Obituaries
Notices of recent deaths and memorials
Latest stories
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Dolly Parton, queen of country music and humanitarian hero, dead at 80
Dolly Parton, who rose from humble beginnings to the greatest heights of American music and became one of the country’s most philanthropic, unifying and beloved stars, died Tuesday at her home in Nashville, according to a family statement. She was 80.
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Frank Beard, drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77
Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, has died at 77. He passed away Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family by his side. ZZ Top sold over 50 million records and had six No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The band, formed in 1969, was known for hits like “Shar...
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Hayden Panettiere, actress from 'Remember the Titans,' 'Nashville' and NBC's 'Heroes,' dead at 36
Hayden Panettiere, an actress who rose to stardom as a child actor before breaking out on NBC's "Heroes," died on Sunday. She was 36.
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Owner of Hayes Barton Cafe and Dessertery dies after battle with pneumonia
Frank Ballard of Raleigh passed away on Wednesday after battling complications from pneumonia. He was recently in an accident at his home that caused a spinal cord injury.
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Don Nelson, second-winningest NBA coach who won 5 titles as a Celtics player, dies at 86
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, has died at the age of 86. Nelson’s family says he died Sunday but did not say where or provide a cause of death. Nelson won five titles as a player with the Boston Celtics, though he never won one as a coach. He is one of two coaches in NBA...
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North Carolina biochemist Mary-Dell Chilton dies at 87
Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton, a pioneering North Carolina plant biochemist, whose discoveries shaped plant genetics research, has died at 87.
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Long-time Boston Congressman Barney Frank dies
Barney Frank, the longtime Democratic congressman and leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights and crafted the most significant reforms to the financial system in a generation, has died. He was 86.
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Jason Collins, NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain tumor
Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.
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Memorial service held for 15-year-old killed in DWI crash
Memorial services were held on Friday for 15-year-old Jack O'Shea, a Cardinal Gibbons High School student who was killed in a DWI crash.
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A life of service and smiles, long-time WRAL director/producer dies
Clarence Williams spent a lifetime at WRAL-TV, embodying the spirit of community. He passed away on Sunday at the age of 75.
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Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and 'Godfather' mainstay, dead at 95
Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor whose classic roles included the wily confidant of the first two “Godfather” movies, had died at age 95. He first gained notice for a small part as the reclusive neighbor in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He won an Academy Award as best actor for portraying the ov...
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Funeral for former Gov. Jim Hunt scheduled for Dec. 26
Former Gov. Jim Hunt, who redefined the office of governor in North Carolina, championed public education and helped focus the state's economy on high-tech industries, has died. He was 88.
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"General Hospital" star Anthony Geary dies at 78
Actor Anthony Geary, best known for his role as Luke Spencer on "General Hospital," has died at the age of 78.
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D.G. Martin, state university administrator, contributor to radio, TV, newspapers, dead at 85
D.G. Martin, a lawyer who served in administrative leadership roles for the University of North Carolina and contributed opinion columns for Capitol Broadcasting Company, died on Tuesday.
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'Always there:' Bob Caudle remembered for double duty on WRAL-TV
Bob Caudle did weather forecasts and pro wrestling broadcasts for WRAL-TV in the 1960s. He died at age 95.
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Former WRAL weatherman and professional wrestling announcer Bob Caudle died
Bob Caudle, former WRAL weatherman and legendary professional wrestling announcer, has died. He worked at WRAL in the 1960s, where NWA Atlantic Coast Wrestling was taped every week.
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'Almost like losing a parent:' Durham mayor remembers Southern High band director who recently died
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams reflects on the profound impact of Southern High's late band director, likening the loss to losing a parent.
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Diane Keaton dies at age 79
Actress Diane Keaton has died. Here's a look back at her life, career and impact on American cinema and style.
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One of original Greensboro four who launched lunch counter civil rights protests has died
Major General Joseph McNeil, one of four college students whose sit-in at a Greensboro lunch counter launched a wave of civil rights protests across the South, has died.
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Warren Brodey, 101, Dies; a Visionary at the Dawn of the Information Age
Warren Brodey, who used his background as a psychiatrist to develop wide-ranging ideas about the liberating possibilities of technology at the dawn of the information age -- ideas that helped lay the groundwork for revolutionary fields like artificial intelligence -- died on Aug. 10 at his home in Oslo, Norway. He was 101.
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Chuck Mangione, ‘Smooth Jazz’ Hitmaker With a Flugelhorn, Dies at 84
Chuck Mangione, whose limpid flugelhorn ruled the upper reaches of Billboard’s adult contemporary charts in the 1970s and ’80s with a culture-permeating lilt that helped create the genre known as “smooth jazz,” died Tuesday at his home in Rochester, New York. He was 84.
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Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan passes away at age 71
Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.
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Legendary WRAL anchor and 'Cronkite of North Carolina' Charlie Gaddy laid to rest
At a service filled with laughs and tears, friends, colleagues and family remembered the man who brought the news to thousands of North Carolinians every night for decades.
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Remembering newsman Charlie Gaddy
Charlie Gaddy anchored WRAL News from 1974 to 1994. He died on Thursday, June 12, 2025. He was 93.
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'The loss of a giant:' WRAL, Triangle mourn longtime anchor Charlie Gaddy
From radio to variety show to WRAL's evening news, Charlie Gaddy was the voice of the Triangle for decades. He died on Thursday, and a funeral is scheduled for June 26.
