City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Joe Ivey Blackmon, Jr.
Greenville, North Carolina
Age 69.
Died 03/20/2024.
Joe Ivey Blackmon Jr., 69, of Greenville, NC died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Joe was born in Pensacola, Florida, to Joe Ivey Blackmon Sr. and Joyce Coffelt Blackmon on September 7, 1954. He was the oldest of four children. Joe served in the Army, stationed in Germany, before embarking on a career with the federal government that lasted over thirty years, eventually retiring as an environmental specialist for the Bureau of Land Management. While working, he attended Pensacola Junior College and the University of West Florida.
Joe was curious, adventurous, full of ideas and ever-changing interests. A mainstay was his love of music, always discovering new bands, and in later life, playing his mandolin. In his final days, he found joy listening to favorite songs with his family. Throughout his life he was passionate about long-distance running, rock carving, riding motorcycles, math, the American West, reading, his family, spicy food, and even during his last waking hours, ice cream. Joe was very proud of his children and grandchildren, and loved to sing their praises. He will be remembered for his impressive hair, ability to make a friend anywhere, the impact his sobriety and sponsorship had on countless people, and in his words, for doing “the best he could with what he had.”
Joe was preceded in death by his father, Joe Blackmon Sr.
Joe’s memory will live on with those who survive him: his mother, Joyce Coffelt Blackmon; his children, Aaron (Andy), Sarah Lips (Brian), Jesse (Heather Copley), and David (Crystal Cameron), and grandchildren Frances and Greta Lips; as well as siblings Bob (Mandy), Phil (Darlene), Christine Blackmon Huber, and many nieces and nephews. Additionally, he is survived by his dear companion, Karen Palmer. He cherished David McGhee, Steve Ghesquire, and Mark Howell, as well as many other friends the family has not yet met, but whose friendship Joe treasured.
The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff of WakeMed, especially the neuro department nurses and techs, resident doctors, and the palliative care team with Transitions Lifecare. Their compassionate care for Joe and the whole family will forever be appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s name to Transitions Lifecare or MusicMakers Foundation.
A small family graveside service will happen immediately, with a larger celebration of life to be planned at a later date.
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.