City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Michael John Leo Burgoyne
Raleigh, North Carolina
Age 64.
Died 06/17/2024.
Michael lived for many years in Metuchen, NJ where he attended Saint Francis of Assisi Elementary School and graduated from Saint Joseph’s High School in 1978. He served as an altar boy at Saint Francis of Assisi Church throughout his school years.
While at Saint Joseph’s, Michael distinguished himself as a track and field and cross country star, leading his school to the Conference and then State championships in 1977. He won numerous medals and accolades, particularly in the relay events.
Michael trained and served as an Emergency Medical Technician and later followed his passion for helping others to enroll at the Somerset School of Massage and Body Therapy. There, he earned his certification as a Licensed Body Massage Therapist.
In 1996, Michael moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, to pursue a career with Chiropractic Kinesiology Associates. There, he worked alongside the doctors and specialized in treating injuries and chronic musculoskeletal conditions. He earned a reputation for excellence and empathy in his time with the practice.
In Raleigh, Michael was a member of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church and a Knight for Chapter 2546 of the Knights of Columbus. It was also in Raleigh that he met his other half, Katherine Gurlin, and the two married in August of 2001. Michael, Kathy, and their treasured fur babies shared a life rich with joy and companionship until Kathy’s passing in May of 2012.
In addition to his wife, Michael is predeceased by his father Atty Leo Austin Burgoyne (July 27, 1973), his mother Anne Laurie Cadigan Burgoyne (March 20, 2008) and his eldest sister Laurie Anne Burgoyne Fahrer (September 21, 2002).
Michael is survived by his sister Lee-Ellen and her husband Alan Celeste, and nieces Cassidy, Kerian, and Brelyn Celeste of North Carolina; his sister Bethony and her husband Timothy Schreck, niece Heidi-Leigh and niece and goddaughter Holly Rose Schreck of New Jersey; and his niece and goddaughter Katie Leigh Fahrer Demeter and husband Robert Demeter, and their daughter Lauryn Marie Demeter; and his nephew Dan and wife Jayme Fahrer.
Michael was very close to his huge family of cousins in New England including the Quinlans, the Moloneys, and the Burgoynes. His dearest friends and chosen family include Donald Lamb and Maryanne Bechtold Clark of New Jersey and Paul Meder of North Carolina.
Above all else, Michael loved the Lord. Strong, honest and steadfast, he endeavored to be the hands and feet of Jesus in everything he did.
Everyone’s favorite neighbor, an avid dog lover, and a friend to all, Michael will be remembered for his bold, infectious spirit, his fierce loyalty to those he loved, and his ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Michael will be laid to rest in Saint Patrick’s Cemetery alongside his family in Lowell, MA in September.
The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
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.