City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation

Obituary
Thomas Markulin

Cary, North Carolina

Age 94.
Died 05/12/2023.

Thomas Markulin
Thomas Markulin died peacefully on May 12, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. He was 94 years old.
Tom was born at home in Forbes Road, PA, in 1928, second to last in the birth order of nine children. For many years he kept it hidden from his children that his nickname was Punkins. He graduated from Greensburg High School and that same year he was drafted into the Navy and served until the end of WWII. With the help of the GI Bill, he started College at the University of Michigan but later transferred to Penn State University to be near family. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He moved to upstate NY and began working for IBM as a computer programmer, one of the first to work in programming at IBM. Around that time, he met and married the love of his life, Ellen, whom he regularly called "Dear." They bought a home in Owego, NY, which was the home of John D. Rockefeller’s Grandfather. Eventually, they moved to other homes as the family grew. After many years, he transferred to Raleigh, NC, where he retired from IBM in 1990. Shortly after this, he began working at Bentwinds Golf and Country Club. After working there for 20 years, he really retired from the workforce.
Dad was a member of the Catholic Church, and we saw how he lived out his faith in the way he lived his life and loved his family. He was a lifelong learner, taking classes in upholstery, woodworking, stained glass, and later golf club making and repair. All these produced works of art that we still enjoy today. Dad loved to get good bargains and not pay full price for anything. No matter where he went, he was always well-dressed, neat, and clean-shaven. The things Dad loved most were his wife, family, and friends. He took many pictures over the years to prove that, as well as many reels of slides.
His favorite things to do were golfing, both playing golf and watching golf; not only was he a good player but also an excellent teacher too, (He could spot the good players from the choppers), cheering for the Penn State Nittany Lions, especially football, and Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins too; watching old black and white movies; listening to classical music, reading Western or Mystery novels. He loved good jokes and funny stories to both hear and share. You always knew where you stood with Dad. He shot it straight when telling you how he felt about something.
We will remember Dad for his fun-loving, quick-witted responses and gentle spirit. What we will miss the most is his larger-than-life smile.
He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Ellen, and His children: Thomas (Tricia), Barbara Dunay (Jim), Kathy Levi, & Carol Harris (Greg). And nine grandchildren: Owen, Selah & Jared Markulin, Jonathan Dunay, Summer & Matthew Levi, Jordan, Jeremy & Brooke Harris. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased in death by his parents, John and Barbara Markulin, and his eight brothers and sisters: John (Sparky), Nicholas( Mac), Frances (Francy), Joseph(Kelly), Kay(Kayda) Vidunas, Mary (Doll)Falcon, Helen (Yea) Markulin, Rose Malec.
Any written expressions of condolences are greatly appreciated, and those who want to honor Tom's life can donate to:
https://www.transitionslifecare.org/donate/ or your local Hospice.
We will have a private family celebration of Tom's life on August 5, 2023.

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

icon
Direct Cremation

$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.

icon
Cremation with Solidified Remains

$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.

icon
Cremation with Visitation

$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.

icon
Immediate Burial

$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.

icon
Traditional Funeral

$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.

icon
Green Burial

$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.

icon
Aquamation

$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.

City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations