City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Lawrence "Mike" Westendorf
Raleigh, North Carolina
Age 74.
Died 04/29/2026.
Born November 11, 1951, in Oelwein, Iowa, to the late Evelyn and Loren Westendorf, Mike was one of twelve siblings and was of his generation: long hair, fast cars, a young outlaw who only slowed down when he met the love of his life, Nancy Chapman. For more than fifty years, from Oelwein, IA to Pontiac, IL to Raleigh, NC they built a family together.
A longtime superintendent with Jedco Construction, Mike loved his garden and the Neuse River, just across the woods from his favorite spot on the porch. He coached his daughters' softball teams, cheered as they built careers and businesses, and treasured time with his grandkids, often taking them fishing or entertaining them with stories too grown for their ears. He nicknamed nearly every person (and creature) he met, loved to laugh, and was endlessly devoted to Nancy and his girls.
Ashley and Lindsey will always remember their father for his humor, loyalty, and the pride he took in their accomplishments, his love of music and curious dance moves, his beloved Wolfpack, and, above all, the care and attention he gave their children.
Mike is survived by his wife Nancy; his daughters, Ashley and Lindsey; Ashley’s partner, Reggie; children, Lois and Janelle; and Lindsey’s partner, Greg, and their children, Weston, Greylin, Emerson, and Corbin. He was a proud and devoted Papa, and his love for his family was evident in everything he did. He is also survived by seven siblings. As Mike once said, the spirit of an old dog named Nutsack, who on quiet nights can still be heard plodding along the banks of the Neuse river, his grand namesake knocking between his knees.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m, at Seven Marks Church, 3500 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh, NC, 27616.
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.
$1596.75
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation with a private family viewing. A private family viewing allows up to 10 immediate family members or friends to spend time with a loved one when a public visitation is not preferred.
$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 offers Alkaline Hydrolysis. The Alkaline Hydrolysis process uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.