James Foster ‘Jimmy’ Keith II
July 7, 1950 – February 21, 2017
Wake Forest
James Foster “Jimmy” Keith II, 66, of Wake Forest passed away Tuesday, February 21, 2017, with his family by his side. He was the son of the late James F. Keith and Marjorie A. Keith.
Jimmy was owner of Keith’s Store on Keith’s Store Road in Wake Forest for 47 years where he became good friends with an untold number of people. He graduated in 1968 from Wake Forest High School with a baseball scholarship for his pitching. He served six years in the North Carolina National Guard in Youngsville. Jimmy was an avid sports fan and golfer. In 2001 he was the Wakefield Cup Senior Club Champion and 2001 Net Club Champion at Wakefield Country Club. He was a member of Woodland Baptist Church in Wake Forest.
Jimmy loved his family dearly and is survived by his wife, Hope C. Keith; son, James F. Keith III and wife, Kathy, of Wake Forest; daughter, Kimberly K. Freeman and husband, Mitch, of Madison, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Meghan and Lauren Keith of Wake Forest and Nathan, Marjorie, Noah, Benjamin and James Freeman of Madison; sister, Karen K. Winstead and husband, Don; brother, Patrick L. Keith and wife, Allison, all from Wake Forest; nieces and nephews, Luther and Caleb Keith of Wake Forest, Chris McLeod of Thomasville and Sherrie Rook of Peoria, Arizona.
Funeral services were held Saturday, February 25, at 11 a.m. at Woodland Baptist Church. Burial followed at Pine Forest Memorial Gardens.
In addition to flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Woodland Baptist Church in Wake Forest.
The family received friends Friday, February 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC. (919)556-7400
Andrew Prokopets Jr.
Raleigh
Andrew Prokopets Jr., 89, died Sunday, February 19, 2017, at his home. He was born August 22, 1927 to the late Andrew and Anna Falik Prokopets. Andrew was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of VFW Post #3117 in Edison, New Jersey and American Legion Post #187 in Wake Forest.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Madeline Naglieri Prokopets, and his daughter, Lisa Prokopets Moran.
A funeral mass was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 25, 2017, at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Wake Forest. Entombment followed in Raleigh Memorial Park.
Surviving are two granddaughters, Melissa Paige Moran and Jennifer Leigh Moran, both of Raleigh; a son-in-law, Michael Moran of Raleigh; two sisters, Anna Bajzath and husband, Joseph, of North Haledon, New Jersey and Helen Hassell of Edison, New Jersey.
A service of Bright Funeral Home 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC, 27587. (919-556-5811)
Ada Catherine Macon Darr
Madison, Wisconsin
Ada Catherine Macon Darr passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 19, 2017, in Madison, Wisconsin, lovingly cared for by the staff at Agrace Hospice.
She was 92 years old and had lived in Wisconsin for the past 13 years. She was born on a cold December day in 1924 to Edwin and Letha Macon on the family farm in Wake County. She grew up known as “Sister” in a family that would ultimately expand to include six devoted and loving brothers.
Catherine graduated from Wake Forest High School in 1942 and then completed one year at Peace College in Raleigh before she graduated from Hardbarger’s Business School where she excelled in dictation, penmanship, and spelling. From there, Catherine moved to the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Camp Lejeune, where she worked as a civilian. She later lived in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio before returning to Wake Forest in 1962.
Catherine worked for 36 years as a clerk-typist for U.S. Federal Crop Insurance in Raleigh. After her retirement in 1986, she moved to California and then to Wisconsin to be near her grandchildren. She loved to walk her dog in the neighborhood, eat dessert, complete word puzzles in the newspaper, and go to the grocery store every day. She also loved the North Carolina coast, road trips, cooking with her grandchildren, working in the yard, and many other things.
A funeral mass will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 4, 2017, at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Wake Forest. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh.
She is survived by her daughters, Betty D. Chien (Karl), and Barbara Darr; grandchildren, Letha Chien, Edward Chien, Katya Chien, and John Chien. Further survivors include her brothers, John A. Macon (Nellie, dec.), Quinton D. Macon Sr. (Sarah), Grady S. Macon (Joyce), George N. Macon (Barbara); and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
She is preceded in death by brothers E.G. Macon Jr., and Horace L. Macon Sr.; and sister, Doris G. Macon. Special friends included Amelia and Petey, her two dogs who added so much to her retirement years.
The family will be present from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2017 at Bright Funeral Home, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC, 27587. (919-556-5811)
Shirley Anne Lower
St. Petersburg, Florida
Shirley Anne Lower, 81, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away on Monday, February 20, 2017,,surrounded by family. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 28, 1935 to Antoinette and Carl Baumann, and was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. She was a beloved wife, sister, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother who loved her family dearly.
As someone with a lifelong commitment to education and a passion for science, her children will be the first to say her favorite phrase was, “Go look it up!” She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1957 with a degree in biology education. She further pursued her science education with post-graduate studies at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin. She always incorporated this love of learning and teaching in her professional and personal activities, with jobs ranging from teaching ESL children, children with developmental disabilities, and preschoolers to sharing her love of science with her grandchildren. But she wasn’t just a lifelong learner, she was also a lifelong learner, always seeking more knowledge of any and all subjects. In addition, she was a research assistant at Purdue University in their department of genetics, followed by a similar position at the University of Illinois. Mrs. Lower was also fortunate to be able to expand upon her love of science when she joined her husband on his many international career assignments, spanning numerous countries across four continents. She also enjoyed teaching CCD education at several Catholic parishes.
One of her favorite pastimes was her role as a guide at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, where she could share her love of nature with others. In addition, she was an accomplished musician, and she was a piccolo player and flutist with the Madison Community Orchestra for several years. Her love of music also carried through to her joy of ballroom dancing.
She utilized her botanical skills and wisdom to solidify efforts by the Crescent Lake Association in Rhinelander, Wisconsin to free the lake and shoreline of invasive plant species – something she was very passionate about.
She enjoyed her retired years as a snowbird, spending her summers at Crescent Lake and her winters in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Mrs. Lower is survived by her husband of 60 years, Richard Lawrence Lower; four children, Cynthia Braasch of Watertown, Wisconsin, Michael (Lynn) of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, Richard (Lisa) of Apex, and Mitchell (Kent) of Wake Forest; eight grandchildren (Rachel, Matt, Ryan, Trey, Jackson, Alec, Grace, and Anderson); one brother, (C. Bill Baumann; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother and father.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, February 24, 2017, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Raleigh.
In lieu of flowers, please visit www.brightfunerals.com for memorial contribution information to Duke Cancer Institute to support research for pancreatic cancer or the University of Wisconsin Arboretum Land Stewardship Fund in Mrs. Lower’s honor.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. (919) 556-5811
Dr. Ron D. Short
Wake Forest
Dr. Ron D. Short passed away on February 26, 2017 at the age of 76 following a long battle with fronto-temporal dementia. Ron was born April 21, 1940 to the late Rossia Byers Short and Arlis Ray Short in Lovington, New Mexico.
Ron attended Texas Tech University on a football scholarship and later graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry. Upon graduation he enlisted in the Army and served in the Dental Corps during a tour in Vietnam. Upon leaving the military, Ron was recruited by the Wake County Health Department in Raleigh to develop a dental program and serve as its director. During his tenure at WCHD, Dr. Short served as adjunct faculty at the UNC School of Dentistry and was honored to receive the Reynolds Award for his contributions to Public Health. He also served as president of the Raleigh-Wake County Dental Society.
In 1981 Ron transitioned into private practice in Raleigh, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. Dr. Short made it his mission to better the lives of those he came into contact with, and took pride in cultivating relationships with his patients and staff. He gained their love and respect through his unwavering dedication and tender care. In addition to his true passion for helping others, Dr. Short enjoyed spending time with family, playing golf, and fishing.
A celebration of Dr. Short’s life will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2017, at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Bright Funeral Home, Wake Forest. Dr. Allen Page will officiate.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Rosanne, and their two children; daughter, Jennifer Schoenholz (Derek, granddaughters Cecelia and Charlotte) of Wake Forest; and son, Joseph Short of Chapel Hill. He is also survived by his daughters, Rhonda Rae Smith (granddaughters Macall and Morgann) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kelly Anne Marr (granddaughters Macie, Taylor and Samantha) of Andrews, Texas; and son, Brad Marr (grandchildren Stefan, Carleigh, Britt and Nikki) of Billings, Montana. Also surviving are his sister, Frances Dawkins (Enoch,) of New Orleans, Louisiana, and brother, Jim Short (Nikki), of Azle, Texas, as well as eight great-grandchildren and a multitude of nephews, nieces, cousins and extended family. He was predeceased by a sister, Nancy Toone, of Jacksonville, Florida.
The family appreciates the love, care and support given to Ron over the past few years by the staff at Central Regional Hospital, Longleaf Neuro-Medical Center, UNC Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Apex and Transitions Hospice Care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org).
The family will receive friends on Friday, March 3, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. (919) 556-5811, and at other times at their home, 209 Tazwell Hall Lane, Wake Forest 27587.
Julian Earl ‘Skipper’ Rogers
Zebulon
Julian Earl “Skipper” Rogers of Zebulon went to be with the Lord on February 22, 2017. He was born October 13, 1951 to JC and Edna Earl Rogers in Franklin County.
He graduated from Vaiden Whitley High School in 1969. He worked as a mechanic for more than 20 years and spent many years racing at local dirt round tracks. He is preceded in death by his mom, Edna Earl Rogers Pearce; father, JC Rogers; two brothers, Robert Rogers and Michael Pearce. He is survived by his three children, Amy Moore (Eddie), Nashville, Natalie Fry (J.J.) of Four Oaks, and Heather Rogers of Middlesex; a sister, Linda Jones of Rolesville; and six grandchildren .
A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
A service of Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Wake Forest, NC. (919-556-5811)
Daniel T. Tran
Youngsville
Daniel T. Tran went to be with the Lord Jesus on February 27, 2017, beloved husband of Sol Gazzingan; devoted father of Daniel (deceased), Kimberly (Robert), and Stephanie; cherished grandfather of Savannah, Landon and Violet; dear brother of Timothy (Kim), My (Khiem), Le (Huyen), and Tri; and also survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
All are welcome to join the family in celebrating Daniel’s life at the Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center at 405 South Main Street, Wake Forest, on Saturday, March 4, 2017, for viewing from 2 to 3 p.m., followed immediately by a memorial service to begin at 3p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any financial contributions to assist with the medical expenses incurred over the last six weeks of Daniel being cared for in the Cardiac ICU at Duke Hospital.
