The Sanford Herald

Leslie Ward Pilson Allen, daughter of the late Henderson and Virginia Ward passed away on Monday, October 18, 2021 at the age of 73. A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 25, 2021 at 2:00pm in the chapel of McLaurin Funeral Home with the family receiving friends one hour prior to the service from 1:00 until 2:00pm. She is survived by her husband, Charlie Allen; daughter, Elizabeth Pilson of Clayton; sons, Chris Pilson and Scott Pilson both of Cameron, Justin Allen of Oak Ridge; brother, Terry Ward of Sanford; sister, Elsie Wetzel of Leland; granddaughters, Kim Pilson of Fayetteville and Paige Coffee of Newport; six great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she is also...

Doyle "Gene" Stepp, 61, of Sanford, NC, husband of Vicki Sue Darfler Stepp, passed away on Saturday, September 25, 2021. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 11 o'clock at James A. Dyal Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Gardens, 7113 Rivers Ave., N. Charleston, SC 29406. Due to COVID please wear a mask and practice social distancing. Flowers will be accepted. Gene was born on June 3, 1960 in Charleston, SC, son of Doyle G. Stepp and wife Loucile Cotney Stepp of Brunswick, GA and the late Mary Killion Kirlin. He enjoyed golfing. He was a handyman at heart and loved working outside at his new house and his yard. Survivors in addition...

Charles Robert "Chuck" Donau, 78, of Fayetteville passed away Saturday, August 14, 2021 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Charles was born October 18, 1942 in Jersey City, New Jersey to the late Charles Harold Donau and Grace Parente Donau. He was preceded in death by a sister, Doris Donau Kaufmann. Chuck was a Retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Special Forces in the U.S. Army. He loved his country and his family. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a Physician's Assistant Degree. He also graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor in Health Sciences. Charles was the first Physician's Assistant in the Emergency Room at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center...

LaVonne S. Oertel of Dunn died august 13, 2021. Condolences may be made at pughfuneralhome.com.

Stephen David Seymour Jr., age 90 of Socastee, SC, passed away on June 15, 2021. Mr. Seymour was born in Sanford, NC, the son of the late Stephen D. Seymour Sr. and Pauline Blair Seymour. He graduated from Jonesboro High School in 1948 and later graduated from NC State College in 1953 with a degree in mechanical engineering and a commission as 2nd Lt. US Air Force Reserve. He trained and served as a radar maintenance officer at a remote site in Labrador. After being released from active duty, he worked as a design engineer for The Roberts Company and the Saco Lowell Shops in Sanford, NC. He transferred to Clemson, SC and worked for Saco Lowell R & D Center. In 1968, he left the textile...

James "Ronnie" Swann James "Ronnie" Swann, 75, passed away Saturday, June 5, 2021. He was born August 7, 1945 in LaGrange, GA to the late Mitchell Ray and Mary Reaves Swann. He loved his family, cooking, flying planes, raising horses, and teaching his grandson how to fish. Ronnie was a lifelong Auburn University fan. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife Danya Fuller Swann; a sister Sandra Douglas. He leaves to cherish his memory his fianc?e Deborah Bradley; daughter Shanna Swann Roberts (Lyn); sister Jennifer Chandler (Philip); grandchild Fuller Reese Roberts and fianc?e Mia Maldonado. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 7:00PM in the Chapel...

Frances McKinney Rabon, 92, of Beaufort, SC, wife of the late Earl S. Rabon, Sr., passed away peacefully on May 12, 2021. Visitation will be at 12:30pm on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at the Baptist Church of Beaufort, 601 Charles Street, Beaufort, SC 29902, with funeral services immediately following at 2:00pm in the sanctuary. Burial will follow at Beaufort Memorial Gardens, 1 Copeland Dr., Beaufort, SC. Frances McKinney Rabon was born in Durham, NC to Ulys McKinney and Mary Ray McKinney on July 5, 1928. She eloped with Earl S. Rabon, Sr. on January 9, 1944. She was a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend! Frances is preceded in death by both of her...

Thelma Phillips Thomas, 89, of Acworth, Georgia, entered eternal rest, surrounded by her loving family, on April 30, 2021. Thelma was born on November 24, 1931, in Gulf, North Carolina, to James and Rosa Jane Phillips, the youngest of eight siblings. She married her high school sweetheart, John Thomas, on August 5, 1951. Their nearly-70 years of marriage took them to Texas, Arizona, Delaware, Argentina, back to North Carolina, and finally to Georgia so they could be close to their only daughter and her young daughters when their son-in-law passed away in 1997. Thelma loved people, especially little children. She worked in banking for many years, and customers would often stand in line...

Joe Larry Jones, age 77, of Gallatin, Tennessee, passed away on January 9, 2021 in Gallatin, TN. He is preceded in death by wife Ada (Jean) Vaughn Jones, and parents, Joe Anderson Jones and Mary (Evelyn) Cockman Jones. Jones, a long-time resident of Sanford, NC, lived on Lake Tillery NC for many years after the passing of his wife, and before moving to a home on Old Hickory Lake in TN to be close to his children. On April 21, 1943, Joe Larry was born in Bennett, NC. He attended Bennett High School and maintained close relations with his classmates until his death. He graduated from Elon College in 1964, and earned his Masters' of Education from the University of NC at Chapel Hill in 1969....

James William "Jim" Leone, 73, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 4, 2020, at his residence. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late Salvatore Louis and Carolyn Mays Bethune Leone. He owned and operated Casa De Leone Coiffures, Inc., J.W. and Company and Jim Leone's Academy of Hair Design. Jim attended the South Main Chapel and Mercy Center. He is survived by two sisters, Rosilyn Lett and husband, Tony and Louanne Burt and husband, Dwayne; several nieces and nephews, Nicholas Lett, Jonathan Lett, and Matthew Lett (fianc?e, Courtney Clark), MaryCarolyn Felix (Curt), and William Burt; great-niece and nephews, Kash Lett, Ryder Lett, and Evalyn Irvin; and his three fur...

Louise Pender Blue Hensley, 73, of Wilmington, NC, passed away August 17, 2020. She was born the only child to the late Evelyn Leary Lawrence (Blue) and Henry Gilbert Blue of Sanford, NC, on September 12, 1946. She grew up in Raleigh, NC and attended Peace College followed by the Rex Hospital Radiographer Program, where she excelled. Soon after graduation, she married and had one child, Carrie Meghann Conner (Howland). Louise lived courageously with bipolar 1 disorder during a time when it was not well understood and had limited treatment options. Despite these challenges, she was an excellent x-ray technician in Asheville, NC until her illness prevented her ability to work. The past...

Mrs. Tillotson passed away April 20, 2020, after a prolonged illness. She was born October 14, 1940 in Chatham County, NC, the daughter of John "Jack" Alton Bland and Nell Patrick Bland. She graduated from Moncure High School in 1958. She retired in 2006 as a Deputy Clerk of Court for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She was a member of St. Thomas Lutheran Church. She was predeceased by her husband of 57 years, Elbert Elijah Tillotson. She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne Reynolds and husband Matt, and three grandchildren: Aidan Reynolds, Sawyer Reynolds and Savannah Reynolds, all of Charlotte, NC, and her brother, Wallace Bland and wife Joan of Sanford, NC. Services will be...

Mildred Christian McLeod, 95, of Charlotte, passed away peacefully Saturday, April 18, 2020 at Morningside Assisted Living of Concord. Mildred was born March 7, 1925 in Lee North Carolina to the late Duncan Hinton McLeod and Lola Groce McLeod. She was preceded in death by seven sisters, Gertrude McNeil, Beatrice Williford, Clarice Wilkie, Elma Such, Ruth Kondratovich, Adeline Keith, Peggy Buchanan and one brother, Herman McLeod. She loved her family, her home place and church in Sanford. Mildred also showed much love to her nieces and nephews, some she even helped to raise. She enjoyed having a pig picking every October for family and friends. Mildred graduated from...

Billy W. Layne, beloved husband, loving father, generous friend, and a long-time resident of Newport News, VA, died unexpectedly on March 5 at the age of 80 in Ashburn, VA, while in town to attend the funeral of his dear wife, Carol. Billy (Wade) is survived by his only child, Michael W. Layne, his sisters, Ruth Condor and Peggy McGee & his brothers, James Layne and Jerry Layne. He is predeceased by his wife, Carol A. Layne, his sisters, Frances Foushee, Ada Finley, and Mozelle Coggins, and his brother, Johnny Layne. Billy was born in Sanford, North Carolina, on April 23, 1939 to James and Vera Layne on a tobacco farm as one of nine brothers and sisters. He spent his time working the...

Katharine Harrington Smith, age 89 of Salisbury, NC passed away on Friday, February 14, 2020, at her residence in Salisbury. Born May 19, 1930 in El Paso, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Ernest Hayes Harrington and Annie Brown Harrington of Sanford, NC. She was a 1952 graduate of UNC-Greensboro with a BS in Home Economics. Directly out of college she was a nutritionist and home extension agent in Rowan County. She was married to Miles J Smith, Jr. of Salisbury from 1954 until his death in 2013. She was preceded in death by her two sisters, Mildred Rand (Reidsville) and Ernestine Griffin (Sanford). She was a member of North Hills Presbyterian Church for years and more recently a...

Wilma Yarborough "Billie" Berryhill, 85, of Charlotte, died peacefully December 19, 2019. Born in Sanford, she was the daughter of the late Wilma and Phillip Yarborough. After graduating from Lee County High School and UNC Greensboro, Billie moved to Charlotte. There she met James Collins Berryhill, who became her beloved husband in 1958. Billie was a preschool teacher at Covenant Presbyterian and Myers Park United Methodist churches. She later became a salesperson and manager at Farris Brothers and Kimbrell's furniture stores. At Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church, Billie was an elder, choir member, Stephen Minister, blood drive coordinator, and helped establish a Room in the Inn. She...

Jo Anne H. Tucker, 72, of Cary, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2019, with her family by her side. Jo Anne was born to John and Mildred Holder in Raleigh, NC, on May 11, 1947. She graduated from Enloe High School and met the love of her life, Jimmy Tucker, in the summer of 1965, and they were married in December of 1965 and became parents to their loving children, Anthony Brian Tucker of Clayton, James P. Tucker IV of Knightdale, Jennifer Leah Tyndall of Sanford. Jo Ann was very active in her church until her health started to decline. She scheduled and served on many missions trips home and abroad. This included mission trips for disaster relief for hurricane...

Margaret O'Brien Holder, 72, of Mt. Holly passed away November 11, 2019 at her residence. She was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 2, 1947 to the late Raymond and Elene Scott O'Brien. She is also preceded in death by her husband, Charles Larry Holder and her brother, Raymond Francis O'Brien. In her spare time, Margaret was an excellent cook, loved to cross stitch, and enjoyed visiting the beach. She particularly loved her 3 pet dogs, Bella, Bullet, and Banjo. Survivors include her sons, David Vallas and Wilson Holder and wife Bethany; sister, Barbara Wilson and husband Fred; grandchildren, Sara Beth, Ada, and Levi; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held...

A funeral service will be held Friday, August 16, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Highland Baptist Church with Pastor Zach Kennedy officiating. Burial will follow at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery at 12:00 PM. with Military Honors and Masonic Rites, In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Highland Baptist Church, 4456 Legion Rd, Hope Mills, NC 28348.

Mary Christy, 92, of Cary died on June 12, 2019 at UNC Hospice Home in Pittsboro. She was born on April 21, 1927 to the late William Albert and Cora Harvell Crayton, and was a resident of Cary for over 25 years. In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Melvin Christy. She is survived by her sons, Mark D. Christy, Grant M. Christy and Todd N. Christy; and four grandchildren. A time of visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Rd. Cary, NC 27511. A funeral service will be held immediately following. Burial will occur after the service at Wake Memorial Park. Flowers are...