DURHAM -- Mrs. Nora Smith Boone, 91, of 2717 Crest St., died Saturday.
Her service will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 28 at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 2508 Crest St.
The family will receive friends on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., one hour prior to the service at the church. She retired from the VA Hospital after 20 years of service.
She was a faithful member of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
Mrs. Boone is survived by two daughters, Deloris B. Romanski (Fred) and Linda B. Torian; three sisters, Rosa Harris, Alice Reid and Sally Smith; one brother, Wiley Smith; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. There will be a public viewing today from 12 to 6:30 p.m. at Burthey Funeral Chapel.
Arrangements by Burthey Funeral Service.
Rex K. Booth Sr.
DURHAM -- Mr. Rex K. Booth Sr., 86, died Tuesday morning at his home.
Mr. Booth was born in Galesburg, Ill., the son of the late Hazel Kennedy Booth and the late Ferriel Booth.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne serving during World War II. Prior to his retirement, he was employed by Clegg's Pest Control for 28 years.
Mr. Booth was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce Sweet Booth; second wife, Hazel Sparrow Booth; a daughter, Dawn Joy Booth Steele; sons, Stephen Booth and James Clifton Vaughan Sr.; brother, Max Booth; and son in law, Edwin M. 'Mickey' Smith Sr.
Mr. Booth is survived by son, Rex K. Booth Jr. and wife, Jackie; son, Michael Booth; daughter, Victoria 'Peggy' Smith; sister, Maxine Hadfield and husband, Ed; daughter in law, Linda Vaughan; son in law, J.J. Steele; grandchildren, Kevin Hart and wife, Stacey, Edwin Michael Smith Jr. and wife, Janet, Vickie S. Smith, Scott Anthony Smith and wife, Heidi, James Clifton Vaughan Jr. and wife, Pam, Charles Thomas Vaughan and John Graham Vaughan Sr. and wife, Angie; great grandchildren, Jared, Josh, Hunter and McKenley Hart, Ben, Justin, Laura and Ashley Smith, Luke, Jake and Crystal Hurley, Jay, Jordan, John, Brittany and Lexie Vaughan; and great great grandchildren, Matthew and Nicholas Driggers, Lucas Hurley and Charles and Christopher Jones.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Clements Funeral Chapel in Durham with the Rev. Don Chasteen officiating.
Burial will follow at Markham Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at Clements Funeral Home in Durham.
Louise Grice Crain
DURHAM -- Mrs. Louise Grice Crain, 83, of 4001 Chaucer Drive, died on Monday, January 25, 2010.
Mrs. Crain was a native and lifelong resident of Durham, the daughter of the late Ernest and Gertrude Florence Shaw Grice.
She was a retired bookkeeper with Hope Valley Country Club. She graduated from Bethesda High School and attended UNC in Chapel Hill. Mrs. Crain was a charter member of Page Road Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her sister, Eva McKenna.
She is survived by her husband, James C. Crain; three daughters, Judy Phillips, Kathy Hicks and husband, Randy, all of Durham and Mary Ann Henderson and husband, Jeff, of Raleigh; six grandchildren, Jeffrey Phillips, Jeremy Phillips, Charlie Hicks and wife, Michaela, Jennifer Hicks, Michael Henderson and wife, Bethany, Laura Henderson; and two great-grandchildren, Cameron Hicks and Brianna Brault.
Funeral services will be held on Friday at 2 p.m. at Hudson Funeral Chapel, officiated by the Rev. Michael Bond. Entombment will be in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum.
The family will receive friends on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hudson Funeral Home. Flowers are acceptable or memorial gifts may be made to Page Road Baptist Church, 2000 Page Road, Durham, NC 27703. Arrangements are being handled by Hudson Funeral Home.
Ray Perry Guthrie
DURHAM -- Mr. Ray Perry Guthrie, 82, of 2214 Rada Drive, died at the VA Medical Center on Monday, January 25, 2010, after a period of declining health.
Mr. Guthrie was a native and lifelong resident of Durham. He was the son of the late Robert Thomas Guthrie and Rada Perry Guthrie. Mr. Guthrie served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a Durham Police Officer for 10 years and was the Clerk of Court for Durham County for 25 years. After retirement he was employed at the VA Medical Center as a Police Officer for five years. He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Flirchum Guthrie.
He is survived by his son, Ray Guthrie Jr. of Durham; one daughter, Grace Rose of Durham; and nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday at noon at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends one hour before the service at Hudson Funeral Home and other times at the home. Flowers are acceptable.
James Anthony 'Tony' Strickland
DURHAM -- Mr. James Anthony 'Tony' Strickland died at his home Monday, January 25th.
Tony graduated from Northern High School in 1982, attended NC State University and graduated from Johnson and Wales University in 1996. He was employed by Rick's Diner for several years.
Mr. Strickland is survived by two sons, Andrew Strickland and Samuel Strickland; his father, Lynwood Strickland; his mother, Judy B. Smith and stepfather, Gene Smith; a sister, Sherri Strickland; three brothers, Albert Smith, Mike Smith and Scott Smith; and grandchildren, Jaxon Strickland and Marlee Strickland.
A memorial service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at McMannen United Methodist Church with the Rev. Larry Bowden officiating. The family will receive friends Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. at McMannen United Methodist Church. Clements Funeral Service, Inc. is assisting the Strickland family.
Bessie McCauley Westbook
DURHAM -- Mrs. Bessie McCauley Westbook, 98, a former resident of Stem, died on Monday, January 25, 2010.
Mrs. Westbrook was born on February 4, 1911 in Orange County to the late Charlie Crawford and Mamie Ellen McCauley. She owned and operated a Home Daycare. She was a member of Sherron Acres Free Will Baptist Church for 50 years and enjoyed the annual trips to Craigmont. She was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Westbrook. The family would like to give a special thanks to the Sherron Acres Free Will Baptist Church Ladies Auxillary for their phone calls, cards and kindness to Mrs. Westbrook.
She is survived by four daughters, Ernestine Keane of Hillsborough, Coleen Shambley and husband, Albert, of Hillsborough, Nancy Daniel and husband, Carl, of Stem and Susan Haskins and husband, Richard, of Stem; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends on Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. before the service at Hudson Funeral Home and other times at the home of Susan Haskins, 2194 Sanders Road in Stem. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. in Hudson Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Flowers are acceptable or memorials may be made to Carolina House of Durham, 4434 Ben Franklin Blvd., Durham, NC 27704, 919-479-9966.
The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff of Carolina House for the love and care they gave Mrs. Westbrook during her stay there. Arrangements are being handled by Hudson Funeral Home.
ORANGE
James Keith Couch
HILLSBOROUGH -- Mr. James Keith Couch, 52, of Hillsborough and Morehead City, died peacefully Monday, January 25, 2010, in Duke Medical Center.
He graduated from Orange High School in 1975. After graduation, Keith worked for the family business, John Couch Oil Co. of Hillsborough for a time. Seeking adventure, Keith moved to Costa Mesa, Calif. for several years. Upon relocating to NC in 1985, Keith settled in Morehead City and was currently employed by the Dunes Club in Atlantic Beach, a job he dearly loved. In addition to his work, he enjoyed fishing from his boat in the sound with his life-long friend, Steve Tubiola, managing his rental properties, and the company of his many friends as well as his co-workers and members of the Dunes Club.
Keith was a devout Christian and would wish us all 'The peace of God, which passeth all understanding', as well as asking us to always live life to the fullest. We will miss his warm smile, quick wit, and infectious laugh.
Surviving are his parents, John Edward and Dorothy Rhodes Couch of Hillsborough; his sister, Karen Couch Copeland and husband, Steve, of Hillsborough; his brother, John Edward Couch Jr. and wife, Becky, of Raleigh; his niece, Laura Ann Couch of Winston-Salem; and his nephew, John Andrew Couch of Siler City.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday at Mt. Herman Baptist Church Cemetery in Durham by the Rev. Don Westbrook.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that any memorable donations be sent to a charity of their choosing. Online condolences: walkersfuneralservice.com.
Walker's Funeral Home of Hillsborough, 204 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, is assisting the Couch family.
Harry Harley Jones
HILLSBOROUGH -- Mr. Harry Harley Jones, 78, died Monday, January 25, 2010, at home after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Mr. Jones was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Harry Henry Jones Jr. and Dorothy Hutchins Jones. He was a graduate of McKinley High School in Washington, D.C. In 1953, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a B.S. in Marketing. While at UNC, he worked as a busboy at the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority house, where he met his future bride, Patricia Ann Noah. The two were married in 1956.
After college, Mr. Jones enlisted in the United States Air Force, and served for two years, including a tour of duty in Suwon, Korea. Following his honorable discharge and a period of time working with his father in the family owned Pioneer Laundry in Washington D.C., Mr. Jones became a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He worked for the Bureau for six years in Detroit, Mich. and Chicago, Ill., receiving four letters of commendation from director J. Edgar Hoover.
Mr. Jones left the FBI for employment with GTE, where, over a 19-year career, he held management positions in Durham, Ozark, Ala., Bluefield, W.Va., and Lexington, Ky. He retired as director of security for GTE of the Southeast in 1987.
Both before and after retirement, Mr. Jones served leadership roles in numerous civic and charitable organizations. He was chairman of the Law Enforcement Judiciary Committee of Durham's War on Drugs and Alcohol Abuse. He was chairman of Durham Crimestoppers for many years, and was a member and past president of the Durham Optimist Club.
Since returning to Durham in 1977, Mr. Jones has been a member of Mt. Sylvan United Methodist Church. Mr. Jones served his church in numerous leadership roles including Mission Chair, Evangelism Chair, Stewardship Chairman, Pastor-Parish Committee and annual conference delegate. He was a member of the Wesley Sunday School class and active in Sylvan Seniors.
His greatest passion was service to the less fortunate. Through Mt. Sylvan, Mr. Jones led 13 mission work teams to Appalachia and rural eastern North Carolina. He was deeply committed to the mission of the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) to feed the hungry by gleaning unharvestable fruit and vegetables from commercial farms to be distributed to hunger relief organizations. He served as a member of the SoSA National Board of Directors and spent hundreds of hours in the fields and in his truck distributing food to local organizations. Mr. Jones was also the driving force in establishing a Mt. Sylvan church garden, the bounty of which is shared with church members and the community.
Mr. Jones is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia Ann Noah Jones; his sons, Harley H. Jones and wife, Cynthia, of Mooresville and Edward T. Jones and wife, Elizabeth, of Huntsville, Ala.; a daughter, Dana Jones Cunningham and husband, Bill, of Portland, Ore.; a sister, Carol Jones Coggin of Greensboro; and seven grandchildren, Hunter and Landon Jones of Mooresville, Ethan and Ellery Jones of Huntsville, and Emily, Katie and Noah Cunningham of Portland, Ore.
Visitation will be Wednesday, January 27, at Clements Funeral Home, Broad Street, Durham, from 5 to 8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held Thursday, January 28, at 1 p.m. at Mt. Sylvan United Methodist Church with Dr. Thomas Greener, the Rev. Jessie Larkins and the Rev. Julia Webb-Bowden officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church following the committal service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Society of St. Andrew, 3383 Sweet Hollow Road, Big Island, VA 24526, or the Mt. Sylvan UMC Backpack Program, Mt. Sylvan UMC, 5731 Roxboro Rd., Durham, NC 27712.
Warren Cole Stevens
ROUGEMONT -- Mr. Warren Cole Stevens, 59, died Monday at Durham Regional Hospital.
Mr. Stevens was born and reared in Johnston Co., son of Ruth Parker Stevens of Garner and the late Gordon Arthur Stevens.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
Mr. Stevens relocated to the Durham area 25 years ago and had been an employee of Clegg's Termite Co. since 1986. Mr. Stevens was a dedicated member of Triangle Sertoma Club, serving many years as Sergeant at Arms. He was known as the 'Can Man' and loved life, being around people and his Lord.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Stevens is survived by his wife, Gloria Darst Stevens; sisters, Carolyn Ruth Powell of Louisburg and Alice Jean Daniels of Garner; brothers, Sefton Carl Stevens of Wendell and Seavey Allen Stevens of Beaufort; sister in law, Barbara Darst McPeake of Augusta, Ga.; brother in law, Glenn Darst and wife, Susen, of Mebane; several nieces and nephews and several great nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Clements Funeral Chapel in Durham with Mr. Ernest McPeake II officiating.
The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Clements Funeral Home in Durham.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Triangle Sertoma Club, P.O. Box 72475, Durham, NC 27722.
ELSEWHERE
Brenda Daniels Separk
LITTLETON -- Brenda Daniels Separk, 61, of 535 Fleming Dairy Road, passed away at her home surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Separk was born in Durham to the late Della and Hollis Blackwood. Before being stricken with cancer Brenda had served for more than 40 years as an office manager and bookkeeper in the Durham and Warrenton areas and then as a meat wrapper at the Piggly Wiggly in Littleton.
Surviving Brenda is her devoted husband of over 20 years, Ronald Dean Separk of Littleton; her three adoring daughters, Sabrina Lightfoot of Franklinton, Aurdey Perry of Durham and Stephanie Richardson of Stem; as well as six beloved grandchildren (in order of birth), Joshua Campbell, Natalie Perry, Bradley Campbell, Ryan Knight, Calib Carroll and Lindsey Blackwell. Brenda is also survived by her two sisters, JoAnne Caldwell of Durham and Holly Debra Durham of Efland.
Brenda grew up and lived most of her adult life in Durham but found true happiness when she joined Outdoor World Resort on Lake Gaston in 1991. She subsequently moved to Littleton to be nearer the Lake in 1999. Brenda, and her husband, children and grandchildren loved and enjoyed many years of camping on Lake Gaston. Brenda made innumerable friends who later in life would stand by her side as family.
At Brenda's request, her remains will be cremated and interred at their family home. Brenda asked that everyone who knew and loved her, join us not to mourn her passing but to celebrate her life as she always did.
A gathering of family and friends will be received from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 6, 2010 at 535 Fleming Dairy Road, Littleton. Brenda did not belong to a particular church but was a woman of strong faith and conviction. Our memorial to Brenda will be casual dress attire as Brenda's final wishes were that we have one last PARTY in her honor.
In lieu of flowers the family aks that donations be made directly to Ronald Separk at Brenda's Request. (535 Fleming Dairy Road, Littleton, NC).
