Douglas Wayne Denton
Wake Forest
Douglas Wayne Denton, 79, passed away on Friday afternoon, January 20, 2017, at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Douglas was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Pete Denton; sister, Colene Knott; and brother, James Denton.
A funeral service was held at 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, January 24, 2017, at Beulah Christian Baptist Church with Pastor Ronnie Snead officiating. Burial with military honors followed in the church cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Joan Denton; daughters, Pam and husband, Martin Levy, of Winston-Salem, Patty and husband, Glenn Harrison, of Wake Forest; Penny and husband, Mike Mendyk, of Michigan; and son Phillip Denton and wife, Mary, of Wake Forest; grandchildren; Jes (Jean) Smith, Jessica (Dwayne) Eason, Josh (Meredith) Harrison, Marijo and Maddie Mendyk, Amber Carter and Madeline Pulley; great-grandchildren, Makayla, Makensie and Kyle Eason and Josh’s soon-to-be son, Brody Harrison; sisters; Betty Pearson and husband, Tom, of Youngsville, Violet Allen and husband, Ed, of Zebulon; brothers Lafayette Denton and wife, Lois, of Wake Forest, Larry Denton and wife, Becky, of Apex; and a “buddy” of 50 years; Ed Blackley.
Douglas meant the world to his family, friends and so many others. He influenced the lives of many in a tremendous way. He loved the outdoors and was a very avid hunter and fisherman. He loved the thrill of the wild and the feel of warm sun on his face with a gentle breeze over the water. He has been the patriarch of the Denton family since he was 15 years old. Douglas loved his family and they were near and dear to his heart, not just his immediate family but his extended family as well. Another passion of Douglas’s was cooking. He loved to throw a pig-pick’in, BBQ chicken or fish fry and all were welcome to come out and eat.
Friends visited with the family from 12:30 to 1:45 prior to the service in the church sanctuary and all other times at the home.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Wake Forest, NC (919-556-5811)
Dorothy A. ‘Dot’ Zimmer
Wake Forest
Dorothy A. “Dot” Zimmer, 80, of The Lodge in Wake Forest, formerly of Sharon, Pennsylvania, passed away Wednesday evening, January 18, 2017, at Rex Hospital after a courageous six-month battle with cancer.
Born in Farrell, Pnnsylvania, to the late Andrew Solyan and Anna Janusko Solyan on August 24, 1936, Dot lived and worked a majority of her life in Sharon until 1992 when she and her late husband, Jerry, moved to Wake Forest to be close to their children and grandchildren.
A devout Catholic, Dot was an active member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Wake Forest. Dorothy attended St. Anne’s Parochial School in Farrell, PA, and graduated from Sharon High School in 1954. After graduation, Dot worked as a bookkeeper at Golden Dawn in Farrell.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church Tuesday, January 24, 2017. Burial followed in Pine Forest Memorial Park, followed by a luncheon at St. Catherine’s.
Dorothy married Jerome A. Zimmer on June 8, 1957. She worked with Jerome at A.M. Zimmer Jewelers in downtown Sharon, and for Dr. Joseph Joseph at Hermitage Internal Medicine, Hermitage, Pennsylvania. She was active in her children’s grade school, teaching several home economics classes, and served as the president of both the St. Joseph’s PTA and Athletic Association. After moving to Wake Forest in 1992, Dot worked as an administrative assistant for Universal Meeting Management and later spent over 12 years as an administrative assistant in the Clinical Pharmacology Division of GlaxoSmithKline in RTP. She retired in 2008.
Dorothy was an avid cross stitcher, and won several ribbons at the N.C. State Fair for her beautiful needlework. She was a fantastic cook and loved sports, watching golf and college and pro sports (she loved college football and March Madness), with the University of South Carolina and the Pittsburgh Steelers two of her favorites.
Dorothy is survived by her four sons, Paul of Raleigh, Jerome II (“Bones”) of Wake Forest, Mark of Columbia, South Carolina, John of Charlotte, and Larry Spear (Mary), whom she loved and treated as her fifth son; three grandchildren, Alex (Jessica), Gray, both of Raleigh, and Sarah of Greenville; a great-grandson, Jaxson; and brother, Ron Solyan of Hermitage.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome; infant son, Gerald Zimmer; her parents; and brothers, Michael Solyan and Gerry Miklos.
The family requests any memorial contributions be sent in the name of Dorothy Zimmer to St. Catherine of Siena Church, 600 W. Holding Avenue, Wake Forest, N.C. 27587.to help support local families dealing with cancer and cancer care,
The family received friends Monday, January 23, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Thomas Lawson Blair Jr.
Raleigh
Thomas Lawson Blair Jr., a resident of Raleigh, passed away on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at the age of 74. Born May 4, 1942 in Houston, Texas, to Thomas Lawson Blair Sr. and Georgia Larue Blair, née Simpson.
Thomas received his bachelor’s and doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Texas at Austin and served as general counsel for the Department of Energy upon its creation in 1977. The recipient of numerous awards and commendations throughout his career, Thomas transitioned from the federal government to investments during the 1980s and continued as a financial advisor through the remainder of his life.
A memorial service will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 28.
A beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother, Thomas is survived by his wife, Kathy Jeanne Blair; his four children, Steven Eric Giesler, Michelle Leigh Sharpe and her husband, Brent Boland Sharpe, Jennifer Marie Blair and David Lawson Blair; his grandchildren, Allison Iris Sharpe and Ronald Drake Sharpe; and his brother, Timothy Joseph Blair and his wife, Helen Claire Blair.
Thomas was known as a man of great dignity, humor and intellect, and he will be remembered dearly by all who knew him. In addition to his professional life, Thomas studied architecture, maintained a passion for writing and is the author of the young adult novel, “The Sabatini Prophecy.”
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation or to your favorite charity.
A service of Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Martha Frances Cosmidis
Raleigh
Martha Frances Cosmidis, 87, passed away Wednesday, January 18, 2017. She was born November 30, 1929 to the late Helen Lewis Bond and Harry Bond in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Mrs. Cosmidis was a member of Wake Forest United Methodist Church.
Funeral services were held 2 p.m. Saturday, January 21, 2017, at Wake Forest United Methodist Church. Burial followed at Pine Forest Memorial Gardens.
Surviving are: her husband, of 66 years, Alex N. Cosmidis of Raleigh; two daughters, Patti Escala and husband, Joel, of Raleigh, Sandi Grove of Arlington Virginia; a son, Nick of Tennessee; three grandchildren, Rebekah and Hannah Escala and Sierra Grove; and a brother, Edward Jackson and wife, Evelyn of Benton Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Martha’s memory may be made to Wake Forest United Methodist Church Missions, 905 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
A service of Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Geraldine ‘Jerry’ Jones
Wake Forest
Geraldine “Jerry” Jones, 89, died Tuesday, January 17, 2017. Jerry was born February 28, 1927 in Durham to the late Lillie Mae Fields and McCauley Fields. Mrs. Jones moved to Wake Forest, in 1947, to attend Wake Forest College, where she met her husband, Harvey “Bunk” Jones Jr. She has attended Wake Forest Baptist Church her entire life. Jerry worked as a school teacher as well as an executive secretary for many years.
Beside her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey “Bunk,” a son, Fred Jones, and a brother, McCauley Fields Jr.
Funeral services were held 1 p.m. Friday, January 20, 2017, in the Chapel of Bright Funeral Home. Dr. William Slater presided. Burial is in Wake Forest Cemetery.
Surviving are a daughter, Barbara Jones Adcock and husband, Scott, of Raeford; and a sister, Helen Thompson and husband, Bill, of Florida. Jerry was a loving and caring person; the people she touched soon became “adopted” family members not just friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jerry’s memory may be made to Wake Forest Baptist Church, 107 South Ave, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
A service of Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
Jasper Wellons Weathers Jr. (Jay)
Youngsville
Jasper Wellons Weathers Jr. (Jay) of Youngsville passed away on January 17, 2017 following a period of declining health. He was the only son of the late Jasper Wellons Weathers Sr. and Ursula Boyd Weathers of Youngsville. He was predeceased by his only sister, Ida Mae Weathers Johnson, and brother-in-law, Henry C. Johnson, of Winston-Salem.
Jay was a graduate of Youngsville High School and North Carolina State University where he was an active member of the ROTC. He was the retired owner of Weathers Grocery and Farm Supply, Weathers Mobile Milling of Youngsville, and co-owner of Weathers and Harris Mobile Milling Inc., of Oxford. In his retirement years, he became interested in real estate and later joined the staff at the Louisburg Post Office.
Jay grew up in the Youngsville Methodist Church and served as Sunday School superintendent, permanent chairman of the board of deacons, a trustee and lay leader. When his church merged with the Wake Forest Methodists some time ago, Jay later joined the Youngsville Baptist Church, from which he received many deeds of kindness during his illness.
Jay loved his hometown and was held in high esteem by its citizens. He was often described as a “prince of a fellow” whose kindness and goodness were revealed time and time again. Jay believed in giving back and in so doing he served both Youngsville and Franklin County well.
For over 30 years he served on the Youngsville Town Planning Board. He was a long-time active member of the board of directors of the Youngsville Area Business Association as long as his health permitted. He was a member of the Youngsville Lions Club, serving in many leadership positions, including club president. He was a member of the Youngsville National Guard for over 14 years attaining the rank of chief warrant officer. He was retired from the Youngsville Fire Department having served as a volunteer fireman for 30 years. He was the chairman of the first Fireman’s Day, a continuing event. In 2009, Jay and his wife, Betty, were the grand marshals for the annual Youngsville Christmas Parade.
In Franklin County, Jay was appointed to the county Economic Development Commission and served several terms. He was appointed and served a six-year term on the Franklin County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority. Jay was also a licensed pilot. Following flying lessons and a solo flight, he enjoyed flying over his hometown and down to the coast.
Jay was a loving and devoted husband for 63 years to his wife, Betty Evans Weathers, who survives him. He is also survived by two nieces and one nephew, Nancy Johnson, Kathy March (Eric), and Hank Johnson (Bridgette); two treasured sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law (on his wife’s side), Alice Evans Steed (Benjie), Lelia Evans Tate and James C. Tate; three nephews (on his wife’s side), Rusty Forrest (Joy), Jimmy Forrest (Carol), Steven Tate (Charlotte); and extended “family”, Mitzie Tharrington Barnette (Russ), Ricky Tharrington (Hope), and Gary Tharrington (Dorothy).
Funeral services were held at the Youngsville Baptist Church on Saturday, January 21, 2017.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Youngsville Baptist Church, PO Box 297, Youngsville, NC 27596 or to Transitions Life Care, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.
A service of Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
