City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Calvin S. Powers
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Age 59.
Died 03/02/2024.
Calvin S. Powers, age 59, of Hillsborough, passed away on March 2, 2024 after a short illness. Born in Beaumont, Texas on May 29, 1964, Calvin was the son of Charles and the late Jean (Smith) Powers. He attended East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte and Texas A&M University, graduating in 1986 with a degree in Computer Science.
Calvin had a long and illustrious career with IBM in North Carolina, beginning with computer programming and internetworking, then moving into cryptography and security, and ending with media production. He was one of a vanishing breed who spends his entire adult career with the same company, retiring from IBM in 2019 after 33 years of service.
But Calvin almost always had a “side hustle” going on. He began as a radio DJ in 2002 with Duke University’s WXDU, working the Saturday 3–5 am slot. He went on to have regular slots at more reasonable hours at Carrboro’s community radio station, WCOM, and Hillsborough’s new community station, WHUP, broadcasting Taproot Radio “from above the Dual Supply Hardware Store on King Street.” At the same time, Calvin became a podcaster with his Americana Music Show, playing “hand-picked, road-tested, American music.” Over the course of his decades in radio and 500 episodes of the AMS, he did countless interviews with up-and-coming musical acts, and some pretty big names, too.
It was through Calvin’s long-standing love of science fiction (and the maneuvering of some friends) that he met his wife, Pat French, in 2008. He introduced her to the world of conventions and fandom, and she introduced him to Battlestar Galactica. The rest was history. Other activities they shared included hiking, board games, traveling, and photography.
Besides Pat, Calvin is survived by his father Charles K. Powers and stepmother Judith Fahl of Charlotte, North Carolina; his sister and brother-in-law Cassandra and Erik Johnson of Coppell, Texas; stepdaughters Elizabeth McQuarrie and Katherine Williams and their families; and nephews Spencer and Garrett Johnson. For those wishing to do so, please consider memorial donations in Calvin’s name to the Kidney Foundation, American Diabetes Association, and Meals On Wheels.
Letting Calvin have the last word seems appropriate: “I’m a DIY media mogul (in my own mind), an experienced podcaster, a beginner photographer & videographer, a hack writer, a loiterer in third places, a hiker of trails, a gafiated SF fan, a roots music enthusiast, a strategy game geek, and an all-in husband.” He will be sorely missed.
For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.
You can share this obituary using the following address, or click the button below to share on Facebook.
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.