City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation

Obituary
Gerald “Jerry” Leigh Evenson

Holly Springs, North Carolina

Age 82.
Died 04/27/2026.

Gerald “Jerry” Leigh Evenson
Gerald “Jerry” Leigh Evenson was born on June 21, 1943, to Martin and Lena (Diseth) Evenson in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He passed peacefully on April 27, 2026, after a brief but aggressive battle with cancer.

Jerry attended Lincoln Elementary School and South Junior High before graduating from Grand Forks Central High School in 1961. A gifted athlete, he excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He went on to attend the University of North Dakota on a football scholarship, where he majored in Physical Education.

In his younger years, Jerry enjoyed fishing, hunting, and sports—passions he shared with his family. He took great pride in his loved ones and never missed a chance to decorate for the holidays or plan a trip to Disney. Being called “Dad” was one of his greatest joys, second only to the cherished title of “Dah” (grandpa). Over the years, he shared countless stories from his time in the Army, his service as a Ventura County Sheriff, and his football accomplishments. He remains ranked among the top 100 athletes at the University of North Dakota.

Jerry is survived by his daughters, Sara Evenson and Susanne Fedchenko (Daniel); his granddaughter, Lennox Fedchenko; his former wife, Shirley Hertel; his siblings, Byron Evenson and Debra Evenson; as well as dear friends and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his infant sister, Alma Evenson; his sister, Alice Evenson Syrstad; and his brothers, Mervin Evenson, Ronald Evenson, and Martin “Duke” Evenson, Jr.

In keeping with Jerry’s wishes, there will be no formal services. Instead, his life will be honored by raising a glass at his favorite local brewery. Details will be shared at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to one of the charities listed below.

University of North Dakota Alumni Association - Athletics Department. Please note "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" Jerry Evenson Class of 1965 in the Comment field.

North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission. Please note "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" Jerry Evenson in the Notes field.

UNC Basnight Cancer Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Support Program Fund. Please note "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" Jerry Evenson in the Tribute field.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Cremation with Private Family Viewing

$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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Alkaline Hydrolysis

$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.

City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations