City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Richard Lee Williams - Rick
Cary, North Carolina
Age 56.
Died 08/28/2022.
In 2013 Rick was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In 2018, stage 4 colon cancer. Life dealt him a crappy hand. Didn’t matter. He pushed forward and lived the best he could. Never complained and he was never mad nor bitter.
Rick was a phenomenal golfer. He grew up playing at Raintree Country Club in Charlotte, NC. During the summers he would walk 18 holes in the morning, walk home for lunch, and walk another 18 in the afternoon. Rick won many area tournaments and club championships. He also played on South Mecklenburg High School’s golf team. He always said his handicap peaked at 15.
Up until November, he played golf most weekends. Even if he couldn’t get a full 18 in, just being on the course with his golf buddies was everything. After the round they would head to the Red Fox for lunch and a drink.
Rick truly loved being an engineer. In 1988, graduated from North Carolina State University in Electrical Engineering as Valedictorian. Afterwards, he obtained his Masters in Computer Engineering from NCSU, as well. Throughout school, he made only A’s. Never anything less. If anyone knew that about him it wasn’t because he told them. He was modest and humble.
His work at NVidia was fulfilling and a key part of him managing his illness. Rick was grateful for the NVidia and Lenovo teams and their constant support.
As a diehard Wolfpack fan, football and basketball games were always a priority. Rick had a blast at tailgates enjoying good bourbon, food, and friends. GO PACK!
Music was his go-to in any situation. No matter the mood or setting Rick would turn to his latest playlist. He had an eclectic mix of everything. Collective Soul, Rolling Stones, Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Rissi Palmer, Prince, Avett Brothers, AC/DC… too many to list. Rick's favorite song of all time was "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones. His most recent song of choice was "I’m a Ram" by Al Green. ❤️
Most of all, Rick loved and protected his family. The only thing that ever truly mattered in his life was his kids. Zach and Ashley were his pride and joy. He loved every dance recital, game, and school event. He raised them to be compassionate and humble. He always wanted the kids to make their own choices and pursue their own goals. They are the best of Rick. His presence is seen in Zach and Ashley.
Rick met his wife, Beth, of 33 years in a small bar on Western Blvd in Raleigh in March, 1988. Three months later he asked her to marry him. In another ten months they were married. Rick and Beth were the closest of friends for 34 years. They shared a deep connection that carried them through many ups and downs. To say they loved each other is an understatement. It was more than simply love.
Rick is predeceased by his mother, Annie Lee Williams, and father, Robert Lee Williams.
He leaves behind his wife, Elizabeth Caviness Williams; children, Zachary Steven Williams and Ashley Elizabeth Williams; sister, Patricia Ann Voyles and her husband, David; nephew, Joshua Steven Voyles.
A private Celebration of Life gathering will be planned.
For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.
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City of Oaks Cremation and Funeral Home is a full-service funeral home in Raleigh, serving all of North Carolina and beyond. We provide an alternative to costly funeral homes and every day we help families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and all over North Carolina make simple, affordable funeral arrangements.
Simply having to reach out to a funeral home can feel overwhelming. Our goal is to simplify the entire funeral home experience and make the process as easy as possible. We hope to eliminate any unnecessary surprises by publishing our total cost and the services we provide directly on our website. All of our obituaries are provided free of charge as a way to help families celebrate and commemorate the lives of their loved ones.
Our Promise
Apples to Apples
Just like all other licensed funeral homes in North Carolina, City of Oaks Cremation, LLC is regulated by the NC Board of Funeral Service.
The same laws that apply to the big corporate funeral homes also apply to the modest independently owned firms like ours. All crematories in North Carolina, regardless of who owns them, are inspected annually by the state and must adhere to the same rules and laws.
Genuine Care
We're committed to providing families within our community unsurpassed service before, during and after the time of loss.
Our staff will provide clear communication to your family through each step as we move forward from the original phone call notifying us of a death to the time we deliver the urn back to your family. We will treat your family with the utmost respect, as we honor the wishes of your loved one.
We promise to make this process affordable and as endurable as possible.
State Wide
Our Funeral Home is located in Wake County NC; however, we provide our services to families throughout the entire State.
Unlike other funeral homes, we don't charge an additional mileage fee. Regardless of what county you live in, we can help your family with making simple, affordable funeral arrangements. From Asheville to Wilmington, we're proud to help families statewide.
Our Services
$1196.75
Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. We include everything you need for a simple or direct cremation. Simple, affordable and reliable. We have not changed the cost of our direct cremation service since we opened City of Oaks in 2012.
$2875.66
We offer the option of choosing how you receive your loved ones remains. Selecting our Direct Cremation with Solidified Remains option is a beautiful way to transform cremated remains into 40-60 “stones” that you can hold.
$1917.84
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation option with onsite visitation. Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. Simple, affordable and reliable.
$2497.50
An immediate burial has the same end result as a traditional burial; however, we have eliminated the extra (sometimes unnecessary) services prior to getting to the cemetery. Not everyone wants an open casket for viewing or a limousine for the family. Despite the term immediate, we can move as fast as you need or as slow as you like. This option simply allows you to save money by eliminating some of the fancy extras at the funeral home.
$6081.48
We offer the same traditional funeral services as the big corporately owned funeral homes in the area; however, we cost about half the amount. You might consider a traditional funeral service if your family is looking for an open casket visitation, a traditional church service or a funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. A traditional funeral service can be altered to fit the needs of your family.
$3033.75
This establishment is one of a select number of funeral homes who meet the criteria for providing green funeral service by the Green Burial Council; a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainability in the field of funeral service. Our Green options allow for a funeral to take place without the use of toxic and non-biodegradable materials/chemicals.
$2640.59
As an alternative to traditional cremation, City of Oaks Funeral Home also offers Aquamation. The Aquamation process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.