City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Celia (Tia) Diane Zeek
Raleigh, North Carolina
Age 67.
Died 05/04/2026.
Tia was born in Tawas City, Michigan, on January 7, 1959. She spent much of her childhood traveling with her family, though her heart always remained in Hawaii, her favorite of the many places she called home. During her high school years in Texas, Tia’s vibrant personality and athleticism shone as a dedicated member of the Patriots Dance Team and the cheerleading squad. Despite her busy school life, her greatest devotion during those years was to her beloved horse, Nui.
Tia continued her passion for cheerleading at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, where she forged lifelong friendships and earned her B.A. in Communications. Following graduation, she began her career as a civilian for the U.S. Army. It was there that she met and fell in love with Edward Zeek II, whom she married in 1986.
The couple eventually settled in Wonder Lake, Illinois, where Tia dedicated herself to raising their two daughters while cultivating her artistic passions. With a gifted eye for stenciling, she was often sought out by friends and local businesses to bring her creative touch to their spaces. As her children grew, Tia’s ambition led her to pursue further studies, successfully pivoting into a fulfilling second career in hospital administration.
Most recently, Tia lived in Raleigh, North Carolina to be close to her sister. During her time in Raleigh, she became a proud homeowner and joyfully served as a greeter and Bible Study group member at The Summit Church.
With a spunky, outrageous sense of humor and a spirit that lit up every room, Tia made the world brighter just by being in it. She lived for connection, turning even the briefest encounters into meaningful friendships. As the cornerstone of her family’s traditions, she brought a touch of magic to every celebration. Above all, she was immensely proud of the life she built and the daughters she raised, leaving behind a legacy of love that will be felt for generations.
Tia is survived by her daughters, Alexandra Snyder (Jamie) and Madelyn Fleagle (Michael); three beautiful grandchildren, Jameson Snyder, Cecelia Snyder, and Devere Fleagle; her sister and brother-in-law, Tamra and Mark Miller; and her nephews, Dustin Miller (Cat), Nathan Miller (Maddie), and Luke Miller (Lauren).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 9th, at 10:00 A.M. EDT at Northridge Church, 7601 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh, NC 27615.
In lieu of flowers, donations to honor her memory may be made to FAR: The Foundation for Alcoholism Research at https://alcoholismresearch.org/.
The family expresses their deep gratitude to the staff at Transitions LifeCare, who gracefully guided them and their "TiTi" through this journey.
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.