Paul Benton
Wake Forest
Paul Benton, 75, of the Lodge of Wake Forest passed away on Monday, January 11, 2015. He was born in Sampson County, the son of the late Lula Pate Benton and Archie Matthews Benton. Paul was an avid golfer and enjoyed all the times he spent at Paschal Golf Course in Wake Forest.
A memorial service will be held at 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon in the Chapel of Bright Funeral Home with the Rev. Carl Hunter officiating.
Paul is survived by his brothers, Robert C. Benton of Raleigh and Daniel C. Benton of Colorado Springs, Colorado; a special friend; Carol Hart of Franklinton; and numerous nieces and nephews
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Wounded Warriors Program, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS. 66675.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (919-556-5811)
Paul MacEwan Beall
Rolesville
Paul Mac Ewan Beall of Rolesville died Thursday, January 7, 2016, at home with his loving wife, Rusty, by his side. He was 88.
Paul was born in Binghamton, New York, on February 1, 1927, to Elizabeth Mac Ewan and Paul Theodore Beall. After high school, Paul served with the U.S. Army in Japan during the post-World War II occupation. After five years of military service, Paul attended Princeton University, then Syracuse University, where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering. Paul raised his three children with first wife, JoAnne, and lived for most of his working years in North Syracuse, New York. He worked for more than 30 years as an engineer with O’Brien & Gere in Syracuse, and spent the last 10 years of his career at the Onondaga County Water Authority, where he served as executive director before retiring in 1994.
Paul loved the outdoors, to camp and canoe, and was active in the local Boy Scouts of America troop when his children were young. He married Rusty in 1974. They loved to travel, and visited Scotland, Holland, and France, among other destinations. Paul provided free tax preparation services for seniors through a community program in North Syracuse, and continued this volunteer work in retirement. Paul and Rusty lived in Stuart, Florida, for more than 15 years before moving to North Carolina in 2013.
Paul is predeceased by his parents; sisters, Nancy Kunkle and Judith Horton; and stepson, Richard Wheeler. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Elma “Rusty” Howell Beall; three children, Douglas (Heather) Beall of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bruce (Magdalena) Beall of Mariposa, California, and Betsy (Karl) Livengood of Walnut Creek, California; two stepdaughters, Joy (Al) Oliver of Richland, New York, and Debra (Stephen) Gale of Wendell; six grandchildren, Sarah Beall, Jonathan Beall, Jeremy Oliver, Hillary Gale, Rebecca Oliver, and SFC Jacob Gale; and great-grandchildren, Arianna and Chase.
A memorial service was held at 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, January 12, 2016, at Bright Funeral Home. The family is planning a second memorial in Binghamton, New York, for early summer 2016.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Transitions LifeCare of Raleigh, NC
A service of at Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (919-556-5811)
Eugene Emmitt Holland
Raleigh
Mr. Eugene Emmitt Holland, 77, of Raleigh died January 6, 2016, at his home in North Raleigh surrounded by his family.
Mr. Holland was born and raised in Suffolk, Virginia. He attended N.C. State University, graduating with a degree in engineering. He was employed for 34 years with Sperry Marine in Charlottesville, Virginia, and retired in 2002. Mr. Holland relocated to Raleigh in 2006 where he was a member of Wake Forest Baptist Church.
Gene leaves behind his beloved wife of nine years, Nancy Carroll Jones-Holland; his two devoted children, JoAnne Duffy and her daughter, Eden, of Durham; Lawrence Holland, his wife, Kristen, and their children, Elizabeth, Kaylee, and Eugene Emmitt III of Raleigh; Gene’s brothers, Phillip Holland (his identical twin) and his wife, Betty, of Houston, Texas, Clay Holland and his wife, Joyce, of Southport; Nancy Carroll’s children, Rudy Jones, Randy Jones, Rachel Greene and their families; Gene’s sisters-in-law, Faye Varney and her husband, JB, of Suffolk, Virginia, and Mary Ann Freeman of Raleigh; and eight special nieces and nephews, Phillip, Lee Ann, Spencer, Sallie, Susan, Ben, Josh and Mariah.
Mr. Holland was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Emmett and Ruth Jones Holland of Franklin, Virginia, and his beloved first wife of 43 years, Barbara Wright Holland.
Special thanks to Tabitha and George for being Gene’s loving caregivers for the past two months.
Funeral services were held at Wake Forest Baptist Church on Monday, January 11, 2016, at 2 p.m. A graveside service was held on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. at Holland Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia. Rev. Dr. Bill Slater officiated both services.
Memorials may be directed to Beyond The Walls, c/o Wake Forest Baptist Church, 118 E. South Avenue Wake Forest, NC, 27587.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (919-556-5811)
Marie Epps Stewart
Wake Forest
Marie Williams Epps Stewart, 98, of Wake Forest passed away Wednesday morning, January 6, 2016, at her residence. She was born in Person County, the daughter of the late Polly Stewart Epps and Claude Bradsher Epps.
Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Friday afternoon, January 8, 2016, at the Falls Baptist Church. Burial was in the Falls Community Cemetery.
Mrs. Stewart is survived by her children, Priscilla Hamilton (Charles), Dewey Stewart (Faye) and Hannah Liles; daughter-in-law, Angie Conner; grandson and caregiver, Joey Groves; eight grandchildren; and 12 great- grandchildren
She was preceded in death by her husband, David Stewart; a son, Malcolm Stewart; brothers, Garthan Epps and Charlie Epps; and a granddaughter, Mary “Prissy” Baldwin.
Pallbearers were Greg Liles, Jason Stewart, Joey Groves, Ricky Hamilton, George Pearce, and Paul Barham.
Memorial contributions can be made to Falls Community Cemetery, c/o Linwood Barham, 9705 Fonville Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Wake Forest, NC. (919-556-5811)
Gregory Brooker
Wake Forest
Gregory Brooker, 55, of Wake Forest died peacefully at home surrounded by family on January 11, 2016, after a long and brave fight against a glioblastoma brain tumor.
Gregory was the son of the late Arnold and Jean Brooker. Gregory attended University of Toledo where he played football and found his wife Wendy Reeves. After graduating in 1984, Greg joined Astro-Valcour Inc. (now Pactiv & Pregis), eventually becoming business unit manager and growing it into one of the world’s largest producers of protective packaging materials. He joined Nomaco Inc. in 1996 as vice president of marketing, helping it become the dominant player in thermoplastic pipe insulation. Much sought after, he joined Polyair in 2000 as vice president of strategic marketing, leading its expansion into engineered foams though formation a joint venture with Palziv called PXL Cross Linked Foam Corporation. Subsequently, this venture became Palziv North Americia, where Greg led its rapid growth as president and CEO. Palziv is now one of North America’s largest producers of Cross-linked polyethylene foam with manufacturing locations in Coburg, Canada, and Louisburg. Greg was also a member of numerous business organizations, including Vistage Worldwide. Gregory loved to play tennis, go fishing, spend time outdoors, and spend time at the beach with his family.
Gregory is survived by his college sweetheart and wife of 30 years come July 5, 2016; his daughter, Lauren Brooker; his brothers, Jeffery Brooker and his wife, Karen, of Batavia, Ohio, and Dr. Robert Brooker of Hollywood, Florida; sister, Lynn Robinson and her husband, Mark, of Swanton, Ohio; nieces and nephews, Sean Flanigon, Paige Flanigon, Jordan Brooker, Kiera Brooker, Bryce Reeves; sister-in-law, Stephanie Flanigon and her husband, Tim; brother-in-law, Randal Reeves, and his wife, Marissa, mother-in-law, Beverly Redman; and his faithful yellow lab, Abbey.
A visitation and celebration of life will be held on Friday, January 15, 2016, at Bright Funeral Home in Wake Forest from 10:30 to 1:30 p.m., with eulogies being read at 1 p.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. A reception will take place following mass in the gymnasium next to St. Catherine’s.
Greg’s family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Henry S. Freidman and his staff at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University for the loving, compassionate care of Greg during his illness.
Interment will be held in Wakeman Cemetery, Waterville, Ohio, where he will be buried beside his late parents, Arnold and Jean Brooker, and late son, Brandon Brooker.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710 or to Angels Among Us for Team Brooker.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center. (919-556-5811)
Beverly Mae Branch
Wake Forest
Beverly Mae Branch, 82, of Wake Forest went on to the Lord Monday, January 11, 2016; surrounded by her family. Beverly was born June 16, 1933; to the late James Holleman and Janie O’Neal Holleman. She was a longtime and dedicated member of Wake Crossroads Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Luther L. Stegall Jr. and Talmadge F. Branch, and a brother, James “Dinky” Holleman.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, January 14, at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church, 3328 Forestville Road. Rev. Bill Bowyer will preside. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
She is survived by two sons, David F. Stegall and wife, Judy, of Morrisville, and Paul T. Stegall and wife, Ann, of Wake Forest; a daughter, Beverly Ann Lynn and husband, Freddy, of Wake Forest; six grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Beverly’s memory may be made to the building fund at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church.
Friends may visit with the family from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday prior to the service at the church.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 405 S. Main St., Wake Forest, NC 27587 (919-556-5811)
