All Obituaries

William B. “Buddy” Taylor, 88, of Kinston passed away peacefully Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at UNC Lenoir Hospital.  He is preceded in death by wife Clara Suggs Taylor; parents Calvin and Taffie Taylor; sister Jeanette Taylor Noble; brothers Tom Taylor and Henry Taylor; nephew Joey Taylor; and longtime friend & employee Gail Holden Ottinger.  Buddy was a very loving husband, father, and “Papa Buddy”. Many family and friends knew him as “Uncle...

Barbara Earle Ives Robinson, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2023, at the age of 81. Her warm and loving spirit touched the lives of many, and her presence will be deeply missed. Barbara was born on July 31, 1941, in Newport News, Virginia, to Robert Pugh Ives and Margie Langston Pratt. She was later raised by her devoted grandparents, George and Rose Ella Langston of Kinston, North...

Bobby Ray Moore, 78, of Kinston, passed away at home on May 25, 2023. He was predeceased by his mother, Christine Moody; brother, Jimmie Moore; sister, Mary Hurst; and granddaughter, Heather N. Wyckoff Bobby was a manager for 42 years for S.T. Wooten and loved going to yard sales and doing yard work. He also loved ATVs. Bobby's dogs were very special to him. He also loved NASCAR and his favorite driver Kyle Larson. Left to cherish Bobby's memory is his wife of 47 years, Brenda...

Inez Wheeler Coombs, 92,  passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2023.  She was born in Duplin County on December 18, 1930, the seventh of nine children of Preston F. and Mollie Rivenbark Wheeler.  For 56 years she was devoted to and loved by her late husband, Pompey A. Coombs, Sr.  She raised three children, Lynda (Neal) Padgett of Burgaw, Donna (Bill, deceased)  Robinson of Ernul and P.A. “Toby” (Frances) Coombs, Jr. of Kinston. Her great joy was her role of...

John Wayne Smith, 84, of Kinston, passed away on Thursday, May 18, 2023.  

Robert Vincent Held, Sr., 54, of Kinston, passed away on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at UNC Lenoir Health Care. He was preceded in death by his great-grandmother, Sybil Loftin, and grandparents, Tate and Ouida Allison. Robert is survived by his wife, Linda Conner Held, of the home; mother, Pamela Allison, of Kinston; daughters, Samantha Gaston of Beulaville and Taylor Szymanski of Jacksonville; sons, Robert Vincent Held, Jr. of Deep Run and Hunter Tate Held of Kinston; grandchildren, Kaden...

David Nelson Phillips, Jr., 45, of Dover, passed away on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, David Nelson Phillips, Sr. and grandmother, Mattie Mae Ritz. David was a fun-loving guy who was always willing to help a friend in need. He is survived by his mother, Mary Ann Phillips, of the home; sister, Ann Blake and husband, Keith, of Wilmington; nephew, Chris Blake, of Wilmington; his family of Wal-Mart co-workers, many numerous cousins and other close...

Robert Murray Hill, Sr., 88, of Kinston, passed away on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at his home.  He is survived by his wife, Tessie Byrd Hill, of the home; sons, Robert Murray Hill, Jr. and wife, Susan, of Williston, NC, Scotty Hill and wife, Jody, of Kinston, and Johnny Hill and wife, Beth, of Idaho; stepsons, James Hill and wife, Linda, of Clayton, and Rusty Hill of Swansboro; 14 grandchildren, and many other close family and friends.

William Albert “Al” Carlin, 65, of Kinston, passed away on Friday, May 12, 2023 at UNC Lenoir Health Care. He was preceded in death by his father, James William Carlin, and nephew, Brandon Bodsford. Al worked as an Education Development Assistant at Caswell Center for over 28 years before retirement. He enjoyed his job immensely and wanted to impact the world and change the way that others viewed individuals with special needs. He took great pride in his fellowship as a Mason at...

John Francis Bolter, age 72, a native of San Francisco, longtime resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and currently Wilmington, NC, died May 10, 2023 from Alzheimer’s disease. He was born in 1950 in San Francisco, CA to Oila Larsen Bolter and Bernard John Bolter. He was a Vietnam era veteran, serving as a corpsman for the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1974, at Balboa Hospital in San Diego, CA and on the USS Ticonderoga.  He then entered University of California, Berkeley where he...