City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Robert DiStefano
Raleigh, North Carolina
Age 88.
Died 02/12/2026.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Jan DiStefano, with whom he built a life rich in family, partnership, and purpose. Together, they founded and operated Heritage Advertising for 45 years, a testament to their shared determination, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit.
He is survived by his three loving children, Robert (Jenny, Anna, Kate), Tracy (Julio), Matthew (Cheri, Jackson, Sofia) who were the pride of his life. We are proud, honored and lucky to have been able to call him Dad.
Bob was a giant both in stature and in his passion for life. He was an avid golfer with 3 holes-in-one to his name, a dedicated fisherman, a skilled gardener, a creative cook, a champion ping pong player and a lifelong artist whose work captured his imagination and warmth. He served honorably in the Army National Guard. He was a terrible speller, a fact he fully embraced with humor, often shrugging it off with the same good-natured charm that endeared him to everyone he met. But above all he was a cherished friend. To meet him was to love him and never forget him.
Deeply committed to his Catholic faith, Bob lived guided by devotion, humility, and gratitude. His loyalty and integrity—to God, family and friends—was unshakeable.
A gifted athlete, Moose attended NC State University, where he became a leading scorer and rebounder for the Wolfpack. His talent and tenacity on the court led to him being drafted by the Boston Celtics, an accomplishment that remained a cherished point of pride throughout his life.
Bob was a man of tremendous heart—creative, funny, hardworking, and steadfast. He poured himself into every endeavor, every relationship, every moment. Those fortunate enough to know him carry with them memories of his strength, generosity, humor and gentle spirit.
We will carry with us our Dad’s life lessons and will do our best to honor his memory and spirit. He will be deeply missed and forever loved and we will cherish the time we had together.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the caregivers who went beyond just giving care and became family.
From the pages of our Dad’s prayer book:
“My hands were made to help my neighbor
My eyes were made to read God’s word
My feet were made to walk in His footsteps
My body is the temple of the Lord”
Our family will receive visitors at St. Francis of Assisi on Friday March 6th from 12:00-1:00. Mass will follow. A catered Celebration of Life will begin following the services at our family home.
St. Francis of Assisi
11401 Leesville Rd, Raleigh NC
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.