William John Wagner
Raleigh
Arrangements in the care of Bright Funeral Home.
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Billy ‘Bill’ Wilkerson
Wake Forest
Arrangements in the care of Bright Funeral Home.
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William Weldon Tilley Jr.
Wake Forest
William Weldon Tilley Jr., 59, of Wake Forest, NC, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
William was born on December 4, 1964 in Wake Forest, NC and lived his whole life in the community. He loved sports and played many different sports as a kid and teenager. He was the Class President during his time at Wake Tech and graduated with a degree in business. He enjoyed a 38-year career with Leith, Inc., he worked his way up to being the General Manager of two car dealerships, and in the last few years of his career he was a corporate trainer for their management company. He was an avid collector of timepieces, especially Rolex’s, and loved the beach, golf, Carolina basketball, and car deals. He was a big guy with a big heart and loved his little dogs, Rolex and Elle and his two dogs in heaven, Tank and Rock.
He was a loving husband, dad, stepdad, son, brother, and soon to be father-in-law who loved his family more than anything, he would refer to his children as his “eyeballs” instead of the apple of his eyes. He was larger than life and had the personality to match along with a great sense of humor. He had a giving heart and was always willing to help others in need. He was excellent at anything he did and set his mind to, and always had the drive to get the deals done.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Jo Ann Tilley; grandmother, Caroline Tilley; grandfather, William Jefferson Tilley; and grandmother, Josephine Tippett.
He is survived by his loving wife, Theresa Tilley of Wake Forest, NC; daughters, Elyse Nicole Tilley of San Diego, CA, and Alyson Brooke Tilley of Wake Forest, NC and fiancé Austin Bryan Fearrington; stepsons, Braxton Oldham, and Cameron Oldham; father, William Weldon Tilley Sr. of Wake Forest, NC; and brother, Greg Tilley of Wake Forest, NC.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Wake Forest Alano Club at www.wakeforestalanoclub.com/make-a-contribution.
A memorial service will be held at 4 PM on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at Oak Grove Baptist Church, 2124 Oak Grove Church Rd. Youngsville, NC 27596 with Dr. David Cox and Dr. Kenneth Williams officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 3-4 PM in the fellowship hall.
Please visit www.brightfunerals.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Bright Funeral Home is serving the Tilley family.
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Harold Smith ‘Hal’ Atkinson Jr.
Bay Leaf Community
Mr. Harold Smith “Hal” Atkinson, Jr. went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, April 21, 2024 in Raleigh, NC at the age of 80.
Born on May 11, 1943 in Franklin, VA to Harold “Big Daddy” and Mary Ellen Atkinson, Hal began his lifelong dedication to the fire service as a volunteer fireman with the Franklin Fire Department at the age of 16. He was also active in the Boy Scouts of America and was proud to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
Hal attended NC State (1961-65) and earned his BS in Zoology and Wildlife Management. Upon graduation, Hal was employed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission as a wildlife biologist. He was later named Chief of Wildlife Management and he served in that role until his retirement in 1998. The same year, Hal was honored to receive the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award which is the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.
Hal met and married his wife, Barbara, in 1966 and they were blessed with two daughters, Pam and Susan. The family moved to Wake County in 1976 and joined Bay Leaf Baptist Church in 1977 where Hal served faithfully in many roles. He was active in the Buchanan and Faith 5 Sunday School classes, worked on the Wednesday night supper committee for over 20 years, and served two terms on the Bay Leaf Deacon Board.
For 62 years, Hal served his community as a member of the local fire department. After settling in Wake County, Hal joined the Bay Leaf Fire Department where he made deep friendships that continued for decades. He served as Volunteer Chief of BLFD from 1981-1993 and was named Fire Chief Emeritus by the BLFD Board of Directors in 1994. Following his retirement from active duty, Hal served on the Bay Leaf/Northern Wake Fire Department Board of Directors for 27 years. He turned in his pager and retired in 2021.
In addition to chasing fire trucks, Hal enjoyed being in the woods calling turkeys, riding his tractor, and fishing on the Chowan River. His 4th of July celebrations at the river will certainly be missed.
Hal was preceded in death by his parents and his uncle, Laurie Vaughn Atkinson.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his two daughters, Pam Naglieri (Len) and Susan Tweed (Norman) and four grandchildren, Ben Naglieri (Victoria), Andrew Naglieri (Keely), Max Tweed (Vivian), and Kailey Tweed, and 3 great-grandchildren, Hannah, Lucas, and Micah Naglieri.
The family would like to express their appreciation for the care and support they received from Bayada Home Health and Transitions Life Care.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 o’clock Saturday morning, June 8, 2024 at Bay Leaf Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.
Friends may visit with the family from 9:30am – 10:45am at the church prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bay Leaf Baptist Church Benevolent Fund at 12200 Bayleaf Church Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (919-556-5811)
www.brightfunerals.com
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Howard Crockett
Raleigh
Howard Crockett, 85, of Raleigh, NC, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024. He was born on March 15, 1939 in Malden, West Virginia to the late Virginia Collins and John Wesley Crockett Sr.
Howard was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints in Wake Forest, NC. He graduated from West Virginia State College in 1995 with his associate degree in Gerontology. He was a proud Navy veteran who served his country from 1957-1961, and he retired from Union Carbide Corporation as a Heavy Equipment Operator.
He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and father-in-law who will be deeply missed.
He was preceded by his 10 siblings.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Crockett; daughter, Tammy Belcher; son-in-law, Brian Belcher; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or to a local animal shelter.
Please visit www.brightfunerals.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Bright Funeral Home is serving the Crockett family.
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Albert Williams
Wake Forest
Albert “Huggy” Williams, 89, of Wake Forest, NC, passed away on Thursday, May 30, 2024, with his daughter by his side. He was born on August 7, 1934 in Wake Co., NC to the late Walter and Ardell Williams.
Albert was preceded in death by his sons, Randy Williams, Ronnie Williams; sisters, Hazel, Lola, Alice, and Kattie Lee Williams; and brothers, Jesse, Oris Owen, Ernest, Dennis, and Edward Williams.
He is survived by his daughter, Brenda Holbrook of Youngsville, NC; sons, Michael Williams of Youngsville, NC, James Williams of Asheboro, NC; sister, Lucille Williams; brothers, S.P. Williams, Walter Jr. Williams; 9 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and 3, great-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 2 PM on Monday, June 3, 2024 in the funeral home chapel. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1-2 PM at Bright Funeral Home, 405 S. Main St. Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Burial will follow the service at Pine Forest Memorial Gardens, 770 Stadium Dr. Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Serving as pallbearers will be Nick Williams, Tyler Williams, Conner Hopkins, Garret Hopkins, Isaac Williams, and Ian Williams.
The family will receive visitors at Brenda Holbrook’s house at 412 N Raleigh Farms Rd Youngsville NC 27596.
Please visit www.brightfunerals.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Bright Funeral Home is serving the Williams family.
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Linda Young Sandlin
Youngsville
Linda Young Sandlin, better known as the Flamingo Lady, a lifelong resident of Franklin County, NC passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the home of her beloved sister Deborah Young Holden in Wake Forest.
Linda was born on March 19, 1948 to Doris Upchurch Young and James Brinkley Young. She was the great-great granddaughter of John Young Jr. for whom Youngsville was named.
Linda was employed at several convenience stores as manager until her retirement. After her retirement she worked at Holden’s Barbecue in Youngsville for many years.
She is survived by her sister, Deborah Young Holden of Wake Forest; and her brother, James Thomas Young of Richmond, VA; along with many cousins and friends.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 3:00 pm at the Youngsville City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the charity or organization of your choice.
The family would like to thank all the staff at Transitions Hospice for all their comfort, support, and love during this time.
A special thanks to Janice Wright and Janet Barham for being wonderful care givers to Linda and the family.
Please visit www.brightfunerals.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Bright Funeral Home is serving the Sandlin family.
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Emily (Berry) La Liberty
Youngsville
Emily, a native of Michigan, stepped into history on May 28, 2024, leaving behind memories of a devoted mother and grandmother, a lover of arts and crafts, a dedicated friend, and a spirited holiday baker.
Emily filled her heart and home with old and new through her love of antique auctions and art. She especially loved northern Michigan (not a Yooper!) and the beach, where she took delight in relaxation and spending valuable time with her family.
Born in Kalamazoo, MI, on January 27, 1947, she was the daughter of Geraldine Gleason and Walter “Bud” Berry. She and husband, Terry, moved first to Grand Rapids, then to Sylvania, OH, and finally to North Carolina where they enjoyed all that life had to offer in several communities before settling in Youngsville.
She was predeceased by her father in 2000; her mother in 2015; and her brother, Greg Berry of Bellows Falls, VT, in 2008.
She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Terry; daughter Meghan (Jeff) Folger and her children, Joshua and Finley Bolt; and son, Jon (Christine) La Liberte and his children, Nathan and Keegan, her lifelong friends Joanie Weaver and Jan Thomas.
Emily adored all her pets, but her dog, Jackson, was her loyal and courageous protector and companion for many years. Emily found her true north by keeping a witty sense of humor, through her strong will and her passion for life, and with the love and support of those closest to her.
There will be no calling hours, and services will be at the convenience and privacy of the family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Saving Grace Animals for Adoption NC, 13400 Old Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest, NC, 27587, whose purpose she believed in dearly. Alternative considerations are USO, Tunnels for Towers, or any group conducting cancer research.
Please visit www.brightfunerals.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Bright Funeral Home is serving the La Liberte family.
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