of ten children born to Jeff and Viola Cameron Pettiford, passed away April 04, 2019. Georgia was born in Roxboro, North Carolina on July 08, 1914 and recently celebrated her 104th birthday. That is not her only amazing testament. She married Levi Mitchell on October 22, 1933 and moved to Durham, North Carolina where four children were born to this marriage. Her husband and two children, the eldest Doris Richardson and the youngest Marshall Mitchell, predeceased her. In Durham, Georgia worked with Meals on Wheels along with the Crop Walk Project, selling over 5000 tee shirts “to end hunger one step at a time”. She was an avid flower and plant lover and raised hybrid African violets by planting the roots of different species together. After the last of her four children entered school, she worked many years as an elevator operator in a large department store and retired as a switchboard operator from Hanes House at Duke University in Durham. She moved to Kingwood to live with her daughter, Bernice, after suffering a massive stroke in 2014. Given three days to live by her doctors, following the stroke, she lived to celebrate four (nearly five) more birthdays.  Georgia was a member of the Blackfoot Indian Tribe, her paternal grandfather died at the age of 101. She was an amazing cook and always prepared enough food in case there were unexpected visitors. She finished the eighth grade, but taught all of her kids to read. A favorite memory is her singing all of the verses of “Silent Night” and reciting the “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” to her children at bedtime, both from memory. She leaves to mourn her passing, a daughter Bernice Satterwhite of Kingwood, TX, a son Levi Mitchell, Jr. of Petersburg, VA , eight grandchildren,  twenty-two great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, two sisters-in law, many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

Gabriel Oliva Costa Cunha, passed away on April 03, 2019 a young life too soon taken. Gabriel was born April 07, 1990. He was just shy of his 29th birthday.  It is with the deepest sadness that we mark the loss of this young man. He was one of Duke’s most promising Economics Graduate Students. Gabriel joined the Center for the History of Political Economy as a Fellow during the fall 2015 semester while still working on his master’s degree in economics at the University of São Paulo. While at the Center he investigated the influence of cybernetics on the development of F. A. Hayek’s thought. It was during his fellowship that he wrote “The Road to Servomechanisms: The Influence of Cybernetics on Hayek from the Sensory Order to the Social Order.” The paper was published in Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology in 2016 and was awarded the Warren Samuels Prize for the best article. Gabriel was admitted to the Duke PhD program in economics and began taking courses in fall 2016. He was already a fine economist and a noteworthy contributor to the history of economics community here at Duke and beyond. His insights and his gentle spirit will be greatly missed.

Pearlie O. Johnson, 71 years of age, passed away on Tuesday, April 02, 2019. She was a former employee of Duke University Health System working as a Housekeeping Specialist in the Davison Buildings of Duke South. Pearlie’s career began with Duke on February 01, 1999 continuing until retirement on February 01, 2013, sharing fourteen years of life with her Duke family. Pearlie will be missed by family, friends and by her community.

Jose’ Leonardo Ferreire Da Costa, passed on Monday April 01, 2019. Jose’ was 78 years young. After months of failing health, he died peacefully at home (Graham, North Carolina) with his beloved wife, Evangelina, and with their children by his side. Evangelina and Jose’ were married for forty-nine years. He was a loving father of Lionel Da Costa, Alice Da Costa, and Nilda Gunn. He was the proud grandfather to Paul Everette, Ariel Riddle, Emily McCray, Alex Terrell, Veronica Gunn, Tyrin Terrell, Javon Gunn, Isabelle Da Costa, and Josiah Gunn. He was above all passionate and extremely proud of his great grandchildren, Alaina Clowers, Micah Clowers, and Jackson McCray. Jose’ will be fondly remembered by his many nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends. He was the son of the late Jose ’Da Costa Amaral and Maria Dos Anjos Ferreira of San Miguel, Acores Portugal. He is predeceased by his sister Adriana Alves and brother, Carlos Da Costa. Jose’ was the brother of the late Alda Brasil. He was a proud permanent resident of the United States for fifty-two years and retired from Duke University Hospital after nearly twenty years of dedicated service. Jose’ well be remembered as a firm but understanding gentleman holding the highest integrity in family life.

March 2019

Carole Mayberry, born January 16, 1943 passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2019. She was 76 years young. Carole has worked with the Private Diagnostic Clinic for Duke University as a Supervisor of the Private Diagnostic Clinic Outreach Program. She began her career with Duke on September 12, 1980 retiring on September 01, 2000 sharing twenty years of life with her Duke family. There is only one happiness in life and that is to be loved, and Carole was loved by all who knew her. Rest in peace.

Frankie Marie Gamble Mackey, was born January 22, 1953 in Asheville, North Carolina to Tinia Gamble and the late Benjamin Franklin Gamble. She passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Frankie received her primary and secondary education in Buncombe County School System and continued onto become a certified Nursing Assistant. She served as a caring and nurturing health care professional for over thirty-five years at Memorial Mission Hospital and area Nursing Homes. Frankie then moved to Durham, North Carolina where she continued her life’s mission at Duke University Hospital for ten years. Her dedication and work ethic will eternally shine in our memories. She was a fighter and showed amazing strength and courage, showing no white flags, as she battled breast cancer. For those who knew her best, absolutely understood, and benefitted greatly from the passionate desire she held for cooking. Frankie loved trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. If you have never eaten one of her cakes, you have without doubt, missed a marvelous treat! Family gatherings are special to our family along with a bit of friendly competition and cooking  tips with her baby brother always put a smile on her face. Not to mention a few pounds she put on the rest of the family. Frankie was a member of Hill Street Baptist Church until she moved. Upon arriving in Durham, she became a faithful member of Union Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her finance Walter ‘Bo’ Smith and sister Phyllis Folston. Frankie leaves to cherish her memory; her Mother, one daughter Ruby Mackey of S.C., two sons Ronald Gamble of Asheville, NC and John Mackey, Jr of Winston-Salem, NC. Eight grandchildren who were the apple of her eye (Tymark, Larell, Darius, Diamond, Desiree, Antonio, Quitin and Alyssa. Three great grandchildren Tymark, Jr. Amanda, and Kinzie. Eight siblings – Rev. Dr. Donnie Gamble, Pamella Gamble, Terry Gamble, Rayford Gamble(Faye), Angela Hamilton (Kenneth), Cecelia Petty (Lester), Rodney Gamble and Lucinda McNeill (Tyrone). Numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and one maternal aunt will also cherish her memory. 66 years young is far too early to have to say goodbye. If she had breath for one more statement, Frankie may have stated, ‘Life is a song-sing it. Life is a game-play it wisely. Life is a challenge-meet it respectfully, with verve and grace. Life is a dream-realize it. Life is a sacrifice-offer it bravely without regret. Life is love-embrace it.

John Wilson Moore, a biophysicist who made important contributions to understanding neurotoxins and was a pioneer in the field of computational neuroscience, died on Saturday, March 30. He was 98 years young. John was born on November 01, 1920 in Winston-Salem. He graduated from Davidson College in 1941 and received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Virginia in 1945. His graduate work was directed toward the war effort: assisting in the effort to enrich uranium by centrifuge, and building a radar-directed gun system for ships. As a young scientist, John worked at the RCA Laboratories, the Medical College of Virginia, the Naval Medical Research Institute, and the National Institutes of Health, gaining unusual expertise that combined physics, feedback systems, electronics, and biology. He also began a lifelong tradition of summer research at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. In 1961, John joined the Department of Physiology at Duke University, where he made his greatest contributions to the field. He developed a new experimental method of measuring electrical current in neurons. Using this technique, he studied the actions of various neurotoxins with collaborators from around the world. Most notably, he and Toshio Narahashi discovered the method by which tetrodotoxin, the puffer fish venom, blocks nerve signals. John received the Cole Award from the Biophysical Society in 1981 for this and other work. John also saw the potential for using computers to simulate the electrical signals in neurons. With help from student programmers, and using the recently developed Hodgkin-Huxley equations as a basis, he began in the late 1960s to run computer simulations in parallel with each lab experiment. This groundbreaking method proved to be highly successful both in predicting the outcomes of experiments and in showing that the equations had wider applicability than previously known. With Michael Hines, he developed the neuronal simulation software NEURON which remains one of the most popular tools for computational neuroscience instruction and research. After his retirement from Duke in 1990, John focused his efforts on education. With his wife, Ann Stuart, a neurobiologist at UNC-Chapel Hill, he developed Neurons in Action, a digital textbook that includes interactive experiments using NEURON. It is now widely employed to teach neurophysiology. Throughout his life, John struck up friendships wherever he went. He was beloved by family, colleagues, employees of the institutions where he worked, musicians he admired, and his many caregivers during his final year. John is survived by his wife, Ann Stuart; their son, Jonathan Stuart-Moore (Megan Guiliano); three children from his first marriage, John Reid Moore (Beth), Marjorie Moore Kastrinsky (Howard), and Stephen Wilson Moore (Kathy); eight grandchildren, Jennifer, Josh, Matt, Kimberly, Elizabeth, Michelle, Steve, and Julian; and two great-grandchildren, Henley and Emily.

Brenda Sue Ennis Marcelais, 69, wife of Ronald E. Marcelais, passed away on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, peacefully in her home. Born January 28, 1950, in Durham, North Carolina she was a daughter of the late Onzlo Ennis and the late Nettie Bennett Ennis. She retired from Duke University after thirty-five years of service on February 01, 2015. She had also been employed by the Medical University of South Carolina. Survivors include her husband of  twenty-four years; two children, Sam Knight (Mary) of Roxboro, NC and Christie Bowes (Doug) of Timberlake, NC; six grandchildren, Lindsey Fagala, Alex Knight, William Bradley, Jeff Bradley, Delanei Clayton, Camryn Bowes; and two brothers, David Ennis (Smitty) of Durham, NC, and Butch Ennis of Stem, NC. She was preceded in death by a brother, Jerry Long; two sisters, her twin, Linda Whitt, and Janice Ellis. Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight. Rest in peace Brenda.

Dr. Edward Everett Anderson, Durham native and long-time Duke Urologist, passed away in his home peacefully with his three daughters by his side on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Everett was born May 10, 1932 in Duke University Medical Center to Dr. William Banks Anderson, Sr. and Mildred Everett Anderson. As a young man, Everett attended Philip's Academy, the prestigious New England men's preparatory school in Andover, Massachusetts. He picked up his first lacrosse stick in his junior year, instantly taking to the game and eventually going on to earn All New England honors in men's lacrosse while graduating in 1951. Wishing to follow in his father's footsteps as a physician, Everett enrolled in Duke University, returning to his beloved home of Durham, where he would enjoy the company of his parents, two brothers and large extended family who have lived in the area since the late 1800's. Everett was a dual sport athlete in Football and Lacrosse while pursuing his undergraduate degree at Duke. He was best known for his physical style of play on the lacrosse field, earning First Team All American honors in Men's Varsity Lacrosse his junior year at Duke in 1954. Everett was a feared defenseman on the Lacrosse field, afraid of no one, earning him an induction into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame. A golden plaque with his name sits in Cameron Indoor Stadium alongside other Duke lacrosse legends commemorating his contribution to Duke Athletics. Everett was later recognized as one of the top 100 athletes of the Atlantic Coast Conference, sharing the list with the likes of another North Carolina legend, Michael Jordan. After graduating from medical school, Everett earned medical fellowships at Duke Medical Center and Yale Medical Center from 1958 – 1960. He received his residency in training and fellowship in urology and surgery from Duke University Medical School, the University of Washington School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Everett then returned to Duke in 1965 where he completed his fellowship research in urology, earning the title of Urology professor in later years. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Urology in 1966, Associate Professor of Urology in 1969, and Professor of Urology in 1972.Everett was certified by the American Board of Urology in 1969. He served as the acting Chief of Urology at Duke on two separate occasions between 1972 and 1980, after learning from his mentor and long-time friend, Dr. Jim Glen. He retired from surgery at age 70 in 2004, then worked as a urology professor and consultant at the Durham VA Hospital. During his career, Everett held distinguished membership in more than thirty-five honorary and professional societies. He also proudly served in the United States Army for over 10 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.  Everett had an infectious love for Urology and the art of surgery. He served as a father figure and mentor to generations of Urology residents and countless medical students with his teachings becoming the modern curriculum of Urology as we know it today. Everett's patients were his highest priority, best illustrated by his open-door policy, offering of home phone number and unlimited access whenever he was needed. His commitment to medicine, coupled with his good sense of humor, will forever define his approach to patient care. Everett Anderson's love for his patients and the field of medicine were his life's purpose. He was a fiercely loyal and loving man who was very supportive of his three daughters. He was the happiest at the beach with his family and friends, deep sea fishing, and watching any Duke sporting event. In addition to his parents. Dr. Anderson was preceded in death by his paternal uncle, Gerard James Anderson, his paternal aunt, Elizabeth Holt Anderson "Libba", his paternal uncle, Walter Scott Persons, Jr. "Jack", known fondly around Durham as "Coach", and his niece, Stephanie Fletcher Johnson.  Everett is survived by his lifetime partner of forty-one years, Wanda Gail Johnson; his daughters, Kristin Anderson Rich (Captain Sean Rich and son, Jackson Rich), Alison Reid Anderson, Courtney Johnson Caraganis (Kai Edison Caraganis); his two brothers, William Banks Anderson Jr., M.D. (Nancy Anderson), Charles Alexander Anderson (Janie Zeigler and son, Everett T. Anderson); his beloved cousin, Holt Anderson (Susan Anderson and sons, Captain John Anderson and Will Anderson); his nephew and nieces, Mark Anderson (Mary Eileen Anderson), Mary Banks Knechtle (Dr. Stuart Knechtle), Beth Strand (Rev. Jon Strand); and seventeen great-nieces and nephews. How can those that have departed truly be gone, when they live in the souls of those left behind.

Brenda McCallum, 69, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on March 26, 2019. Brenda was a Licensed Practical Nurse, who had worked in the GYN Unit 5800 with Duke University Health System for over eighteen years. Her career with Duke began on August 01, 1979 retiring in 1997. She will be missed by family, friends, and by her community. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

Lonie Anderson Huff, 78, passed away Sunday, March 24, 2019 at Alamance House. Lonie was born in Person County to Walter Richard and Nettie Hodges Anderson, both deceased. She was retired from Duke University Medical Center working in the Accounting Payable Department as an Accounting Specialist. Her career with Duke began on July 01, 1968 retiring in 2002, sharing thirty-four years of life with her Duke family. Lonie was of the Methodist faith. She graduated from Bethel Hill High School in Roxboro where she played basketball. Lonie loved to read, sew, and loved playing cards.  She is survived by her daughter, Donna Johnson and her husband Mike of Mebane. Grandchildren, Katherine Wrenn and her husband Jeffrey, Caleb Williams and Stewart Johnson. Great Grandson Jeffrey Wrenn, Jr. Sister, Delois Fesperman and her husband William.Other than her parents she was preceded in death by her daughter, Laura Williams. Brother, Norman Anderson, and her husband Edward Burns. Oh, how lucky am I to have loved and been loved so ferociously that saying goodbye is so much more difficult than imagined.

Suzanne Gail Avery, of Durham, North Carolina passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. The cruelty of cancer brought a swift end to the loving life of an enormous heart, a heart that always put the needs of the world before her own. Sue was surrounded in her final days around the clock by friends and family who wanted one last opportunity to return the favor. Sue was born on January 08, 1946 to Elroy and Lois Avery in Buffalo, New York. She experienced an extremely happy childhood growing up in Williamsville. Sue recognized early in her life that she would travel a path of service, choosing to dedicate herself to the needs of others. That wondrous path began at the Buffalo General School of Nursing and the State University of New York at Buffalo where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. Capitalizing on being named the top nurse in her class, Sue began her incredible career at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City, where she was a savvy young Intensive Care Unit Nurse. Ultimately, she rose to head staff nurse, a position she held for almost four years before leaving New York to relocate in Durham, North Carolina. It was in 1977 that she began her distinguished career at Duke University Health System working at Duke Hospital. During her nearly forty year career at Duke, she continued her life's goal of serving others, ultimately transitioning her nursing role to that of Clinical & Translational Science Institute of Research and Education, along the way obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing from Duke University. A career in service to others would be enough for many, but not for Sue. Sue was a caregiver and she did not know how to be anything else. In the early 80's, Sue was a pioneer in championing the rights of the LGBT community. She was actively involved in the NC Lesbian and Gay Health Project. At a time when the AIDS crisis marginalized the gay community, Sue embraced them with courage and conviction. She provided education, she provided clinical support and most of all she provided a loving heart to people that needed it most. That loving heart never seemed larger or beat stronger than it did for her family. Her parents and her sister, Janice Roe, predecease Sue. Her only daughter, Amity Avery Crowther, Amity’s husband Michael Ferguson, their beautiful daughters Ellery (12) and Baker (10) Ferguson, her nephew William M. Warren II, and her persnickety cat, Emily, survive Sue. Throughout her life, Sue taught her daughter to love unequivocally, to live fiercely, and to never let the world tell you what to think or how to feel. Clearly, her two greatest treasures in life were her granddaughters. There has never been a grandmother who doted more or prepared more for their visits and encounters. Sue was famous for gifts. Thoughtful and creative, she always outshined the rest of the room on Christmas morning. No one wrote camp letters to the girls better than Sue did, and no one ever will. Sue died on the first day of spring, forevermore; the birds will chirp and sing a song telling the world about this amazing woman, beloved mother, grandmother and friend. As is a tale, so is a life-not how long that life may be but rather how well that life was lived.

Dorothy E. Moore, a former employee with Duke Medical Center, sadly passed away at her home, on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. Dorothy was 84 years of age. On January 28, 1935, Dorothy was born in Halifax County, North Carolina to her parent, the late Rosetta E. Hines. Later in life, Dorothy married John E. Moore moving to Durham, North Carolina. While in Durham, Dorothy became a member of Greater St. Paul Baptist Church. On February 12, 1962 Dorothy began working with Duke Medical Center as a Patient Relations Representative Medical Unit 9100, eventually retiring on February 01, 2000. Dorothy embraced nearly forty years of life with her Duke family. Dorothy is survived by two daughters, Selena Mangum of Durham, NC, and Connie (Benny) Brunson of New Haven, CT; one son, Wayne Battle of Durham, NC; four sisters, Linda Whitaker of Alexandria, VA, Clay Tee Hines of Raleigh, NC, Henrietta Hines of Wheaton, MD and Gwendolyn M. Hines of Washington, DC; two brothers, Earl Lee Bryant of Temple Hill, MD and Randolph Hines of Harrisburg, PA; twelve grandchildren; twenty-nine great grandchildren; and numerous great-great grandchildren. Preceding Dorothy in death are her husband John E. Moore, grandson John Devere Battle, two brothers and two sisters.

Mary Izetta Hart, 91 years young, passed away on March 17, 2019. Mary was a former Housekeeping Specialist working for Duke University. Her career began on September 01, 1962 retiring on March 01, 1990 sharing nearly thirty years of life with her Duke family. Surviving relatives include her three sisters, Ceola McIver, Venus Dowdy and Billie Joyce (Elwood) Davis; two brothers, Winfred Tysor and Jimmy Tysor; six grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and a host of other family members. Dearest Mary, perhaps passing through the gates of death is like passing quietly through a simple garden gate. You may find yourself standing on a rolling hill of a sweet green pasture. Just keep walking without the need to look back, no drama, no remorse, no regrets. Neither pain nor floods of light nor great voices rain down upon you,  but rather you glide graciously through a silent crossing of a beautiful meadow as you reverently step up to the stairway of heaven.

Nadine Harvell Dennise, 89 passed away on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at Vidant Medical Center. Nadine was born in Wake County and spent her youth in Willow Springs. She graduated from Fuquay Springs High School in 1947. She worked for Duke University Health System as a Secretary with the Surgery Department beginning January 01, 1968 retiring May 01, 1994. In 1999, she and her husband moved to Greenville to be closer to their grandchildren and they joined Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Nadine enjoyed being active in the Women of the Church. She was preceded in death by her husband fifty-four years, Melvin O'Neal Dennis, three sisters and nine brothers. She is survived by her daughters, Myra Glyn Dennis and Geoffrey Wood of Arnold, Maryland, Tina Dennis Carroll and husband, Alben, of Colorado, and Anita Dennis Lommatzsch and husband, Clint, of Greenville; grandchildren, J. C. Lommatzsch and fiancé, Emily Buddo, Courtney Lynn Lommatzsch and husband, Craig Schmidt, and Dennis Neal Lommatzsch; and numerous nieces, and nephews.

John Lossing, a former Medical Laboratory Scientist, Technician II, working in the Clinical Pediatric Department with Duke University Health System passed away on March 14, 2019. John began his career with Duke on August 21, 1995 retiring on July 01, 2016 sharing over twenty years of life with his Duke family. Family, friends, his community and former colleagues will miss him. Grief is price we pay for love, and there is no limit to what I would pay.

Robert Joseph Portugal, 52 years young, died on Wednesday March 13, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina. Robert was born in Lincoln Park Michigan, the son of Ronald Joseph Portugal and Diana Svacha. He graduated from Alan Park High School going on to serve his county by joining the United States Army as a 91Q Pharmacy Specialist. He proudly served during Desert Storm and earned the Army Service Ribbon, Army Lapel Button, M16 Sharpshooter Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and the Parachute Badge. Robert moved to Mebane, North Carolina where he began his distinguished career with Duke University Health System working as a Pharmacy Technician, Inpatient OPS Pharmacy. His career with Duke began on April 15, 1991 and was active upon his passing, embracing nearly thirty years of life with Duke. Robert mentored and taught many of the staff members. He was known as MR. Fix it. He was loyal and a dear friend to everyone. He was an avid fan of University of Michigan football and the Detroit Red Wings. Hobbies include, Xbox gaming, golfing, and traveling.  Survived by his step mother, Judy Portugal, his step father, Raymond Bishop, his sisters; Sheila Portugal, Sabrina and  husband Justin Young; step-sisters Kim Zehel, and  Jennifer Zehel,  brother; Ronnie Portugal, step-brother Ray Zehel Five Nieces; Jessica Portugal, Zaydriana Young, Valora Young, Kayla Young, Kelsea Young and one Nephew Kevin Portugal. He is preceded in death by his father, Ronald J. Portugal, mother, Diana Bishop, a brother, Jeffery Portugal. Family, friends, community and colleagues will miss him.

Leola Aurora Glenn, 95, passed away peacefully in her home on March 12, 2019. Leola was born in Nansemond County (Suffolk), Virginia on September 15, 1923. After spending most of her life in Durham, North Carolina, she retired to the family farm. She was the oldest of eight children born to the late Russell Bennett Glenn and Mary Agnes Scully Glenn. Leola was a 1942 graduate of Chuckatuck High School, attended James Madison College, and received her B.S.N. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1946. Upon graduation from MCV, she was accepted into the Anesthesiology program at Duke University, despite being told by many she would never be selected for admission because she was too young and a female. By the 1950s, and after further advancement in degrees, she was employed by Duke Medical Center as an Anesthesiologist for nearly fifty years. Leola became an instructor in the Duke School of Anesthesia and remained in that position until retirement. She was a pioneer for women of her time. Devoting her life to medicine, she continued to return her childhood home where she loved being involved in the daily life on the farm. She was an accomplished ballroom dancer. Six siblings predecease Leola. Jocelyn O’Bannon, Monica Glenn, Dr. Rollin Glenn, Fleet Glenn, Tosca Minichan, and Lt. Colonel Hugo Glenn. She is survived by a sister, Patricia G. Johnson of Houston, Texas; sisters-in-law Betty Glenn of Old Town, Maine; Doris Glenn and Helen Glenn of Suffolk; and a brother-in-law, Dr. David Minichan of Roanoke, as well as fourteen nieces and nephews and thirteen great nieces and nephews.The family would like to thank caretakers Teresa Bane, Marlana West, Carol Martinez, Linda Shineberg, Margie Bass, Jeannie Jernee, as well as other Home Instead employees who aided Leola in her comfort. Only a moment you stayed, but what an imprint your footprints left on our hearts.

Linda Uwanu, 61 years young of Raleigh, North Carolina passed on Sunday, March 10, 2019. Linda was born on June 04, 1957 to the late Sidney Roberts and Queen Ester Bagby Roberts in Oxford, North Carolina. She graduated from South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina, completing a post-secondary education at Rutledge Business College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Linda worked in the health care field for over twenty years and was looking forward to retirement from Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina where she was a CNA-II. She was married to the late Urum Uwanu. Linda enjoyed the Lord, reading, shopping, fashion and outings with her family and close friends. Linda could often be found shopping at Streets of Southpoint (her favorite pass-time) and sharing lunch with her granddaughter at Nordstrom's. She frequently made trips back home to Oxford, North Carolilna to visit and fellowship with Aunt Shirley. Linda had a relationship with the Lord and was intent on spreading the gospel. Those left to cherish precious memories are her son, Patrick (Taynita ) Jacobs; two grandchildren, Chelsea and Chase Jacobs; siblings, Lynwood (Marie ) Roberts, Wayne (Valreno) Roberts, and Randy Roberts; aunts, Shirley Bagby and Helen Amis; special friend Don Marshall; along with a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Perhaps they are not the stars in our vast sky, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lives pour through to shine down on us to let us know they are happy and at peace.

Philip J. Herr, 27, of Durham, NC, formerly of Lititz, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 09, 2019. He is survived by his mother, Tammy Herr who will forever miss him dearly, and Pops Keith Herr, Grandpa Ray Herr and Ray's partner Roberta Oehmig all of Lititz.Philip graduated from Warwick High School, Penn State University and was attending Duke University, working on his PhD in Electrical Engineering.He was preceded in death by his “MAW” Marjorie Walker, Grandpa Carl Walker and Grandma Patsy Ulrich. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Mary Joe Pullin, devoted daughter, loving mother and loyal friend to many died Monday, March 04, 2019. Mary was a native of Durham, North Carolina. She was a former employee with Duke University Health System working as a Clerk in the Radiology Film Library. Her career began with Duke on June 01, 1974 retiring April 01, 1995 sharing twenty-one years of life with her Duke family. Left to cherish memories are her daughter Cynthia Pullin; son Andrew Pullin, both of Durham, NC; sisters Frances Hayes and Ann Lee Rives both of Durham, NC; grandchildren Krystal, Demario, Courtney and Tehron Farrington all of Durham, NC; nieces; Sharen Lewis (Danny) of Hillsborough; Karen Hayes-Raymond (Herold); Felicia Hayes both of Durham, NC; Beverly Hayes(Michael)Poole of Mt Gilead Taylorsville, NC; nephews Michael Hayes, of West Chester, OH; Stephen Hayes of Durham, NC.

Mary Louise Campbell, 79, passed away March 03, 2019, at Duke Hospice, Hock Family Pavilion in Durham, North Carolina. Mary was affectionately known as ‘Louise’, she was born on August 03, 1939 in Durham, North Carolina to the late Raleigh Price Sr. and Sue Ann Price. She was the third oldest of nine children, which three preceded her in death, Bernard Price, Helen McKinney and Raleigh Price Jr; one child, Carolyn Fuller. Mary received her education from Durham Public Schools. As an adult, she worked for Service America Cooperation as a Food Server at the Durham County Court House and later retired from Duke Medical Center Environmental Services after sharing thirteen years of life with her Duke family. Her life will forever be cherished through her three children; Jamie McCall, Nathaniel Fuller (Angela), and Jacqueline Fuller all of Durham, NC; three sisters, Bernice Leathers, Thelma Kincy (Earl), Velma Quick (George), Two Brothers, Henry Price (Gwendolyn), Clarence Price (Donna); Two Sisters-in-law, Clementine Price and Lula Hemby; seven grandchildren: Shawana, Crystal (Mike), Casey (Todd), Nate Jr. (Kiara), Ohene, Courtney, and Janna (Jasmine), seven great-grandchildren: Omari (Paris), Isaac, Isaiah, Zion, Dakota, Kaden and Kobe, and a special friend, Dorothy Corbett.

Genera Delquindra Corprew, was born May 06, 1971 in Johnston County, to the late Mr. Billy Ray McDougald and Elder Thelma Jean Allen. She departed this life on March 03, 2019 in Raleigh surrounded by her family. Genera was 47 years young. She attended Smithfield-Selma High School, in North Carolina. After graduation, she worked to provide for her family. In 2010, she decided to go back to school to pursue a career as a Pharmacy Technician. In 2011, she received her Associate's Degree in Pharmacy Technician. She worked at Duke Raleigh Hospital as a Certified Pharmacy Technician where she and her co-workers loved and adored each other like family. Genera was a faithful member of St Peter's Church of Christ. She enjoyed singing in the New Life/Young Adults Choir. Everyone who knew her loved her. Genera enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandkids. She was very dedicated to anything she would put her mind to do. Even if you were not her child, she would treat you no differently. She did not have many dislikes, but the one she did have was being called a ‘grandma’. She would often playfully ignore you until you called her "NaNa". She was preceded in death by her father Billy Ray McDougald Sr. and brother Billy Ray McDougald Jr. She leaves to cherish her precious memories with her husband Kermit Debree Corprew; her children: Tavares McDougald, Kwame Corprew, Keyonna McDougald, Kameron McDougald; grandchildren: Tavares (Nay) McDougald Jr., Kaleb (Bean) Corprew, Amara McDougald, and Noah McDougald; her mother: Elder Thelma Jean Allen: stepchildren: Dwaquan Corprew, Kiadae Richardson, Deontae Richardson; her sister: Valerie Strickland; Aunts: Shirley Walker, Bertha Allen both of Smithfield, NC, Luzetta Vaughn of Goldsboro, NC, Joann Allen of Spring Lake, NC, Gwen Allen of Charlotte, NC, Ethel (Norman) Sims of Sims, NC, Faye (John) Lucas of Raleigh, NC, Neicole McDougald of Wilson, NC, Ruth (Lester) Lewis of Selma, NC, and Ruby McDougald of Bronx, NY; Uncles: Keith (Evelyn) of Bronx, NY, Johnny McDougald, and Donnell Holder both of Kenly, NC, Thomas (Connie) Allen of Augusta, GA.; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Joanne Beauregard, 72 years young, passed away on Saturday, March 02, 2019 at Duke Regional Hospital. She was born in Queens, New York to the late Joseph John Amen and Palma Coppola Amen. In addition to her parents, predeceasing Joanne was her husband, Donald Joseph Beauregard. Joanne was retired from Duke University where she was employed as an Accounting Specialist for the Accounts Payable Department. Her career with Duke began on October 17, 1994 sharing nearly twenty years with her Duke family. Surviving Joanne are her brother, Joseph Amen and wife Regina of Durham, North Carolina.

William Blair Anderson, of Durham died peacefully on Friday, March 01 at the age of 95. His wife of fifty-nine years, Barbara Deaton Anderson, was with him; his three children and two of his grandchildren were nearby. Born Nov. 08, 1923, he was raised by his parents, the late William S. Anderson and Lenora Amanda Hagen Anderson, his older sister Harriette, his cousin Tony, and the entire town of Granite Falls, Minnesota. Throughout his life, he enjoyed telling stories about "growing up in Granite." He gave the valedictory address at the 1941 Granite Falls High School commencement. Titled "Tolerance," the speech noted, "The better we become acquainted with other people, regardless of their race, creed, or customs, the more we realize that these strangers in reality have the same underlying human traits that we have." He entered the University of Minnesota and enlisted in the Army when the United States joined World War II. He finished college and medical school on an expedited basis and served as a physician in the Air Force during the Korean War. His service included a double tour of duty on the Aleutian island of Shemya, where a small base supported American plane that landed for refueling. He dedicated his professional career to improving the lives of children, first as a pediatrician and later as a child psychiatrist. He came to Duke in 1962 to pursue a fellowship in child psychiatry and stayed on as a member of the faculty. He served as director of the Durham Child Guidance Clinic (later renamed the Community Guidance Clinic) and medical director of McDowell Adolescent Psychiatric Ward at Duke Hospital. Though his style was unassuming, Bill often found himself in leadership positions such as congregation council of St. Paul's Lutheran Church and president of The Forest at Duke Residents' Association (2007). Informally, many people turned to him for wisdom and solace over the years. The Lutheran church was a constant in his life from beginning to end. While in pediatric training at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, he attended Trinity Lutheran Church and befriended the young pastor, L. Crosby Deaton. When that pastor took him home to Baltimore for Christmas, he met the entire family, including the pastor's younger sister, Barbara Jane Deaton. She and Bill were married on July 11, 1959. One of Bill's enduring interests was politics. He was proud to have shaken hands with Eleanor Roosevelt at an event in Iowa City, and he was a big fan of Adlai Stevenson and Hubert Humphrey. Having rushed through college, he loved to fill in the gaps in his knowledge of history by reading biographies, especially of the founding fathers. He watched almost every Democratic national convention of his adult life, and his family appreciated his ability to make comparisons between contemporary campaigns and those of decades before. He frequently consulted the World Almanac (always handy in kitchen or study) to find such facts as the name of an unsuccessful presidential candidate's running mate or the year, a particular state joined the United States. Bill is survived by his wife, Barbara Deaton Anderson; his daughter Tina Anderson Bessias, her husband Pakis Bessias, their children Sophia and Anastasia, Sophia's husband Lee Dolat, and their daughter Zoe; his son Will Anderson, his wife Lisa Roeske Anderson, and their children Christine and Sarah; and his son Paul Anderson, his wife Melissa Neubauer Anderson, and their children Hannah, Jonah, Leah, and Ella.

Alice Osborne Long Castillo, age 87, died in Durham, North Carolina on March 01, 2019. Alice was born in Raleigh on November 30, 1931, to the late Samuel Marsh and Gertrude Ball Long.  She moved at a young age to central Florida, and when she spoke of those early years of growing up near the Ocala National Forest, her most vivid memories were watching the filming of the movie “The Yearling” starring Spencer Tracy. After graduating high school in Florida, Alice started college at William & Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, but then transferred to Florida State University where she graduated with a BS in Marine Biology.  While at Florida State, Alice joined Chi Omega sorority and remained active for years after graduating. After college, Alice moved to Beaufort, North Carolina to work at Duke Marine Lab, then moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center.  While living in Madison, Alice married and had two children, Natalia Maria and Steven Anthony Alexander. In 1968, Alice moved back to Durham, North Carolina where she was a resident for fifty-one years.  During those years in Durham, Alice conducted research, worked at Duke University and Duke University Medical Center for over thirty-one years, and remained an avid Duke fan until her passing. Alice loved playing bridge with her friends and working in her garden in the spring.  Throughout her life, Alice also loved to travel throughout Europe and Peru with her friends and family.  One of her favorite summertime destinations was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where many of her relatives lived and her children always enjoyed. Alice Castillo is survived by a daughter, Natalia Maria Castillo of Sullivans Island, SC, and son, Steven Anthony Castillo and his wife Robin Braly Castillo of Durham, NC, granddaughters, Bailey Maria, Anne Marsh, and Carmen “Davie” Castillo, and her sister, Gertrude “Tootsie” Wood of Durham.  Alice was preceded in death by her father, Samuel Marsh Long, her mother, Gertrude Ball Long, and her brother, Samuel Marsh Long, Jr.Alice’s family would like to express sincere appreciation for the loving care giving and dedication provided by: Rebecca Troedsson, Billie Horne, Stephanie Taylor, Sara Zweigle, Elisa Winn, Svetlana Thorne, Yvetta Smith, Karen Hagwood and Kathy Riley, as well as special thanks to the kind staff of Croasdaile Village.

Harold “Pete” Lee McMillan, 68 years young, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, March 01, 2019, with his loving wife by his side. Born in Rockingham County, he was the son of the late John Alvis McMillan and Minnie Eller Rachel Barnes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers, James McMillan, Luther McMillan, Russell McMillan, J.A. McMillan and Raymond Turpin; five sisters, Faye Cameron, Gail Long, Magalene Johnson, Lillie May McMillan and Carolyn Jordon. Pete was a United States Army Veteran. He served in the Vietnam War as a Paratrooper and flew supplies. He retired from Duke Medical Center after twenty-two years of service due to a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. He did return to work though at Duke University Medical Center as a consultant. Due to his hard work and dedication, “McMillan Towers” at Duke University stands in honor and recognition, which “Pete” was very humbled and proud. He loved playing Blue Grass music on his guitar. He was an avid hunter, bow hunting was his passion. He was one of the founders of the Guilford Bow Hunters Association (NC Bow Hunters Association). Pete is survived by his loving wife of nearly fifty years, Sarah Lee McMillan of the home; two sons, Anthony M. McMillan of Mebane and Jason C. McMillan of Milton; one half-sister, Mary Moorefield of King; three grandchildren, Demi McMillan, Zach McMillan, and Alexis McMillan. Every life is noted and cherished, and nothing loved, has ever been lost or perished.

February 2019

Katy Lee Hoover Evans, a former Clinical Nurse I, working for Duke University Health System in the Minot-Rehabilitation Center, Operating Rooms, passed away on Tuesday February 26, 2019 at 86 years of age. Katy was a resident of North Carolina at the time of her death. Katy was formerly of Hoover Homesteads located in Lexington, North Carolina. She was born on September 21, 1932 to the late Frank Hoover Sr. and Laura Brown Hoover. She departed this life peacefully in her sleep while at home. Katy was educated in Davison County School System and was a graduate of Dunbar High School. She went on to nursing school and graduated from Kate Bitting Reynolds School of Nursing in Winston Salem in 1955. Katy relocated to Durham, North Carolina later that year after accepting a full-time position at Duke University Medical Center. She could tell many stories of how Duke was before and after desegregation; she even wrote a book about it. At Duke, Katy worked her way through the ranks and became one of the first black Head Nurses. Katy also founded The Nurses Breakfast Club in 1970, an organization dedicated to community service. She retired from Duke after forty years of dedicated service. Katy was married to the late John Thomas Evans, and to this union two children were born, Jason Carlyle Evans and Malinda De Ann Evans. She had many adopted daughters, sons, and grandchildren. After retirement, Katy moved back to Lexington, North Carolina. She was an active member of Yadkin Star Baptist Church, the Southside Senior Citizens, The Hoover Sisters, the Davidson County Chapter of the NAACP, the Kate Bitting Reynolds, Chestnut Grove School, and Dunbar High School reunion committees. She also continued to attend Nurses Breakfast Club meetings in Durham. As a part of her activism, she single handedly petitioned the Davidson County Commissioners to name a street in downtown Lexington after Martin Luther King Jr. She enjoyed fellowshipping with family, friends, and visiting and helping the sick and shut in. Katy was proceeded in death by sisters Geneva Hoover Peoples, Nona Hoover, Gladys Hoover Holmes, Essie Hoover Mack, and Ruth Hoover Staplefoote and brothers, Frank Hoover Jr., John Gilmer Hoover, and Baxter Louis Hoover. Katy leaves to cherish her memories, her son Jason C. (Daniele) Evans, her daughter, Malinda D. Evans, all of Durham, NC; three grandchildren, Tadja A. Evans, and Jada A. K. Evans of Durham, NC and Jaylen P. Evans of Lexington, NC; two sisters, Pearline H. Moss of Winston Salem, NC and Lois H. Andrews of Lexington, NC; a sister-in-law, Katherine Hoover of Lexington, NC; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and church family.

Lottie Pike Smith, of Rougemont, North Carolina, passed away on Monday, February 25, 2019, peacefully in her home. She was 92 years young. Lottie was born in Jones Co., the daughter of the late James Galey Pike and Edith Heath Pike. Her husband, William Earl Smith; and seven siblings also preceded her in death. Lottie was a former Supervisor working with the Private Diagnostic Center of Duke University Medical Center in the Private Orthopaeic Clinic. She began her career with Duke on May 01, 1966 retiring June 01, 1992 sharing twenty-six years of life with her Duke family. Left to cherish her memories are her sons, Wilson Earl Smith (wife Barbara), John Mark Smith; daughter, Claire Thompson (husband, Dan); twin sister, Lummie Faulkenberry; six grandchildren; and twenty-three great grandchildren.

Nora Lee Peterson Womack, age 88, passed away on Monday, February 25, 2019. Nora was a former employee with Duke University Health System working as a Radiologic Technologist, Bone & Chest in the Diagnostic Radiology Department. Nora’s career began with Duke on July 01, 1970 retiring August 01, 1995 sharing 25 years of life with Duke. What you have left behind Nora, is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but rather woven into the lives of others.

Margaret Ferrell Bradshaw, passed away Sunday afternoon, February 24, 2019 at Wayne Hospital after having enjoyed a long, happy, and healthy life for 94 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Luther Marvin Bradshaw; parents, Eugene Thomas Ferrell Sr. and Fonnie Smith Ferrell; and her brother and sister-in-law, E. T. "Tommie" Ferrell Jr. and Goldie Ferrell. After her marriage to Luther Bradshaw, they lived in Wilmington, North Carolina for a short time ultimately making their home in Durham, North Carolina. Luther became a Denture Craftsman, and Margaret an Executive Secretary for Duke University School of Law. After they retired, they relocated to Roxboro North Carolina eventually returning to her hometown of Mount Olive, North Carolina. It was there, they chose to spend and enjoy the remainder of their years. They became members of First Baptist Church of Mount Olive. Margaret is survived by nephews, Tom Ferrell and wife, Milly, and Alex Ferrell and wife, Anna, and their sons, all of Mount Olive; a great-nephew, Danny Street and family of Nahunta; and several other nieces and nephews from the Bradshaw family. Also surviving is a special friend for over seventy years, Mary Dallas Sutton of Mount Olive; and several cousins, including a special cousin, Edna Smith House of Mount Olive.

Mollie Emma McQueen Ford, 86 years young, died Friday, February 22, 2019. Mollie had worked with Duke University Health System as a Licensed Practical Nurse, in Surgical Unit-3300.  She had begun her career with Duke on April 01, 1968 retiring July 01, 1994 sharing twenty-six years of life with her Duke family. Mollie will be missed by family, friends and by her community. Mollie is survived by her children: William D. Ford (Regina), Cherlylen Ford Headen (Theadore) and Melessia Ford Cozart; grandchildren, Felicia F. Tucker (Jonathan), Danielle F. Boyd (Carlos), James M. Headen, Chloe O. Ford, Lydia Y. Cozart, Kirsten D. Ford and Joshua E. Headen; four great grandchildren and two siblings, Mattie McQueen Nance and Robert McQueen (Liz). The journey does not end here, as death is just another path. Life may end but love is eternal.

Dorothy "Dot" May Efland, born July 27, 1933 to Jack and Lucille May in Graham, North Carolina passed peacefully on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Dorothy was 85 years of age. She had been a former Staff Specialist working in the Center for Living, Heart Center, in Operations, with Duke University Medical Center. She began her career with Duke on February 01, 1968 retiring August 01, 1998 sharing thirty years of life with her Duke family. Dot is survived by her seven children: Brenda Long (Edwin), Lucy Castle (Barry – deceased), Cindy Hale, Christie Martin-Gray (Marshall), William Efland, Jr. (Shelly), Michael Efland (Nancy), and Jaye Efland; her brother Carl "Jigger" May (Marguerite – deceased), sister Jean Lloyd (James); eleven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. Dot was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-three years, William (Billy) Efland. The family would like to thank the staff of LiveWell Coker Hills and Duke Hospice for their dedicated and loving care.

Jacqueline Cato Hijmans Harris, Poet, Doctor, Humanitarian, Animal Lover, Nature Preserver, Patriot, was born in Java, Indonesia of Dutch parents on October 08, 1922. She was a small fragile child who was often sick, causing her to be behind in her schooling. Her family returned to Holland in the early 1930s and survived the Nazi occupation of 1940-1945.  The suffering and deprivation of war-torn Europe, particularly in the small villages of The Netherlands, was a defining influence in her life. She wrote many poems and stories about what she saw and did during that time. When American soldiers liberated Holland, she vowed to “pay back” the thousands of soldiers who gave their lives to save the world from Hitler and free people they did not know. When schools reopened, she went to University and, in an accelerated program, became a doctor in three years.  In 1951, she came to the US for medical residencies in Kentucky and Boston. In 1954, she came to Duke University School of Medicine as a Fellow in Gastroenterology. It was there that she met Jerome S. Harris, her future husband. In 1957, she fulfilled her promise to herself, joining the US Army Medical Corps, and becoming Chief of Gastroenterology at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Jerry and Jacqueline were married in Denver in 1958. He talked her into returning to Duke. They started a wonderful life together but she never forgot her promise to “pay back” and she joined the US Army Reserves, rising to the rank of Colonel. Together they visited Native American Reservation Hospitals and small Army bases across the country. She earned both the Army Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal for her work. Again, she captured these memories in her written poetry and stories. Jacqueline and Jerry were both brilliant and fun. They went on many missions, particularly to Native American lands. They raised champion Siberian Huskies and built a home without thresholds because they had aging parents who might come to live with them. They hiked the woods and creeks around their home. She took great pride that she turned that “city boy” into a true nature lover.  Jerry died in 2005 and Jacqueline missed him every single day of her life. As she lay preparing to pass, at the Hock Hospice Pavilion, during the last moments of her life, the greatest comfort she had was that she would be reunited with her beloved husband, Jerry. Jacqueline died on February 21st  2019. She left an indelible mark on all she met, including the staff at Hock, who honored her with a Veteran’s Ceremony. She thanked every caregiver and assured all that we were all children of the same God. She was a force of nature, a true and honest child of God, an example of courage, strength and grace along with the greatest determination. Many (particularly by her family at St Philip’s Episcopal Church) will miss her spirit. No flowers please. Go feed a family in need, plant a tree, visit a veteran, rescue a dog, and hug a neighbor. Every person’s life ends the same way, in death; it is only the details of how they lived that distinguishes one person from another. Jacqueline’s life has and will deeply imprint the hearts of those she knew and loved and those she aided along her magnificent journey.

Robert Ellis Kearney, a Patient Transporter working for Duke University Health System, with the Patient Transport Department, passed away on Thursday, February 21, 2019. He was a young 55 years old. Robert was known to his friends and colleagues to be a kind, calming and humble man with a grand sense of humor. Robert began his career with Duke on April 16, 2018 and was a currently active upon his death. Family, friends, community and colleagues alike, will greatly miss Robert. Say in grief, “He is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was.”

Clarence J. Jones, son of the late Ralph Jones and Alma Lyon Jones, was born March 02, 1923 in Stem, Granville County, North Carolina and departed this life on February 18, 2019. Clarence attended Little River School in Bahama, North Carolina. When his family moved to Durham, he enrolled in Hillside High School. On December 17, 1945, Clarence was united in Holy Matrimony to Alice Mae Mercer. Alice served Duke University Health System for nearly thirty-five years as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Alice Mae passed away only months prior to Clarence, it was on December 10, 2019. To their union in marriage, they were blessed with one child, Sandra Yvonne. During their seventy-three years of marriage, Clarence and Alice lovingly worked well together in accomplishing great things as caring parents and a support team to family and friends. He affectionately called her ‘Punkin’ and continually displayed his love right up until her death in December 2018.  At an early age, Clarence became a member of Union Baptist Church where he served faithfully until he and Alice were re-located to New Jersey. He served as vocalist in the Male Chorus, as Trustee, and Chairman of the Deacon Board. He was one of the founders of the Harps of Harmony, a quartet that performed for many years at various churches in Durham and surrounding counties. Throughout the years, Clarence received numerous plaques and certificates of appreciation for his dedicated and loyal service to Union Baptist Church. To name a few, in 1976, he was named Father of the Year; May 1984, he was recognized for exemplifying the true meaning of Christianity; March 2002, he received recognition for years of service as a leader and supporter of the ministries; and on Men’s Day, June 2005, he was recognized for his many years of service to the Male Chorus.  Among the many activities Clarence enjoyed was traveling with Alice. He also enjoyed singing and listening to gospel music. He had a passion for his cars and was meticulous in maintaining them. He also cherished the opportunities when he could give words of encouragement and advice to others. Clarence had two brothers, James Jones and Harvey Jones, and a sister, Georgia Mae Laws, who preceded him in death. Those who will cherish his loving memory are his daughter, Sandra J. (Raymond) Lindsay; granddaughter, Dana Y. Lindsay; grandson, Edward R. Lindsay; great-granddaughter, Jordan Y, Lindsay; great-grandsons, Jared P. Burke and Eric A. Lindsay all of Plainfield, NJ; nephew Leon, nieces, Carolyn Jean, Evelyn, Virginia, Richalean, Alice, Cynthia, Carolyn, Mary, Stephanie, Michelle, and a host of other RELATIVES and loving friends.

Louise Terrell Powell, 93 years of age, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, February 16, 2019. She was born in Guilford County on July 29, 1925 to the late Estelle Bunting Terrell and Ralph Otis Terrell. In addition to her parents, Ms. Powell is predeceased by her husband of fifty-eight years, Kessler Kinchen Powell, and siblings Clarence Otis Terrell, Betty Honrine Molko, and Marvin Eugene Terrell. She is survived by her children, Rhonda Estok (Ted Holloman), David W. Powell (Sandy), and Kessler K. Powell, Jr. (Denise); six grandchildren, Jennifer Healey (Sean), Derek Revels (Elizabeth), Joey Powell (Brittany), Matthew Powell (Grace), Jason Powell, and Morgan Powell; great-grandchildren, Willa Healey, Hagen Healey, Ashlyn Poplin-Revels, Emma Poplin-Revels, Lillyan Powell, Sydney Powell, Gavin Powell, Annika Powell and Keyland Powell, as well as many loving and caring nieces and nephews. Louise worked at Duke Medical Center for twenty-six years as the Administrative Secretary and timekeeper for the Operating Room. After her retirement in October of 1989, she and Kessler enjoyed spending time at the Family Beach Cottage at Surf City, North Carolina, a place she loved dearly. Her happiest moments in life were when she was surrounded by her family. She was an amazing cook and always looked forward to cooking and baking for Sunday dinners, family get-togethers, birthdays and holiday celebrations. She was a member of Dayspring Fellowship Church where she enjoyed singing in the choir, participating in worship services, bible study and prayer groups. Her friends and especially her church friends were an important part of her life. Family, friends, and community will greatly miss Louise.

Clarene Tilley, passed away on Friday February 15, 2019 at the young age of 89. She began working for Duke University on July 09, 1958 as an Accounting Clerk for Duke Stores, eventually retiring on March 11, 1992. Proudly she shared nearly thirty-five years of life with her Duke family. In the end, it is not the years in your life that matter, but rather the life in your given years.

Nancy Hobbie Grinstead, 71 years of age, passed away Friday February 15, 2019 after a long battle with cancer and related complications. Nancy is survived by two children, Susannah (Mark) Winden and Joshua Grinstead (Ana Moreno Reig), five grandchildren – Evan, Cecilia, Erin, Becka, and Sydney. Nancy had two brothers and two sisters, Dennis, Henry, Becky and Anne. She was the daughter of Henry Waldo Hobbie and Frances Helms Hobbie, also of Durham, NC. Nancy loved life and learning. She earned a BA in Art History from Duke University later in life and it inspired her to be a life-long student thereafter. She attended classes at Oxford University and traveled throughout Europe exploring its great works of art and architecture. Nancy worked for the better part of her career (nearly twenty-five years) at Duke University in the Education Department, a Research Secretary in the Medicine-Cardiology Department and as a part-time substitute teacher during her retirement. She enjoyed shag dancing at the beach, played sports recreationally until her late thirties, volunteered supporting senior care center compliance, and was an active member at her church, Aldersgate United Methodist, in Durham, North Carolina. Nancy was a history buff and actively read and took courses about the early 20th century. She was a voracious reader and enjoyed political and philosophical discourse. Nancy was a strong, independent spirit and fought her health challenges defiantly every step of the way until the end. We know Nancy would be with family, friends and community today, if heaven weren’t so far away.

Thomas Malong Jr., was a former Staff Specialist working with the Transportation Department of Duke University. To the average person, Tom Malong was an ordinary man living a simple and quiet life. But to those who knew him he was a devoted husband, protective father and family man, proud grandfather and jovial friend. He loved to debate politics, watch old westerns, eat Filipino food and play mahjong. He had a gift for storytelling and he never stopped smiling, always keeping joy in his heart, and a positive attitude, he even shared huge smiles with the nurses and doctors who tended to him. After a difficult fight with COPD, pneumonia and congestive heart failure, Tom passed away peacefully on Friday, February 15, 2019 at the young age of 86. Thomas Dominado Malong, Jr. was born in Lucena City, Quezon Province, the Philippines on May 18, 1932. He was the second of five children of Tomas Malong and Remiagia Dominado Malong. He grew up under the shadow of World War II with his childhood spent on his family’s farm riding a water buffalo and being an errand boy for soldiers during the Japanese occupation of the islands. As a young man, he served military time as a Communications Officer in the Philippine Navy, and he was part of the security team protecting dignitaries and politicians. While he was in the Navy, he met his future wife, Liwayway while she was waiting for a jeep to take her to the hospital where she worked as nurse. They married in 1962 and he became part of her large and gregarious family. During the tumultuous political scene of Ferdinand Marcos’ presidency in the early 1970’s, Tom took a leap of faith immigrating his family to the United States. They settled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In this new life, Tom became fiercely loyal to his adopted hometown and its University, The University of North Carolina. He was an avid UNC Tarheels fan, especially the basketball team. He was a faithful member of St. Thomas More parish. In addition, he was part of a core group of Filipino families who became lifelong friends. They did everything together; vacation and fish at the beach, celebrate birthdays and religious holidays, and playing mahjong into the early hours of the morning. During these years, Tom worked as an accountant for the University of North Carolina Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield and with Duke University serving the Transportation Department from which he retired in 1997 after sharing fourteen years of life with his Duke family. Tom and Liwayway moved across the country to Folsom, California in 2007. With family in Folsom and San Francisco, Tom continued to enjoy his retirement as “Lolo” to four grandchildren and travelled as his health permitted. He was fond of fishing for crab off the Pacifica Pier, attending his granddaughters’ dance recitals and using FaceTime to communicate with family. He thought his iPhone was the greatest thing since sliced bread although he still used an old-fashioned manual typewriter from time to time. Moreover, he was very grateful to be able to live a full life surrounded by loved ones with freedom and security. Tom is and will always be much loved by his family. He is survived by his devoted wife, Liwayway Garcia Malong of Folsom; younger sister Gloria Malong in the Philippines; daughter Lynette Mailman, son-in-law Karl Mailman and granddaughters Karalyn and Rachel of Folsom; son Ted Malong, daughter-in-law Audrey Malong, grandson Takeo and granddaughter Keilani of San Francisco; son Thomas Bryan Malong of San Francisco; and family members in Chicago, IL, Portland, OR, Philadelphia, PA, Seattle, WA and in the Philippines.

Elizabeth “Barlett” Dunn Humphries, age 56, of Roxboro, North Carolina, died Sunday afternoon, February 10, 2019, in Newport, North Carolina from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Bartlett was born June 07, 1962, in Person County, North Carolina, daughter of the late Bennie Thomas Dunn, Sr. & Mary Elizabeth Alexander Dunn who survives. She was employed with Duke University Medical Center as a Clinical Researcher for the Center Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, sharing nearly thirty-two of life with her Duke family. Bartlett’s career with Duke began January 01, 1987 and was active until her passing. She was a member of Clement Baptist Church. Surviving in addition to her mother are two sons, Alexander V. Humphries, Justin Lee Humphries both of Roxboro, NC, two grandchildren, Koltyn Humphries, River Humphries, two sisters, Starr Burgess & husband, David of Harmony, NC, Judith Haines Dunn of Roxboro, NC, brother, Bennie Thomas “Joe” Dunn, Jr. & wife, Karen of Mountain View, CA, fiancée, Alex Fimbel, father of her children, Ricky Humphries, and a host of nieces and nephews. Bartlett will be missed by family, friends, community and by her colleagues. That once we enjoyed, and deeply loved, we can never lose. For all that, we have ever loved to our hearts and minds stays forever fused.

Pearline Brinkley Joyner, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 09, 2019, at 81 years of age. Pearline had formerly worked with the Rewards & Recognition Department of Duke University beginning May 19, 1960 retiring February 01, 2003 sharing forty-three years of life with her Duke family. Pearline will be missed by family, friends, and by her community. People may forget what you have said, people may forget what you have done, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Emma T. Warren, age 90, passed away on Friday February 08, 2019. Emma was a former employee with Duke University Health System working as a Radiologic Technologist, Bone & Chest in the Diagnostic Radiologic Department. Emma’s career began January 12, 1959 retiring June 01, 1990 sharing over thirty-one years of life with Duke. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can ever steal.

Bonnie Lorraine Toaso, age 68, peacefully passed at her residence, Wednesday, February 06, 2019. Bonnie was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of the late Walter and Katherine Artman. Bonnie was very proud to be a member of the Triangle ONS, a group that promotes excellence in oncology nursing and quality care. She was a former Heme Clinical Researcher, with the MAL-SBR HUB-at Duke University Medical Center. Bonnie’s career began with Duke on October 01, 2014 and was an active employee until her death. Survivors include her husband of forty-two years, Stephen Toaso; sons, Brian Allen Banks, John Peter Toaso, Michael Adam Toaso; and her daughter, Jennifer Ann Lawson. Her family, friends, community and colleagues will greatly miss Bonnie.

Ella Owen, born on February 13, 1920 passed away on February 05, 2019 just shy of her 99th birthday. She had worked with Duke Medical Center as a Laboratory Assistant in Pathology Research. Her career with Duke began on July 10, 1967 retiring on July 11, 2003 after sharing thirty-six years of life with her Duke Medical family. Our joys will always be greater, our love will be always deeper, our lives will always be fuller because we shared in Ella’s moments.

Eileen Grace Rathey, passed away Tuesday, February 05, 2019 at Duke University Hospital. She was a young 66 years old. Eileen was born in Durham, the daughter of the late Rita Moriarty McGee and the surviving Jack Eugene McGee. Eileen was a Registered Nurse Manager working in Duke Urgent Care with Duke University Health System. Eileen began her career with Duke on February 18, 2008 and was an active employee upon the time of her death. Her family, friends, colleagues and peers will greatly miss Eileen. Cruising the Caribbean, was her real love, it was a pleasure she shared with her late husband, Ken. In addition to her mother, Eileen was also predeceased by her husband, Kenneth Herbert Rathey. In addition to her father, she is survived by her son, Peter Kenneth Rathey; daughter, Lisa Grace Rathey; sister, Loretta McGee Brown and husband John L. Brown; family friend and caregiver, Genesis Esquivel; and other relatives in Ohio, Michigan, Florida and New Jersey.

Anne Byrd Firor Scott, a scholar who brought a new prominence to women’s history and taught generations of Duke University students how to study and appreciate it, died peacefully on February 05, 2019 at her home in Chapel Hill, N.C. She was 97 years young. Her family confirmed her death. In her books and in her classroom, Professor Scott underscored the contributions that women, especially Southern women, have made to history, individually and through organizations, an area that had been underreported or ignored in the male-dominated field of historical scholarship. Her 1970 book, “The Southern Lady: From Pedestal to Politics, 1830-1930,” challenged the portrait of Southern women as prettily dressed, tea-sipping spectators to the cataclysmic events of the century of the title. “Far from fitting the conventional image,” the historian Gerda Lerner wrote in a 1971 review in the Journal of American History, “the Southern lady emerges from the pages of this book as a resourceful, strong and resilient woman living in a society which severely restricted her options and opportunities.” Professor Scott found insights in places other historians had rarely explored. “Anne Scott’s love of manuscripts drew her to the voluminous collections of family papers of planters, politicians and Confederate soldiers, archived by admiring descendants,” her daughter, Rebecca J. Scott, herself a historian at the University of Michigan, said by email. “There she found the overlooked letters and diaries of wives and daughters. In her hands, these brought to light a very different and far less demure ‘Southern lady,’ one who had played a vital role in economic, political, and social life.” It was eye-opening work. “Arriving at Duke as a young scholar in a male-dominated field, Anne Scott introduced new and more inclusive approaches to the study of the past,” John L. Martin, chairman of Duke’s history department, said by email. Professor Scott was the first woman to chair the department, he said, and influenced generations of future scholars at Duke and beyond. When Anne Scott received a 2013 National Humanities Medal, presented to her in a White House ceremony by President Barack Obama, the citation heralded her “groundbreaking research spanning ideology, race, and class.” Anne Byrd Firor was born on April 24, 1921, in Montezuma, Ga., to John William and Mary (Moss) Firor. Her father was a college professor, her mother a homemaker. “Georgia high schools in the 1930s did not demand extraordinary academic exertion,” Professor Scott wrote of her teenage years in an essay for the collection “Shapers of Southern History: Autobiographical Reflections” (2004). “My energies,” she added, “went less into academic exploration than into editing the school newspaper, a job with the fringe benefit of free movie passes.” Yet she must have been a good student — she received a bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia at 19. After working for a year at IBM in Atlanta, she earned a master’s degree in political science at Northwestern University. In 1943, she went to Washington for an internship in a congressional representative’s office, and then took a job the next year with the League of WOmen Voters. That organization was in upheaval at the time, and suddenly she and two other young staff members found themselves doing high-level work writing letters to cabinet secretaries, drafting congressional testimony, coordinating with other women’s groups and more. “It was a heady experience,” she wrote, “and one that in retrospect had a great deal to do with my later evolution as a historian of women.” In 1946, she met a former Navy pilot, Andrew Scott, and the next year they married. He was in graduate school at Harvard, and, joining him there, she secured a fellowship at Radcliffe College. She worked on her Ph.D. there while raising the couple’s three children, obtaining it in 1958 with a dissertation on Southern progressives in Congress. “It would not pass muster in today’s graduate programs,” she wrote of that dissertation. “But it did contain the germ of an important insight: In examining the varieties of reform in which Southerners were involved over the years after 1890, I kept stumbling over women.” Her husband was hired as a professor at the University of North Carolina, and she was soon teaching a few American history courses there. At a faculty seminar, she delivered a paper called “The ‘New Woman’ in the New South.” “To my surprise,” she wrote in the autobiographical essay, “the all-male faculty took to the subject with enthusiasm and spent so much time telling me about their grandmothers that I never quite finished delivering the prepared essay.” In 1961 the history department at nearby Duke found itself with an opening and invited her to fill it “until we can find somebody,” as the chairman’s letter to her put it. She stayed for 30 years, serving as department chairwoman from 1980 to 1985. Professor Scott’s books after “The Southern Lady” included "Natural Allies: Women's Associations in American History" (1991). In its introduction, she explained how the book came about, noting that in her research on Southern women she kept encountering women’s groups that had played important social roles. Delving deeper, she realized that this had been true all over the country, with such organizations promoting the care of orphans, school lunches, better trash collection and all sorts of other issues. “It soon became clear that women’s associations were literally everywhere,” she wrote, “known or unknown, famous or obscure; young or ancient; auxiliary or freestanding; reactionary, conservative, liberal, radical, or a mix of all four; old women, young women, black women, white women, women from every ethnic group, every religious group had their societies. Before long, as the scope, magnitude, and diversity of this phenomenon came into view, I realized that it lay at the very heart of American social and political development.” Professor Scott’s husband died in 2005. In addition to her daughter, two sons, David and Donald; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson survive her. In her autobiographical essay, Professor Scott reflected on those who had influenced and furthered her interests over the years. “I have had three kinds of vital mentors,” she wrote, “living women, women whose documents I have studied, and academic men and women. And of course my students, who have been central to the process of learning.”

Lear D. Lee, passed away on February 02, 2019 at the young age of 89. Lear was a former Housekeeping Specialist working at West Campus for Duke University. Lear’s career with Duke began on March 01, 1978 retiring on January 01, 1995, sharing nearly twenty years of life with Duke. Lear will be greatly missed by family, friends and community. ‘A garden was kept where all things good were planted. This gave our lives a nurtured and humbled beginning. We were taught to look toward the sunshine to find the light and the positive in all things that surrounded us. We were encouraged to dream, to reach beyond the limits, to be more than the tiny seed that was planted and we are.’ This is a father’s legacy.

Virginia "Ginger" Nesbitt Mann, a former Administrative Assistant working in the Clinical Laboratories Human Resource Department for Duke University Health System, passed February 02, 2019 at the young age of 75. Ginger graduated from Durham High School going on to attend then graduate from Drake College in Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband, Philip Mann, mother Mary Nesbitt and father Reverend Wilson Nesbitt. She is survived by her son, Scott A Mann of Durham and brother; Larry Nesbitt (Bonnie) of Tybee Island, GA, a niece and two nephews. Ginger had a rewarding career with Duke University Health System beginning October 03, 1990 retiring January 01, 2014 sharing nearly twenty-five years of life with her Duke family. Ginger had two passions, her church and her genealogical research. At Asbury United Methodist Church, she was Lay Leader, Delegate to Annual Conference, a beloved Sunday School Teacher, Church Historian, President of United Methodist Women, Worship Chair, and a choir member. She compiled a booklet for Asbury's 100th Anniversary, faithfully worked at Asbury's food bank and was a member of many committees. She was devoted to and loved her church family. Ginger was the author of several family histories that will be donated to the North Carolina Archives. In 2018, Ginger was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the North Carolina Genealogical Society. She will be greatly missed by family, friend, and community.

Jerry Coffin, a former Housekeeping Specialist, working in Duke South Buildings, specifically Davison Building, employed by Duke University Health System passed, February 01, 2019.  Jerry was a young 63 years of age upon his death. He began his career with Duke on August 14, 1978 retiring May 01, 2010 sharing thirty-two years of life with Duke. ‘I fall asleep in the full and certain hope, that my slumber shall not be broken. It is that thought, that I shall not be all forgotten but will continue with life in the thoughts and deeds of those I have loved so dearly.’

January 2019

Russell Earl Bland, 77 years of age, passed on Thursday January 31, 2019. Russell was a lover of gardening, fishing, and woodworking. He also found great joy in helping children in the Boy Scouts of America and with Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, of which he was a strong member. Russell also loved his country, proudly serving in the United States Navy for four years. Russell is survived by his wife Ruby Finch Bland of the home; two daughters, Michal Bland and Rebecca Bland Hessee; three grandchildren, Laney Bland, Harley Sawyer and Cecil Sawyer; a sister, Loretta Bland Coburn and husband Billy; three nieces, Tracy Palmer, Kathryne Ebarb, and Bobbie Carol Coburn. Russell began his career with Duke on November 08, 1954 retiring June 01, 2002 embracing nearly fifty years of life with his Duke family. Family, friends and community will miss him. Thank you Russell, for your service, may you rest in peace.

William Van Alstyne, an outspoken scholar whose interpretations of the Constitution were invoked by Supreme Court justices, civil libertarians and advocates for a diverse spectrum of causes, including gun ownership and abortion rights, died on January 29, 2019 at his home in Huntington Beach, California. He was 84 years young. The cause of death was heart failure, stated his son, Marshall. Professor Van Alstyne, who taught for thirty-nine years at Duke University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina, defied political or ideological pigeonholing: He was both an enrolled Republican and a national board member of the American Civil Liberties Union. He argued that banning abortion would be unconstitutional; that the Second Amendment guaranteed individuals, not only militias, the right to own guns; and that warrantless wiretapping by the administration of President George W. Bush was illegal. In 1982, he vigorously opposed a proposed constitutional amendment to permit voluntary school prayer, concluding that it would “install the first seeds of theocracy into our government institutions.” He supported affirmative action programs to help rectify bias, but opposed provisions that amounted, he wrote, to any “variety of racial discrimination under the auspices of the government of the United States.” Among Professor Van Alstyne’s most influential articles was a 1994 essay in the Duke Law Journal that concluded that while the right to keep and bear arms is not absolute,  not in schools, necessarily, and not howitzers. The National Rifle Association nonetheless made an “extremely strong” claim that the Second Amendment applies to individuals. When President Bill Clinton was impeached, Professor Van Alstyne broadly defined the Constitution’s impeachment criteria of “high crimes and misdemeanors” as reprehensible conduct “in the sense that it betrays the office”, an interpretation that Republicans embraced. But when it was apparent that the Senate was wavering on conviction, he reminded lawmakers that while it was “the prerogative of this Congress to express dismay, despair and condemnation,” they should “struggle to find a suitable means to express your sense of disappointment” through some penalty less severe than removal. He also took a broad view of people’s right to express their opinion.“ The First Amendment does not link the protection it provides with any particular objective,” he once said, “and may, accordingly, be deemed to operate without regard to anyone’s view of how well the speech it protects may or may not serve such an objective.” Professor Van Alstyne’s bible was the Constitution, and he always carried a copy with him .“William Van Alstyne’s contributions to First Amendment interpretation, like his contributions to all of American constitutional law, are characterized by a piercing intellectual honesty and an impish play of intelligence,” Prof. Rodney A. Smolla, now the dean of Delaware Law School of Widener University, wrote in 2005. Professor Van Alstyne made his views known not just in articles but also in television interviews and congressional testimony; he appeared before Senate and House committees seventeen times from 1968 to 1985. He testified in favor of President Richard M. Nixon’s nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth Jr. to the United States Supreme Court, which was rejected by the Senate in 1969, and against that of G. Harrold Carswell, whom Nixon chose instead.  Judge Carswell, like Judge Haynsworth, was assailed by many as insufficiently protective of civil rights, but he was dismissed by critics, including Professor Van Alstyne, as an undistinguished jurist. The Senate rejected his nomination as well. When Senator Birch Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, remarked that he had found the professor’s testimony on Judge Carswell “particularly revealing,” since they had differed over the Haynsworth nomination, Senator Strom Thurmond, Republican of South Carolina, interjected that perhaps Mr. Bayh hadn’t listened to the earlier testimony.  As Professor Neal Devins of William & Mary wrote in the Duke Law Journal in 2005, “Without missing a beat, Van Alstyne interjected: ‘With regard to Senator Bayh’s predicament, at least, I am reminded of a recollection of Justice Frankfurter, who said that it is so seldom that wisdom ever comes, we ought not to be reluctant though it comes late.’ ”William Warner Van Alstyne was born on Feb. 08, 1934, in Chico, California, to Richard and Margaret (Ware) Van Alstyne. His mother was an author of children’s books, his father a professor and historian. After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Southern California in 1954 and graduating from Stanford Law School in 1958, he worked on voting rights cases in the South for the Justice Department. Following a stint in the Air Force, he joined the faculty of Ohio State University, where he was named a full professor of law three years after being hired. Professor Van Alstyne worked with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the future Supreme Court justice, at the Civil Liberties Union to advance the Equal Rights Amendment for women. In 1965 he joined the faculty at Duke, where he taught until 2004 as the Perkins professor of law. He was a professor of constitutional law at William & Mary Law School from 2004 until he retired in 2012. A defender of academic freedom, Professor Van Alstyne was president of the American Association of University Professors from 1974 to 1976. He is survived by his wife, Lan Cao, whom he married in 2003; their daughter, Harlan Van Cao, named after Supreme Court Justice John Harlan; three children, Allyn, Lisa and Marshall (another Supreme Court namesake, after John Marshall) Van Alstyne, from his first marriage, to Carol Frances, which ended in divorce; and two grandchildren. His marriage to Pamela Gann, a former dean of the Duke Law School, also ended in divorce.

Nancy Ruth McKelvey Drysdale, passed away on Sunday, January 27, 2019, at the young age of 78. Nancy was the much-loved mother of Eric and Brian, sister of John and greatly loved grandmother and great grandmother and the remainder of her American family. She was the beloved wife of the late Douglas and stepmother of Megan, the late Sarah, and Simon and grandmother to their children and sister-in-law of Ian and Bobbi. Nancy was a former Staff Assistant working with the Pulmonary Division of Duke University Health System. Her career began August 25, 1969 stretching all the way to April 01, 2006 sharing nearly forty years of life with her Duke family. She will be missed by family, friends and by her community.

Josephine Garner Forkner, 85 years young, passed away Sunday, January 27, 2019 at Hock Family Pavilion. Born in Moore County, North Carolina. Josephine was the daughter of the late Riley Blake Garner and Lillie Ann Moore Garner. She was also preceded in death by her husband, H. Samuel Forkner; brothers, Henry Douglas Garner, Jesse E. Garner, Daniel Lee Garner; and sisters, Derothea "Ishe" Lucy Garner Allred, Sally Ann Garner Britt Hussey, Mary Evelyn Garner Mohagen, and Clara Belle Garner Harrelson. Josephine retired after twenty-five years of service with Duke Medical Center Department working in the Surgical Pathology Laboratory as a Histologic Technician Sr.  She was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church and the Agape Bible Class where she cherished many friendships, and she was a member of the Bahama Chapter of Eastern Star. Josephine volunteered at Duke Cancer Center, was an avid flower gardener, bird watcher and loved the outdoors. She loved spending time at her farm, Buffalo Acres in Moore Co., and her passion was her family especially her grandchildren. Surviving are her daughters, Patricia Lynn Forkner Bright and husband Jeff, and Scarlett Lois Forkner Oakley and husband H. Lowell, Jr.; grandchildren, Joshua William Bright, Jordan Bright Nordh and husband Glenn, Harry Lowell Oakley III and Lydia Nicole Oakley; great-grandchildren, Alexandra Brighton Nordh and Nicklas Alrik Nordh; and a sister, Velma Jessup.

Holly A. Stanford, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, January 24, 2019 at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina with her beloved husband, daughter, son and daughter in law by her side. Holly was born January 06, 1958 in Durham, North Carolina to Mr. and Mrs. Philip B. Alford. She married Morris E. Stanford, June 16, 1984, and spent thirty-four years building a life and raising a family. Holly graduated from Durham High School in 1976. She then went on to study radiology at Duke University. Upon graduation, Holly worked at Duke Hospital for thirty-five years in the Radiology Department as a Radiology Supervisor, for Duke University Health System, prior to retiring in 2014. She is survived by her father, Philip B. Alford, brother, Boothe Alford (New Orleans, La), husband, Morris, and two children, daughter, Cally Stanford, and son, Alex Stanford and wife Megan. Also surviving are three grandchildren, Lacy, William and Hunter. Her mother Ara B. Alford preceded Holly in death. In the last few years, Holly has enjoyed traveling, creating quilts for many friends and family, and spending time with her loved ones, especially her adoring grandchildren. Holly also loved gardening, searching for seashells on the beach, watching the sunset with her husband and joining him and their many friends for dinner or Tar Heel sporting events. Many who knew Holly will miss her compassionate personality, ability to make anyone laugh (including herself), and profound desire for giving, whether it be advice on life, a home cooked meal or a token of her love. Holly received remarkable care under the expertise of the many doctors, nurses and staff in the Neurosciences Department at Duke University Hospital. The family extends their gratitude and admiration to the people of Duke Hospital where she spent the duration of her career, and in the end, spent her final days. Holly was 61 years young upon her passing.

Mae E. Burgess, passed away on January 23, 2019 at the young age of 83. Mae was a former Laboratory Assistant, working in the Cardiology Department of Duke University Health System. Mae’s career began at Duke on February 21, 1973 retiring June 01, 1999, embracing twenty-six years of life with Duke. It is the circle of life moving through us all, sweeping us through despair and hope through faith and love till we find our place, on this path of an unending eternal peace.

Patricia Elizabeth Bass, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away on Tuesday January 22 2019. She was 68 years young at the time of her death. Patricia Elizabeth Bass, affectionately known as Pat, was born July 27, 1950 in Kinston, North Carolina to the late Mary Emma Maye Bass and Fred Bass, Jr. Patricia moved to Durham, North Carolina in 1965. She graduated from Merrick Moore High School in 1968. After high school, she continued her education and obtained an Associate’s Degree in Business at Rutledge College. Pat was employed with Duke Medical Center as a Medical Billing Associate in the Pharmacy division for over twenty-five years. She retired from Duke Medical Center in 2008. When she was not spending time with her children and grandchildren, she loved impromptu trips to the beach, binge watching her favorite shows and visiting with family and friends. Pat was also a mother figure to many in her neighborhood, who affectionately called her, Mama Bass. Patricia leaves behind many family members to carry on her legacy; one daughter, Shronnda Bass Green; two sons, Rahmud (Adrina) Bass and Rashawn (Brandi) Bass; eight grandchildren, Shamya, Sydney, Asa, Akil, Kayleigh, Ariyah, Kendell, and Peyton; seven siblings, Melba Bass Humphrey, Troy Bass, Jimmy Bass, Evelyn (Lawrence) Durham, Lyndon (Mary) Bass, Karen (Larry) Willis and Lynn (Gerald) Jones Hester; one uncle, Robert (Lillie) Bass and a host of extended family members and friends who loved her dearly.

Jill Kimberly White, a Communications Director, working with Duke University Medical Center in the Surgery-Chairman, Central Strategic Department sadly passed away on January 22, 2019. Jill was 46 years of age. Jill’s career began with Duke Medical Center on August 25, 2014 and remained active until her death. Jill will be missed by family, friends, community and by her colleagues. What we have enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of our soul.

Kay T. Manning, passed away on January 20, 2019 at the young age of 82. Kay had worked at Duke University Health System in the Operating Room INFRASTRUCTURE, as a Registered Nurse. Kay’s career with Duke began on September 01, 1971 retiring November 01, 2001 sharing thirty years of life with her Duke family. For those who love with all their heart and soul, there is no such thing as separation of life for you will forever life in those you touched with love and grace.

James Frank (“Jim”) Wilson, aged 85, died Friday, January 18, 2019 at the Hock Memorial Pavilion of Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, after a long, joyful and successful life. Jim was born in Buffalo, New York, on May 26, 1933, the first son of Elma Peck and James Thomas Manning (“J. T. M.”) Wilson, a Presbyterian minister. As a preacher’s kid, he lived in several small towns in upstate New York as his father’s church callings evolved, but spent most of his youth in Elmira, New York. He graduated from Southside High School in Elmira. In his early years, he loved building and creating things, and wanted to be a carpenter, but was persuaded to apply those talents to engineering. Therefore, he entered The College of Wooster (Ohio), in a five year joint liberal arts and engineering program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and received degrees in physics and math from Wooster and in engineering from MIT in 1956. After MIT, he joined Budd Company as a design engineer, but was soon subject to the military draft, so entered the US Navy under their critical skills program. This program put him in research for the Navy, at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in MD, rather than on a ship. Following his Navy active duty, he taught at the University of Rochester (New York), where he met and married his wife of 60 years, Nancy Keeler Wilson, the love of his life. After Nancy’s graduation from Rochester, Jim and Nancy moved to Pittsburgh to attend graduate school. There, Jim received an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and worked at US Steel Fundamental Research Laboratory and Bettis Atomic Power, while Nancy completed her PhD in Chemistry. Their two sons, David and John, were born during this sojourn in Pittsburgh. Not busy enough, and eager to obtain a full load of education, Jim and Nancy then went to Ohio State University, where Jim taught Engineering Mechanics as a Ford Foundation Fellow and Freeman Scholar, and earned a PhD. In 1967, Jim was seduced by a faculty position offer from Duke University’s School of Engineering, and by the beauty of North Carolina in April, where Jim and Nancy lived and loved for more than fifty years. Their daughter, Leslie, joined the family in 1977. During his academic career, Jim was a NASA Faculty Fellow, a lecturer at three NATO Advanced Study Workshops, and a Visiting Scholar at Colorado State University and the University of Melbourne, Australia. He was active in national committees for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He received a national award for innovative experimental research from ASME in 1977, and for the year’s best state-of-the-art engineering publication from ASCE in 1987. He was a Life Fellow of the ASME and a Fellow of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. As a registered professional engineer, he regularly consulted and served as an expert witness, testifying on the mechanics of vehicle accidents, structural failures, and product performance. Jim was author or co-author of about 250 works, including technical reports on forensic engineering, refereed symposium papers, and professional journal articles. He also published three books on structural dynamics, a three-volume work on experiments in engineering, and two US patents. His book, “Dynamics of Offshore Structures,” first published in 2002, is still in print. His creative experimental research in robotics attracted international attention, some examples of which were highlighted in the 1989 BBC documentary, Nature’s Technology. As Professor of Engineering at Duke, Jim taught courses in applied mechanics, structural dynamics, and experimental systems, on both the undergraduate and graduate level. He was the major research advisor for five post-doctoral fellows, and more than thirty graduate students, about half of whom were granted PhDs. He served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. As Professor Emeritus, he continued to pursue research, writing, and consulting interests throughout his retirement. Throughout his life, Jim continued his interests in carpentry and building projects. He spent weekends over about seven years building a very sturdy and beautiful vacation home at Kerr Lake in Virginia for his family. His other hobbies included tennis, swimming, and boating, as well as traveling to interesting and challenging international places. Jim was a faithful friend, an intellectually stimulating companion, an adventurer, and fun to be with. Foremost, he was a loving husband and father—kind, tolerant, slow to anger, a wonderful example to his family and supportive of their endeavors. Jim is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife, Nancy Keeler Wilson; daughter Leslie Keeler Wilson, son Alexander John Wilson and his wife Mary Beatty of Durham, and son David Manning Wilson, of Avon CT; and two grandchildren Thomas Manning Wilson, and Samantha Beatty Wilson. Jim was predeceased by his brother, Mark Thomas Wilson, and his sister, Carolyn Wilson Abel.

James B. "Jim/Papa" Duke, long-time resident of Durham, North Carolina, passed away Thursday January 17, 2019 at Hillcrest Convalescent Center after a long illness and surrounded by the love of his family and caring staff.  Born to the late Bernard and Lillian Duke in 1941 in Durham, NC, Jim attended Southern Durham High School and later Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN where he met and married Jane Duke, the love of his life, in 1962. Jim worked in the automotive industry for over thirty years, most recently for Sport Durst Automotive Group. After retiring, he enjoyed working around the house, traveling with Jane (and hosting her card groups), and playing lively games of hide and seek with his grandchildren.  Jim is preceded in death by his beloved wife Jane Duke. He is survived by his sons: Jamie Duke of Cary, NC and Jonathan Duke of Raleigh, NC (and wife Sheryl); his four grandchildren: Cannon, Jackson, Ainsley, and Brian Duke, all of whom make their home in the Triangle of NC (a blessing for which he was forever grateful); and his sister Doris Stanley of Virginia Beach, VA.

Thomas Vernon Elmore Sr., of Durham, North Carolina, died Thursday January 17, 2019 at  Hock Family Pavilion. Thomas was 78 years of age. He was born on September 02, 1940 in Kenansville, North Carolina to the late Blake T. Elmore and Alieen Combs Elmore. Thomas was a member of McMannen United Methodist Church. He was formerly employed with Duke University Medical Center working as a Medical Technologist. His career began on January 04, 1967 eventually retiring on October 01, 2005 sharing thirty-eight years of life with his Duke family. Thomas was a Master Mason and a Shriner. Surviving Thomas are, his wife of fifty-six years, Gayle McClenny Elmore; sons, Thomas Vernon Elmore, Jr., Trent Kevin Elmore (wife, Mary Graham-Elmore); sisters, Linda E. Davis, Cathy E. Westmoreland; and grandchildren, Blake Elmore, Samuel Graham Elmore, Abby Elmore. Thomas will be missed by family, friends, and by his community.

Mary Jones Strickland, age 83, passed away in her home, peacefully in her sleep to be in the arms of her Lord on Thursday, January 17, 2019. She was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Mary Keyes Jones and the wife of David L. Strickland, who preceded her in death. Mary graduated from Morristown High School in Morristown New Jersey and worked at Duke Medical Center from 1965 until her retirement in 2002. Mary was a member of Butner First Baptist Church and an active Sunday School teacher from 1976 until 2018. She was active in the Eastern Star, led her life for Christ and was devoted to God, family and church.

Earl H. Riggs, of Durham, North Carolina, passed away peacefully in his home on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. Earl was 69 years of age. He was a native of Durham, born to the late Ortho Graham Riggs and Mildred Louise Massey Riggs. In addition to his parents, his brothers, Cecil Riggs, Jerry Riggs, also predeceased Earl. Earl had been a former employee of Duke Regional Hospital working as an HVAC (heating and air conditioning) Mechanic in the Duke Regional Hospital Maintenance Department. Earl proudly embraced eighteen years of life with his Duke family. His career began on May 02, 1994 retiring July 01, 2012. Surviving Earl are; his wife of fifty years, Norma Riggs; daughters, Kimberly Riggs Griggs (fiancé, Patrick Caldwell), Kara Threatt (Stevie); and grandchildren, Kimberly Suzanne Parrish, Christa Dawn Arnold, Kayla Renee Griggs, Kaitlyn Ashley Penne, Alexander Drake Penne, Taylor Skye Penne, Levi Sawyer Threatt, Rylee Blake Threatt. Friends, family and community will greatly miss Earl.

Esther Evon Graham Roseboro, of Durham, North Carolina passed away on January 15, 2019, at Duke Regional Hospital where she had retired from an illustrious thirty-three year nursing career. Esther was 72 years young. She was born in Salisbury on April 06, 1947, to the late Robert and Mozelle Graham, the youngest child of five. Two brothers preceded her in death; William Marcell Graham and John Franklin Graham. Esther blessed many with her unique, compassionate care. She was adored and greatly respected by her co-workers and patients throughout her lifetime. When heart disease carried her into retirement, she began quilting in remembrance of her mother. Being a member of the African-American Quilting Circle provided friendship and a creative outlet that brought her soul great joy. Keeping her in cherished memory are two sons, Dwayne McCollough and Brian (Giovonna) McCollough (from her first marriage); one daughter, Diedra Roseborough, (from her second marriage); four granddaughters and a great-granddaughter; her sister, Robbie Graham Davis, and brother, Leonard L. Graham; and a host of loving relatives and friends. Esther began her career with Duke on September 09, 1980 retiring August 01, 2013.

Sallie Brown Barnes, of Durham, North Carolina died peacefully in her home on Wednesday, January 09, 2019. She was 92 years of age. Sallie’s career began at Duke on April 01. 1957 retiring August 01, 1994 sharing nearly forty years of life with Duke. Sallie will be greatly missed by family, friends and by her community. Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. As those who love with heart and soul there surely is no such thing as separation.

Jonelle "Jodi" Simmons, 69 years young, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 06, 2019. Her beloved family; husband Bill, son David Moore and wife (Josephine) surrounded her, along with her three grandchildren. Jodi was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, March 19, 1949, and spent her childhood growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She married Vernon Moore in 1972; they were married for ten years and had one son, David Moore, in 1976. She married Bill Simmons in 1983. Her three beloved grandchildren, Nala, Leo, and Sabina, were born in 2011, 2012, and 2018. Jodi graduated from the University of Michigan in 1971, going on to teach high school French in Smithtown, New York. She returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan and worked at the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan; moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, and worked at the computing center at Harvard Univeristy; moved to Huntington Woods, Michigan in 1978, worked at the computing center at Wayne State University; worked at Henry Ford Health Systems Information Systems from 1983 to 1999. She moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1997. She then took a great leap of faith. Jodi began work on her Master of Divinity at Wake Forest University in 2000, graduating in 2003. She worked as a chaplain at Durham Regional Hospital from 2004 to 2005. She remained active at Duke going on to work with Duke University Homecare & Hospice until the time of her death. She was certified as a CPE Supervisor by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education in 2014 and also worked as a chaplain for Durham Veteran's Hospital since 2017. Jodi's energy was magnetic and abundant, her compassion endless, her kindness and grace ever-present. Her belief in the power of love and generosity was transformative for everyone who was fortunate enough to be touched by her spirit. As her granddaughter, Nala noticed after her passing, the world feels a little lonelier without her. Jodi's midlife career change created vitality in her life that remained until her death. Pastoral care became her passion, and caring for others' spiritual well-being her vocation. She strived to always "be there" for someone and was expert at allowing others to "tell their story." Jodi is preceded in death by her father, Leo Dick; mother, E. Corinne Dick (Fries); husband Vernon Moore; mother-in-law Marian Simmons; and nephew Ross Eames. She is survived by her husband, Bill; her son, David Moore, and his wife, Josephine, her three grandchildren, Nala, Leo, and Sabina, all of Cleveland Heights, OH; her sisters, Carolyn ("Scooty") Kellogg (Ken) of Bainbridge Island, WA; and Connie Eames (Ross) of Ruskin, FL; her brother, Ted Dick (Susan Spector) of Cleveland Heights, OH; and her sister from a different mister, Anne Duli (Ana Maldonado) of Cleveland Heights, OH; and eight nieces and nephews.

Helen Bruce Floyd, age 89 of Gainesville, GA and formerly of Durham, NC passed away on Friday, January 04, 2019 at Lanier Village Estates. Helen was born June 18, 1929 in Birmingham, AL to Horace Alexander and Ethel Hearn Alexander. Her father passed away when she was only an infant. Later, her mother was remarried to Sydney Bruce and he lovingly adopted her as his own daughter. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband of sixty-six years, Dr. Walter Lawrence ("Bill") Floyd, Sr.  Helen received her B.A. degree from Auburn University in 1951. That year she married Dr. Floyd who, at the time, was a medical student at Johns Hopkins University. The couple resided in Baltimore, MD for four years during which time she was a teacher in the Baltimore City schools. The couple moved to New Haven, CT where their first child was born while Dr. Floyd served a residency in medicine at Yale University. A year later, they moved to Durham, NC where Dr. Floyd attained a remarkable 40-year career on the faculty at Duke University School of Medicine. In 2001, she and Dr. Floyd moved to Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA to be closer to family.  In addition to being a loving wife and mother to three children, Helen was very active in school, civic, church, and political affairs during her residence in Durham. Many of these activities are too numerous to list. Some of her political involvement included serving as president of the Durham Republican Women's Club for three terms and assistant secretary and area vice president of the NC Federation of Republican Women where she received a lifetime membership. She was appointed by then Governor Holshouserto serve a six-year term on the North Carolina Social Services Commission.  During her years in Durham, she was devoted to First Presbyterian Church and diligently served in a number of roles. She served as president and vice-president of Women of the Church, was Circle Chairperson and served in Congregation in Action, a multi-congregation committee in Durham. She likewise served with Meals on Wheels, which was sponsored by the church. Prior to leaving Durham, she received a Lifetime Membership in the Women in the Church.  She performed a number of activities related to her association with Duke University. She served as program chairperson, vice-president and president of the Duke University Campus Club. She was also president and vice-president of the Duke University Medical Wives. For over thirty years, she worked in the Nearly New Shop where the proceeds of the store went to establish scholarships for medical students at Duke University. At the time she left Durham, the scholarship endowment had accumulated to over $3 million.  She was president of the Driftwood Garden Club and proudly served on the Durham Garden Council as Litter Chairperson. In that capacity, she served as co-leader of a campaign that won Durham the National "Keep America Beautiful Award" and was recognized by the Durham City Council.  Other involvement included serving as president and vice president of the Pearsontown School PTA and Secretary of the Githens Jr. High School PTA and served on the Advisory Council of the Durham County Public Schools. She was also den mother for the Cub Scouts for three years.  In addition to her civic accomplishments, Helen was an avid Duke Basketball and football fan and proudly supported her Blue Devils. Helen is survived by her son, Walter Lawrence Floyd, Jr. of Wetumpka, AL; son and daughter-in-law, David Bruce Floyd and Shannon Mehaffey Floyd of Atlanta, GA; daughter, Elizabeth Ann Floyd of Cornelius, NC; grandchildren, Camille Claire Floyd and William Joseph Floyd. Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds. Thank you Helen for sharing your caring heart with this world.

Vicky Kaye Horton Hodges, of Timberlake, North Carolina died Friday January 04, 2019. Vicky was born in Person County. She was the daughter of the late Velma Catherine Rudd Horton and Coy Whitfield Horton, who survives. Vicky worked at Duke University Medical Center for over twenty-five years, beginning her career on November 18, 1985 retiring August 01, 2010. In addition to her father, Vicky is survived by her husband, Steve Hodges; two children, Jessie Roxanne Hodges and Jacob Wayne Hodges; two sisters, Rhonda White and Wendy Bowes and husband Donnie; and one brother, Rocky Horton and wife Pam. She was 61 years young. Vicky will be greatly missed by family, friends, and by her community.

Dr. Richard (Richie) Payne, passed away suddenly at his home in Durham, North Carolina, on January 03, 2019, after a brief illness. Richie was 67 years young. He was born on August 24, 1951 in Elizabeth, NJ to Clark Emory Payne Sr. and Lois Sykes Payne. He was the ninth born of a family of fourteen siblings; nine sisters and five brothers (his eldest sibling, Clarence, passed away in infancy). He was educated in the Elizabeth, NJ public school system, graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, 1969. From very early on, Richie excelled academically and decided he wanted to be a physician. Richie relied heavily on his “village”, consisting of family, church, school and the community – each played a part in supporting his thirst for knowledge and determination to succeed. Mt. Teman AME Church, his family’s home church in Elizabeth, NJ, provided not only a base for his spiritual growth, but it provided a place for him to study from his earliest days. He was selected by his high school counselor for a summer program for gifted students in science and math and the local paper rewarded him with a bicycle for his newspaper sales prowess. He was encouraged and supported to achieve his ambitious goals every day by his large, loving family. Richie received his B.A in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University, 1973 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, 1977. He completed post-graduate training in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and in Neurology at New York Presbyterian Hospital, as well as fellowship training in Pharmacology, Neuro-Oncology and Pain Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical School and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Richie became an internationally recognized expert in the areas of pain relief, palliative care, oncology and neurology. He was board certified in Neurology with added certifications in Pain Management and Palliative Medicine. Richie was one of the first faculty to be recruited to Duke University with a dual appointment in Duke Medical School and Duke Divinity School. While at Duke, Richie served as Faculty Associate of the Trent Center in Bioethics, the program in Theology, Medicine, and Culture and as a member of the Duke Cancer Center. He also served as the Director of the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life from 2004-2012. Prior to his appointment at Duke and the Center for Practical Bioethics, Richie served as Chief, Pain and Symptom Management Section, Department of Neurology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and subsequently led the Pain and Palliative Care Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York. He was also Professor of Neurology and Pharmacology at Cornell University Weill Medical College. Through his career, Richard served on numerous boards, presented dozens of endowed lectures, published more than 275 scholarly articles and edited four books. At the time of his death, he served on the Board of Directors of the Hastings Bioethics Center, where he chaired a selection committee for the Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Excellence Awards in End of Life Care. He was a member of the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee of the National Institutes of Health. Although Richie grew to become a distinguished and decorated leader in his fields of expertise, his greatest treasure was his family. Richie LOVED his family; we all knew it and were sustained by that love. During his studies at Yale University, he met his fellow classmate and life partner, Terrie Reid. Richie and Terrie would be married in 1977 and their union was blessed with two children, Richard Eugene Payne Jr. and Susan Lois Payne, whom Richie cherished. Richie LOVED Terrie. Their marriage, a partnership of forty-two years, was the wind beneath his wings. Anyone who knew Richie knew of his deep appreciation and love for the game of golf – playing, watching, and attending majors all over the world -- fretting over Tiger’s demise and thrilled by his triumphant victory. Playing golf with his son, grandchildren, brothers-in-law and buddies became part of his most cherished moments, along with watching movies with his daughter. He also loved to travel and organized trips for his children, friends, brothers, and sisters throughout the years. In true Payne family fashion, he loved attending celebratory gatherings like family reunions, weddings, anniversary and birthday parties which he always made time for despite his busy professional schedule. Richie LOVED photography. How many of us have had to smile as he endlessly asked us to pose, say cheese, standup straight and move over. Richie loved collecting art as evidenced by his impressive art collection. He also had a deep passion for mentoring the next generation, connecting them to career-advancing support with his personal oversight. To quote one of his nephews, “Richie was able to redefine the expectations in our family,” and he extended that passion to friends, colleagues and protégés all across the world. That is a gift that will forever influence us. Through all of his impressive accomplishments and accolades, Richie was a modest man who was not concerned with pomp and circumstance. What mattered most to him was his family and his deep, unrelenting faith in God. Richie and Terrie were members of Union Baptist Church in Durham, NC ) at the time of his passing. That was what truly sustained him through his brief illness. Richie is survived by his wife Terrie; son, Richard E. Payne Jr. (Esezele); daughter Susan Oziogu (Wilburn); four grandchildren, Richard III (Tripp), Justus, Sloan and Zara; siblings, Gladys Hutchinson, Clark Payne Jr. (Barbara), Amelia Burgess, Ollie Mae Pleasant, Joan Rodgers, Sharon Tuffuor (Emmanuel), Joel Payne Sr. (Cathy), Barbara Cato (Tony), Deborah Majette (Steven); godson, Kevin Pleasant; goddaughter, Semeenah Sutton and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family, beloved friends and loved ones.

Marian Edwards Rhoads, age 94, died on January 01, 2019 at Hillcrest Convalescent Center. She was born on January 27, 1924 in Coaldale, PA to the late Edward and Emma Richards Edwards. Marian was a graduate of the Temple University Hospital School of Nursing but spent majority of her life as homemaker. She enjoyed playing golf and bridge and being around her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was president of Nearly New Shoppe for many years and enjoyed traveling; especially going on numerous family trips to Europe. Marian is survived by her brother, Edward Edwards of Wilmington, DE; her sister, Margaret Schellhammer of Nesquehoning, PA; her four children, Dr. Edward J. Rhoads (Grace Ann) of Greensboro, NC, Rebecca R. Prestwood (Jim) and Bonnie R. Cheek of Durham, NC and Dr. Margaret R. Scharf (Daniel) of Portland, OR; her eight grandchildren, Kirsten Wickland (Stoneleigh), Eric Scharf and Alice Scharf of Portland, OR, Margaret Chiou (Frank) of Larchmount, NY, John Cheek (Haley) of Charlotte, Jeff Cheek of Asheville, NC, Molly Rhoads Weisselberg (Marc) of Houston, TX and Katharine O’Briant of Greensboro, NC; her eight great-grandchildren, Eleanor and Kellan Wickland, Alexander and Elizabeth Chiou, John, Emerson and Lindley Cheek and Jack Weisselberg. She was predeceased by her husband of sixty-seven years, Dr. John M. Rhoads and her sister, Ann Louise Derr. The Rhoads family thanks the staff at Hillcrest for their kind and compassionate care.