City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Thomas "Allen" Wahab
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Age 82.
Died 02/14/2026.
He was born on March 15, 1943, in Norfolk, Virginia, to the late Job Wahab and Dorothy Swindell Wahab. Allen is survived by his devoted wife, Brenda; his daughters, Tammy Yates and Wendy Laing (Rob); his stepsons, Matt Chesson (Stephanie) and Randy Chesson (Jennifer); his sister, Annette Wahab; and his cherished grandchildren, Jordan (Kristyn), Tanner, Scott, Joey, Shannon (Michael), Chris, Evan, Aubrey, Jalyn, Raegan, and Peyton. He was especially blessed to welcome and spend time with his first great-grandchild, Presley. His family was the center of his life and his proudest accomplishment.
A gifted athlete, Allen played baseball and football at James Kenan High School in Warsaw, North Carolina, and was a proud member of the 1960 1A State Football Championship team. He attended Louisburg College before transferring to NC State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering in May 1970. A licensed Professional Engineer, Allen devoted his career to serving the citizens of North Carolina in the field of environmental engineering. He was a lifelong and passionate Wolfpack fan and loved attending NC State football and basketball games.
In February 2000, Allen was honored with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition of more than 30 years of distinguished service with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Bestowed by the Governor of North Carolina, this award recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the state. Even after retiring from state service, Allen continued his professional journey with The Wooten Company, demonstrating his lifelong dedication to his field.
Allen was a man of many talents and wide-ranging interests. He enjoyed woodworking, boating, fishing, and golf, and he could often be found repairing cars, playing guitar, or building and restoring furniture. Known for his quick wit and warm sense of humor, he once explained his approach to carving an intricate wooden duck by saying he simply removed anything that “doesn’t look like a duck.” As a member of the Washington Yacht and Country Club, he treasured time spent golfing and sharing laughter with friends. He was fortunate to play some of the country’s most renowned golf courses, including PTC Scottsdale, Kapalua Plantation, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Poppy Hills and Pinehurst#2.
After retirement, Allen and Brenda embraced adventure by purchasing motorcycles and exploring the open roads of North Carolina together. They shared a deep love of travel, visiting numerous states, marveling at the Grand Canyon and the beauty of Hawaii, and traveling abroad to Canada, South Africa, England, Scotland, and France.
In 2004, Allen realized a lifelong dream when he built a home on the Pamlico River—a place that quickly became a gathering spot filled with laughter, stories, and cherished family memories. His charisma, steady presence, and ability to bring joy to those around him will be deeply missed. Even as he faced Alzheimer’s, Allen continued to meet life with strength and grace, enjoying each moment as fully as he could.
The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the devoted sitters and caregivers who provided compassionate support to Allen and comfort to his loved ones during his final years.
A celebration of Allen’s life will be held at a future date along his beloved Pamlico River.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://donorservices.alz.org/login?form=FUNXAHXKQNE) or to Transitions LifeCare (https://www.transitionslifecare.org/donate/).
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.