OBITUARIES

Garner- CDR Jim A. Bell, USN (Ret.), 66, died Tuesday. A native of Wake County, he was the son of the late Alvin Victor Bell and Annie Lacy Carlyle Bell. Mr. Bell proudly served his country for 24 years. A Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 am Friday at St. Mary Mother of the Church Catholic Church, 1008 Vandora...

James Ray Pittman, 86, passed away on Thursday. Mr. Pittman was a retired air cargo supervisor with Eastern Airlines and a long-time member of New Hope Baptist Church. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 1, at Noon at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home Chapel, 831 Wake Forest Road. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive...

Raleigh - Pearl Fowler Avery, 88, a long time secretary for the N.C. Department of Mental Health, passed away Monday. Surviving are her sons, Roy B. Avery, Jr. (Paula) of Elon College and David Avery (Eileen) of Spotsylvania, VA; grandchildren, Chris Avery (Jessica) of Manassas Park, VA and Erin Avery of the home; great-grandchildren, Makenzie and Callie Avery; brother,...

Raleigh - Robert William Gillespy, 57, died Thursday. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 AM Monday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. Burial will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Gardens, Clayton.Surviving are his wife, Sarah Sally Gillespy; daughters, Elizabeth Gillespy Annis and husband, Kevin of Willow Springss, Alisha Lynn Gillespy of Garner; sons, Brian Matthew Gillespy of Daytona Beach, FL and...

Bobby Ray Johnson, 67, passed away on Friday at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. He was born in Harnett Co. to the late Dewey and Irene Johnson. Bobby retired from Harnett Co. Sheriff department after 24 years and he was with Angier Rescue for 20 years. Funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 3:00 PM at Bryan-Lee Funeral...

Carl Cotton, Jr., 80, passed away Wednesday morning. A native of Harnett County and a retired farmer, he is the son of the late Carlie Cotton, Sr. and Cleo Dennis Cotton. The family will receive friends Friday from 1:00 - 2:00 pm at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier, with graveside services at 2:30 pm at Montlawn Memorial Park. Surviving are...

RALEIGH- Lillian Hope Pruitt Pagan, 89, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday. Born in Indiana, she was the daughter of the late George Washington and Lillie Augusta Carr Pruitt. A memorial service will be held Friday, 11:00 AM at Hollands United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends one...

RALEIGH - Lorretta Lynn Rideout Libby, 40, passed away Tuesday at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Born in Bangor, Maine, she is the daughter of Bruce and Deanna Rideout. A memorial service will be held 11:00 am Friday at Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner. The family will receive friends at the church from 10-11:00 am prior to the service. In...

GARNER - Mildred E. Kane, 92, passed away on Monday. Born in Lawrence, MA, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Laura Longbottom. Mildred was an active member in her church and volunteered for the American Red Cross. She enjoyed playing the piano, baking, and sewing. After moving to Garner, she became very involved with the GarnerSeniorCenter...

GARNER - Opal Matthews Moore Norris, 86, died Monday. Born in Johnston County, she was the daughter of the late M. F. Matthews and Alma Kinsey Matthews. She attended Meadow High School and Hardbargers Business College. She performed office duties for several years and then became a nurses aid and was employed with Eldercare until her retirement. Funeral service...

ANGIER - Gonzalo Mendoza-Leon, 64, passed away at home, surrounded by his loving family.Funeral Mass will be 11:00 AM Friday at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Fuquay-Varina with burial to follow at Sandy Grove Cemetery, Angier, NC.The family will receive friends and relatives Thursday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM Friday at the home, 16799 Hwy 210, Angier, NC....

RALEIGH - Janette Jordan Collins, 74, died Tuesday. A Memorial Service will be held 4:00 PM Monday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. Surviving: daughter, Joey Collins Vena of Raleigh; sisters, Judy Lapierre and husband, Emile and Conway McCallister and husband, Wynn all of Hertford, NC; brothers, P.C. Jordan and wife, Addie of Garner and Billy Jordan and wife, Dorothy...

Garner- Jill R. Whitfield, 42, passed away on Saturday after a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services will be 12 noon Wednesday, July 30th at Southside Church, 299 Carlton St., Clayton, NC. Burial will follow at Carolina Biblical Gardens, 1530 Creech Rd., Garner, NC. The family will receive friends at the church from 11:00 am -12:00 prior to the...

GARNER- Jim H. Helms, 78, died Thursday.Jim is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Charlotte. He was a loving and devoted husband.He is also survived by five children - daughter, Sabra Futrell and her husband, Brent of Dumas, Texas,son,Jim Helms and wife Debbie of Rockwall, Texas, daughter, Cheryle Bennett and husband, Greg of Independence, Kansas, daughter, Kelley...

Apex- Thelma R. Fowler, 87, passed away Saturday at her home.A memorial service will be held Wednesday, 11:00 am at Bryan -Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Survivors include her daughter, Linda Gainey; son, Adam Fowler; 2 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death...

RALEIGH - Allen B. A. B. Fields, 88, of 4213 Ruby Dr. died Thursday. He proudly served his country in WWII and was retired from Dorothea Dix with 30 years of service in maintenance. Funeral Services will be 3:00 PM Sunday at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Burial will follow in church cemetery. Surviving; sisters, Frances Gainey of Durham, Doris...

GARNER- On Monday, Nancy H. Riddle, age 83, went home to heaven while visiting her family in Myrtle Beach, SC. Nancy had resided at Olde School Commons in Garner, NC. She was staying with her son when she became ill with a recurrence of aggressive lymphoma. Nancy was born on March 1, 1930 in Raleigh, NC to Tom and...

Angier - Kendra Ann Ring, 53, passed away on Tuesday at Moses Cone Hospital. Surviving are her husband of thirty six years, Thomas E. Ring of Fuquay-Varina; mother, Dixie Lee McAlpin, father, Kenneth Schwebach, sons, Richard McAlpin and Thomas E. Ring, Jr. and wife, Sara of Fuquay-Varina; two sisters, three brothers, three grandchildren, Chelsea Ring, Shantell Vermes and Austin...

CLINTON-Lisa Kay Lewis Mair, 50, passed away on Saturday. A native of Harnett County she was the daughter of the late Jack and Geraldine McLean Lewis. Mrs. Mair retired from Sampson County schools after twenty three years of teaching Spanish.Funeral Service will be held Wednesday at 11:00 AM at Kennebec Baptist Church with burial to follow in the church...

GARNER- Louis Carlyle Thomas, 79, died Monday, in his home, as a result of congestive heart failure. Born in Pine City, NY, he was the son of the late William H. and Addie Baker Thomas. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Esther, Blanche, and Emma; brothers, Wesley, Donald, and William.In 1951, he graduated...