Hall-Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory

06/17/2026

Moria Elizabeth Packer (Kirkham)

Moria Elizabeth Packer (Kirkham), 65, passed away surrounded by those who loved her on June 14th 2026 at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem NC. Moria was born in Joliet, Illinois to the late David and Peggy Kirkham.

Growing up Moria moved around a lot for her fathers job at Western Union. She enjoyed life in many states including New Jersey, Illinois, Minnesota and ultimately settled for her adult life in North Carolina. She attended Wagner college in New York and transferred to York college in Pennsylvania to finish her degree. She worked for a variety of companies, doing accounts receivable work. Toys R Us ultimately started her life in North Carolina. After starting her life in NC, she met and fell in love with her late husband, Keith, and started her family. Before kids Moria had an adventurous spirit, she skydived, went off-roading in her Jeep, went white water rafting, and more. Moria and Keith did foster care for several years before welcoming their own kids into the world. After kids she settled down a little and dove more into crafting, party planning, girl scout and PTA leadership. She hosted craft nights for all the cousins, planned extraordinary birthday parties, and never missed a softball or soccer game. Moria never met a stranger and could often be found chatting it up with the people who seemed to need a friend. She was very involved in VBS at church and the ceramics ministry. Her favorite saying was, "don't take any wooden nickels” and would say it anytime someone left the house.

Moria Packer is preceded in death by her husband, Keith Packer, and is survived by 1 son, John Christopher James Cassara, 3 daughters, Bernadette Michelle Cagney, Cameron Elizabeth Packer, and Courtney Elaine Packer, 2 grandchildren, Katelynn Reeves and Evan Reeves. She is survived by 1 sister Myla Wagner, and her family. Moria is also survived by brother in law, Lee [Lisa] Packer, and sister in law Teresa [Jeff] Wilson. Survived by various nieces and nephews including, Holly [Andy] Packer, Justin [Jonna] Packer, Kristen [Ellis] Bosveld, Jessica [Ryan] Avera, Megan [Blair] Allen, Clayton Wilson, and their children. Moria is also survived by her four legged friends, Rhea, C**t, Pumpkin and Boo.

Moria’s service will be held at Hope Valley Baptist Church in Durham on Friday June, 19th. Visitation will begin at 2 and the service will begin at 3.

The Packer family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service.

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06/17/2026

Frank Guevara Castillo

DURHAM, NC – Frank G Castillo, age 82, passed to the arms of our Lord on June 9th, 2026. He was born in San Antonio on April 1st, 1944, to the loving arms of the late Francisco and Maria de la Luz Castillo.

Frank enlisted in the US Army and attended basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood and Advanced training at Fort Polk. He attended airborne school at Fort Benning followed by the Parachute Rigger course at Fort Lee.

After 30 years of outstanding service, he retired on June 1, 1992, with honor as a Command Sergeant Major. He retired from active service at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, having given his career to the country he loved.

He was a Master Parachutist and Pathfinder, and a graduate of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. His service included combat duty in Vietnam and Southwest Asia, and over the course of his career he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and numerous other decorations and badges recognizing his courage and devotion to duty.

But for Frank, his truest mission in life was the family he spent his life building. Every Sunday, he could be found at Mass, and he was happiest surrounded by his grandchildren. He had a way of turning strangers into friends — whether it was the men he served alongside in the Army or someone he met in the community — and he was loved by everyone fortunate enough to know him.

Frank is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Irma Castillo; his daughters, Roxy Steiner and Julie Scott, along with her husband Todd; his grandchildren, Caroline Andrews, Lyndsay Estroff, Alexander Scott, Bailey Scott, Olivia Scott, Joseph Steiner, and Carson Steiner; cherished great-grandchildren Bodi Andrews, Landon Estroff, and Greyson Estroff. Frank is also survived by his sisters, Guadalupe Garcia and Toni Lozano.

In addition to his parents, Frank is preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Felecia Ann Castillo; and his brothers, Alfonso Castillo, Francisco Zapata, and Daniel Zapata.

A period of public visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 17th from 5:00-7:00 PM at Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, 1113 W. Main St., Durham, NC.

A funeral mass will take place at 11:00 AM on Thursday, June 18th, 2026 at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 804 High House Road, Cary, NC with burial to follow the mass at Raleigh Memorial Park, 7501 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions in Frank’s memory be made to the Disabled American Veterans (Memorial Gifts) or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Castillo family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences: www.hallwynne.com – select obituaries

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06/16/2026

Dr. Robert Edward Cross, Ph.D., DABCC

Dr. Robert Edward Cross, a distinguished toxicologist and professor, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2026, at Brookdale of Cary, in Cary, North Carolina. He was 83 years old. Born on July 24, 1942, in Toledo, Ohio, he was the son of the late Norbert and Florence Cross.

Dr. Cross earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Toledo in 1965, his M.S. in Organic Chemistry in 1967, and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Florida in 1971. Following postdoctoral appointments at Pennsylvania State University and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, he joined the UNC faculty in 1974 — the beginning of a 26-year career at UNC that would define his life’s work.

During his tenure at UNC, Dr. Cross served as Director of the Toxicology/Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory at UNC Hospitals and Director and Associate Director of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratories. He rose to Professor in the Departments of Pathology and Medicine at UNC School of Medicine, and upon his retirement in 1998, he was honored with the title of Emeritus Professor.

A board-certified clinical chemist and toxicologist through the American Board of Clinical Chemistry, Dr. Cross served as Vice-President and ultimately President of that organization from 1992 to 1994. He was a Fellow of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry and held memberships in numerous professional organizations, including the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, the Society of Toxicology, and the American Chemical Society. He was the recipient of multiple honors, including the Phillip M. Blatt Award for Excellence in Teaching Laboratory Medicine (1985, 1991, and 1997) and listings in Who’s Who in the World, American Men and Women of Science, and Distinguished Leaders in Health Care.

Dr. Cross’s expertise extended well beyond the laboratory. As a medicolegal consultant and expert witness in toxicology, he served in approximately 250 civil and criminal cases over the course of his career. Among the most notable was his pivotal role in the prosecution of Blanche Taylor Moore, North Carolina’s infamous “Black Widow.” In 1989, Dr. Cross and his colleagues at UNC identified catastrophic levels of arsenic in the Reverend Dwight Moore — a diagnosis that saved the minister’s life and directly triggered the criminal investigation that would ultimately lead to Moore’s conviction for murder and a sentence of death. Dr. Cross went on to provide expert testimony at trial, helping the prosecution establish the clinical hallmarks of arsenic poisoning and demonstrate a patterned method of killing.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Cross spent decades training medical students, pathology residents, pharmacy students, and clinical chemistry fellows. He authored or presented more than 150 publications in toxicology and clinical chemistry and contributed to editorial boards of several leading scientific journals.

Beyond his professional life, Robert was a man of deep faith, warm traditions, and steadfast loyalties. A devoted Catholic, he served as a Minister of Holy Communion, bringing the Eucharist to hospitalized patients who could not attend Mass — a ministry that reflected both his faith and his lifelong commitment to caring for others. On autumn Saturdays, Robert could reliably be found in front of the television, cheering on his beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish — a game-day ritual he never willingly missed. He and Eileen also cherished their regular escapes to Carolina Beach, where the two of them would spend peaceful hours fishing off the pier together.

In addition to his parents, Dr. Cross was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Julie Cross, who passed away at the age of five from leukemia — a loss the family carried with them always — and by his brother, Richard Cross.

Dr. Cross is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Eileen Cross; his daughters Laura Baker and her husband Wayne, Holly Apostolopoulos and her husband Spiros, and Jill Bobbitt and her husband Michael; his grandchildren Timothy, Justin, Ryan, and Robert Baker, Julia Apostolopoulos, and Jacob, Joshua, Madison, and Lillian Bobbitt; and his great-grandchildren Cayden, Johanna, Aubrey, and Chandler Baker.

Dr. Cross will be remembered as a man of exceptional intellect, compassion, unwavering professional integrity, and genuine dedication to his family and his career.

A period of visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Friday, June 19th, 2026 at Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, 1113 W. Main St., Durham, NC. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 3:30 PM on Saturday, June 20th, 2026 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 810 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC, with a committal service to follow at 12:00 PM on Sunday, June 21st, 2026 at Maplewood Cemetery, 6121 Duke University Rd., Durham, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Robert’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Cross family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences may be left at www.hallwynne.com — select obituaries.

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06/15/2026

Ruth Alison Leney-Midkiff

Ruth Alison Leney-Midkiff, aged 62, died on May 7, 2026. She was born on November 16, 1963, to the late George Leney and Arax (Tefankjian) Leney of Pittsburgh.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Ruth studied ballet from a very early age. While ballet was Ruth’s passion, she also earned a BA in French and a BA in Russian from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ruth married Andrew Midkiff May 16, 1992, in Pittsburgh before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan where Ruth then earned an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Michigan.

Ruth was a skilled teacher whose students went on to dance in major companies around the world. Her deep understanding of not just the how, but also the why of ballet movement came from her many teachers steeped in the Russian ballet tradition.

Ruth was also a talented choreographer who created over 50 pieces ranging from small studio pieces to full length ballets in styles ranging from Classical, and Neo-Classical to Contemporary and even experimental. She worked with companies in the US, mainly Regional Dance companies, as well as professionals in Hungary and Costa Rica.

Ruth was a dedicated sister, aunt, mother and a dear friend to many. She felt it important to keep in touch with her friends, many of whom she has known since early in her life. She leaves behind her family, a husband, Andrew Midkiff, son, Nathaniel Midkiff, two sisters, Sarah Firehammer and Janet Poetzinger along with her brother John Leney, as well as many dear friends around the world.

Ruth was taken from us far too soon and will be greatly missed, but her legacy, the beauty she created, the love she shared, and the caring she showed for her family, friends and students will live on for many, many years.

“We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.”

- T.S. Elliot

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06/10/2026

Carroll Franklin Taylor

Carroll Franklin Taylor, 90, of Durham, NC, passed away on May 21, 2026. Carroll was born August 21, 1935, in a mill village outside Gastonia, NC to Horace Smith Taylor and Flora Belle Ledford Taylor. His family moved to Gastonia in 1941 and subsequently to York, SC in 1947, where he graduated from high school in 1953.

Carroll enlisted in the Marines on July 21, 1953, and served three years on active duty, obtaining the rank of Sergeant after 22 months of service. He served five years in the stand-by reserves and was honorably discharged in 1961.

Carroll attended Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC for two years before transferring to the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1958. He graduated with a degree in business administration with an emphasis on accounting in 1960. While at USC, he met the love of his life, Harriet Marie Meade, a nursing student in Charleston, SC. They became engaged in 1959 and married September 17, 1960, in Salisbury, NC.

Carroll started his career in public accounting in Charlotte, NC with Arthur Anderson & Co. in July of 1960. He subsequently worked for Richard M. Hunter & Co., also in Charlotte and then A.M. Pullen & Co. in Columbia, SC. During this time, he and Harriet were blessed with a son, Jon, in 1962 and two daughters, Stella and Mary, in 1964 and 1965.

Carroll and his family moved to Durham, NC in 1967 where he became partner in 1969 with the firm, Ricca, Nelson, Gantt & Co. He and Harriet welcomed two more daughters, Karen and Susan, in 1968 and 1969. Carroll became a founding partner in his own company, Neal, Bradsher & Taylor in 1984. Carroll officially retired in 1998.

Carroll was a devoted and active member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He served as parish accountant, a school board member and was the chairman of the first Bishop’s Annual Appeal Program in 1979. After retirement, Carroll volunteered as a collection counter for a number of years.

Carroll’s family will remember him most as a loving husband and father whose kindness, support and generosity knew no bounds. Carroll loved watching sports of all kinds and was an avid UNC Tarheel basketball fan. He was also a voracious reader and enjoyed books on American history, especially The Civil War and World War II. Carroll loved swimming, visiting NC beaches and riding roller coasters with his kids. He was also a loving and proud grandfather to three grandsons who will carry on his sense of humor and good looks.

Carroll is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Harriet Taylor; son, Jon Taylor; daughters Stella Taylor, Karen (Daniel) Munson and Susan (Robert) Whitt and grandsons David Taylor, Gregory Taylor and Matthew Munson. He is preceded in death by a beloved daughter, Mary Carroll Foss; his parents, Horace and Belle Taylor; brothers Edwin Taylor and Hughbert Taylor; and sisters Juanita Lee, Annetta Medvidovich and Dianna Taylor.

A private graveside service will be held at St. Matthew’s Catholic Cemetery in Durham, NC.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Durham Rescue Mission at https://durhamrescuemission.org/.

06/09/2026

Montserrat Pilar Luisa de Fays Lopez

Sweet Montse, Gerald's cariño of 61+ years, mama & maman, grandmaman & abuela, hija & friend to many went home to the angels on Friday June 5th, 2026.

Montse was born in Montblanc, Tarragona, Spain on May 22nd, 1943, to Isabel and Eduardo. Her sister Madgalena and her cousin Juana were her first and forever friends. She spent her early years following in the footsteps of her father as a clockmaker at Relojeria López, and into her late years remained proud of knowing how every gear and spring fit into even the tiniest watch.

In the early 1960's a dashing foreigner started visiting Montblanc and when their eyes crossed on an evening walk, they fell in love at first sight. Montse did not speak a word of French, Gerald did not speak a word of Spanish or Catalan, but that was no deterrent for that stubborn girl. Gerald went back to Belgium, hit the Spanish books and started a long correspondence - letters still carefully conserved in her treasure box.

They married in Poblet on Tuesday May 11th, 1965, proudly defying the "en martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques" superstition. She wore a dress she handmade with her mom, forever resourceful, a great seamstress, as well talented at knitting and crocheting anything from scratch.

For a girl from a small Spanish village, she packed her 83 years with travel and adventure! The newlyweds first moved back to Belgium then London then Brussels again, Montse learning French and some (little...) English along the way, grocery shopping while pointing at words in her pocket dictionary. In Brussels, she was quickly adopted and well loved by Gerald's large extended family. Her children Alexia, Denis and Hélène kept her busy, and when Martine, Charles and Isabelle needed a new home, Gerald and Montse did not hesitate, doubling the fun and certainly the gray hairs. They built a larger house in Lot (Beersel), obsessing over every detail and working hands-on on so much of it. And then, because six children may not be enough... Mom's beloved baby Adrien completed the family.

Gerald’s work as an engineer took the family to the United States, to Kentucky and then Ohio, where Montse delighted her new American friends and neighbors with her foreign charm, her delicious food and crazy English she learned from watching soap operas.

In her 70’s her memory started messing with her - Alzheimer’s is a cruel and brutal disease. Montse and Gerald moved to North Carolina and her children helped Gerald love her and care for her until her end. Alexia in particular moved in with them for her last three years and held down the fort with support and visits from her siblings. Montse was so loved, showered with giggles and hugs and kissed until her last minute.

She was charming, silly, neurotic, creative, hard working, fiery, a consummate perfectionist, presumida, a great cook, opinionated, a steadfast friend, and helper. She was always busy-busy but also chronically late, ironic considering her clockmaker genes. More than anything, she LOVED fiercely, her family in particular, and taught her children well.

She will be dearly missed, by her husband Gerald, her children Adrien, Hélène, Denis, Alexia, Isabelle and Martine, as well as their spouses who she took on as her own children, Amanda, Abel, Dalila and Dave. And Carlos, who is also terribly missed, should be waiting to welcome her at the gates with his quick, hilarious jokes and infectious smile. And her ger grandchildren and her almost-grandchildren, she was crazy about them, Piper, Danica, Juno, Paloma, Eppa, Emile, Otto, Milo, Cloé, Stefan, Matias (and Malorie), Zoe, Odette, and Isolda.

In her last years, singing made her so happy, she will be remembered for her favorite, sung terribly off-key but with deep conviction in every word.

Adiós con el corazón, que con el alma no puedo

Al despedirme de ti, al despedirme, me muero

Tú serás el bien de mi vida, tú serás el bien de mi alma

Tú serás el pájaro pinto, que alegre canta por la mañana

Rest in peace beautiful Montse

Au revoir jolie maman

Hasta pronto mi vida

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06/09/2026

Frank Hilton Skidmore, Jr.

Frank H. Skidmore Jr. of Durham, NC died at his home in Croasdaile Village, April 20, 2025. He was 83. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Betsy) of the home, his brother Walter (Kathy) of Saugerties, NY, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Kenneth.

Born in Danbury, CT to Frank H. and Natalie E. Skidmore, Frank attended schools in Gettysburg, PA, where he was active in his church, school athletics, and Boy Scouts. He graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA with a degree in history and was a member of the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter of Chi Phi and president of Theta Alpha Phi honorary society. His college years were interrupted by military service. He was assigned to the US Army Counterintelligence Corps in Western Europe, where he received the Army Commendation Medal.

When he left military duty, Frank returned to Bucknell to continue his studies. He also resumed participation in the University Theater. His first role was as the husband in a Christmas Medieval Mystery play, with the wife played by Betsy, who became his wife in real life for the next 57 years. After completing his degree, Frank joined IBM in Kingston, NY. During his 35-year career he was located in Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Harrison, NY as well as Hursley, UK. At the time of his retirement, he was Managing Director of Global Services/Software at RTP, NC with a reputation for employee development and customer support.

His personal interests revolved around the environment, especially cold-water habitat. He created scholarships in citizenship and environmental studies at Ulster Community College (NY), University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and Elizabeth City State University (NC). He was a founding member of the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed (NY) Chapter of Trout Unlimited and a supporter of Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, UNC Press, American Museum of Fly Fishing, Catskill Center for Fly Fishing, and the Wild Trout Trust (UK). He was an avid fly fisherman and travelled to the highlights of the sport in Montana, California, Alaska, New Zealand, England, as well as his home streams in Pennsylvania, New York and North Carolina.

Frank also was greatly involved in supporting higher education. He was a Trustee at Ulster Community College (SUNY Ulster) in NY; an Emeritus Trustee at Elizabeth City State University in NC; and an Emeritus member of the Advisory Council of the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University in NC.

Frank will be remembered by those whose lives he touched for his positive outlook, his insightful and creative thinking, his willingness to help – and his belief that “help” is defined by the receiver. A private Celebration of Life will be held. Burial will be in Patterson, NY at a later date.

Memorials may be made to Duke HomeCare & Hospice, 12 Moore Drive, Suite 200, Durham, 27713 , or a charity of your choosing.

The family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service.

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06/03/2026

Pearl Zelda Halperin Levine

Pearl Zelda Halperin Levine, age 98, died overnight while visiting the beach with family in Emerald Isle on June 2, 2026. She was born February 1, 1928 to Sarah and Abraham Halperin. Her brothers Meyer and Jack, 12 and 8 years older, helped raise her.

Pearl spent the early years of her life in Red Bank, New Jersey. It was here that she first grew to love science, inspired by the laboratory her brothers set up in their apartment’s garage. An independent thinker, she also convinced her mother to defy convention and sew her a pair of pants.

She was homeschooled in her early years due to severe asthma and at age 16 her family relocated to Lynn, Massachusetts to access better medical care. There she attended high school, graduating class valedictorian in 1946. She went on to study at Simmons College where she majored in biology and chemistry, graduating in 1952. Shortly after, she met Samuel Levine who was beginning his PhD in chemistry, and they were married in 1953. Pearl and Sam moved to Durham in 1960 where she raised their four children for over 25 years.

Over the years Pearl worked at many labs. First, a phlebotomy lab at Boston University medical school where her brother got her a job before college, then a hospital in Princeton where she did x-rays and bloodwork. She went on to work at a hematology research lab at Walter Reed Army Hospital where she first authored a paper. She would proudly remember that her research was published before her husband’s. In Durham she worked for 12 years in the Gross Lab at the Division of Genetics Department of Biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center.

A rigorous thinker, Pearl was curious about the world and always appreciated the pursuit of knowledge. She loved art, especially classical music. She was incredibly principled. She cared deeply about politics and the direction of the world, but was persistently optimistic even in the face of setbacks. Her curiosity extended to anyone she met and she was unfailingly kind to everyone she encountered.

Pearl’s family and friends were at the center of her life. She was a consistent and steady presence for all those she loved –– there to help after the births of many babies, as support in illnesses, and with calm, practical, and compassionate advice. She was a lifelong member of Beth El Synagogue where she was a devoted member of the community. She was so beloved as a friend, mother, and grandmother.

Pearl is survived by her four children and their spouses: Cynthia Levine and her husband Eric Anderson, Amy Webberman and her husband Jerry, Beth Levine, and Kenny Levine. She is also survived by her four grandchildren: Rachel Webberman, Avi Webberman, Sam Reynolds-Levine, and Adam Reynolds-Levine. Pearl was preceded in death by her parents, Sarah and Abraham Halperin, and her brothers Meyer Halperin and Jack Halperin, and her husband Samuel Levine.

Services will be held at 11:00AM Friday, June 5 at Beth El Synagogue, 1004 Watts St, Durham 27701. Burial will follow at Durham Hebrew Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Doctors Without Boarders, give.doctorswithoutborders.org, HIAS, and Beth El Synagogue, 1004 Watts Street, Durham, NC 27701, www.betheldurham.org/payment.php

The family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, Inc.

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