As your daily local news source, 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com is also a place to share what’s important. Obituaries, births, weddings, engagements — if you would like to share it with our community, we’d be happy to help. If you’d like to submit an entry for this page, you can find our submissions form here, and by clicking the button below. Please — no press releases, event listings or promotions.
OBITUARIES
Dexter Romweber, Chapel Hill Music Legend, Passes Away at 57
One of the defining figures in Chapel Hill’s music scene is gone: rock legend Dexter Romweber passed away Friday, February 16, aged 57.
‘I Am,’ Now and Always: Remembering Lynn Swisher Spears
The local community is mourning the loss of Lynn Swisher Spears, a celebrated architect and musician who passed away in December at 69.
UNC, Basketball Community Share Memories and Messages After Eric Montross’ Death
The UNC community and basketball world shared an outpouring of grief and support on Monday after the news of Eric Montross — a former UNC men's basketball star and 1993 NCAA champion — dying from cancer. Montross, 52, was a major figure around the basketball program...
UNC Men’s Basketball Alumnus Eric Montross Dies at 52
Eric Montross, who won an NCAA title with the UNC men's basketball team in 1993 before serving as the team's radio analyst, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 52 years old. https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball/status/1736748559607677422 "To know Eric was...
Former Chapel Hill Mayor Joseph Nassif Dies at 90
Joseph Lee Nassif Sr., who once served as the mayor of Chapel Hill, died on September 2 according to his family. He was 90 years old. Nassif moved to Chapel Hill with his young family in 1964. He was elected in 1978 and served as the town's mayor for six years after...
Franklin Street Apparel Store ‘Shattered’ by Loss of Owners; Re-Opening Shuttered
For more than two decades, visitors to Franklin Street have likely walked past or wandered into the Classic Carolina store in downtown Chapel Hill. The locally-owned business that sells UNC fan apparel has recently been closed to revamp its branding and interior, and...
Orange County Business, Tourism Community Remembers Kim Tesoro
Kim Tesoro, a key figure in Orange County's tourism and business community, recently died after a battle with cancer and several members of the local business community each found ways to honor her after her passing. The Tesoro family shared news of Kim's death on...
Law Enforcement Community Mourns Death of Chapel Hill Police Officer After Crash
A Chapel Hill Police officer died in a car crash on Monday in Chatham County, with the department's announcement prompting support from local law enforcement officers and community members. The police department shared a message from Police Chief Celisa Lehew on...
On the Porch: A Conversation with Dr. Frank H. Russell, Part 1
This Week: Retired trauma surgeon Dr. Frank Russell has had a rich life befitting his 95 years. Time in the Navy, then medical school at UT in Memphis led to a surgical internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York City which preceded a 30 year professional practice. He’s a sailor who’s built several boats and an aviator who designed and built experimental aircraft. He also designed and built his “Valhalla” in Vermont. Two years ago he left to live with family in Pittsboro and has kept cognitively spry drawing and making models.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Durham Budget Director Dies in Orange County After Being Struck By Driver
An Efland motorist faces charges after striking and killing a bicyclist on Thursday morning, who was the City of Durham's budget director. John Allore was cycling along the two-lane Bradshaw Quarry Road near Orange Grove Road in southwestern Orange County when he was...
Orange County Community Holds Tribute to Remember John “Blackfeather” Jeffries
The Passmore Center in Hillsborough was standing room only on Sunday afternoon, as hundreds of people gathered to remember and honor John “Blackfeather” Jeffries.
Former Occaneechi Tribal Leader, Hillsborough Resident John Jeffries Dies
The former leader of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation's tribal council, John "Blackfeather" Jeffries, died earlier this week. A release on Thursday from the tribal nation — which is part of the Orange, Alamance and Caswell county communities — shared that...
Lafayette Ferguson Norton, Who Helped UNC Reach Its First College World Series, Dies at 83
Lafayette Ferguson Norton passed away on Sunday at the age of 83, after an extended battle with cancer. Born in Durham on February 17, 1939, Norton grew up in Raleigh and spent much of his time in North Carolina. Norton attended UNC as an English major, where he...
Founder of Prestigious UNC-Duke Scholarship Program Dies at 90
Julian Robertson, a billionaire hedge fund manager and the benefactor of a well-known scholarship program at Duke University and UNC, died on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Robertson told national media outlets the North Carolina native died in his New York home from...
Lisa Price, Wife of Longtime Congressman David, Dies in Chapel Hill
Lisa Price, the wife of U.S. Representative David Price and a longtime advocate within the Chapel Hill community, died on Thursday morning.
UNC Basketball Legend Lennie Rosenbluth Dies at 89
UNC men's basketball legend Lennie Rosenbluth passed away Saturday, the program announced on Twitter. He was 89 years old. https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball/status/1538243758705213442 Originally from The Bronx, N.Y., Rosenbluth became one of the finest players in...
Former UNC Basketball Player Ademola Okulaja Dies At 46
UNC basketball alumnus Ademola Okulaja, who played four seasons with the Tar Heels and appeared in two Final Fours, passed away Tuesday, the program confirmed on Twitter. Okulaja was 46 years old. https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball/status/1526633816231530497 Okulaja...
Report: Former Carrboro Mayor Robert Drakeford Dies
Robert Drakeford, the former mayor of Carrboro, died on Monday, according to a report from the town government. Carrboro shared a release Monday afternoon with the news, with a separate obituary confirming he was 77 years old. Drakeford, who went by "Bob" to many in...
Walter Dellinger, Influential Scholar and Lawyer, Dies at 80
Written by JONATHAN DREW and MARK SHERMAN Walter E. Dellinger, a constitutional scholar who argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court, served in top positions in the Justice Department and taught for decades at Duke University, died Wednesday. He was 80....
Bill Fairbanks, Founder of Carrburritos, Passes Away at 68
Bill Fairbanks, who founded Carrburritos in 1997 with his wife Gail, died Sunday at the age of 68 after a long battle with lung disease.
