City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation

Obituary
DJ Coveleski

Wake Forest , North Carolina

Age 52.
Died 07/29/2025.

DJ Coveleski
Donald Joseph Coveleski, Jr., lovingly known as "DJ," passed away peacefully at his home in Wake Forest, North Carolina, on Tuesday, July 29th, 2025, at the age of 52.

DJ was a man of vibrant energy, deep compassion, and infectious charisma. Known for his quick wit and magnetic personality, he brought humor, light, and kindness into every room he entered.

DJ grew up in Vernon, NJ where he left a lasting impression making amazing friendships both on the courts and in school. He was known for including others, never hesitating to step out of the crowd and advocate for the underdog. A proud graduate of East Carolina University, DJ earned his nursing degree with the highest honors—Summa Cum Laude. After serving as an ICU and pediatric nurse, his passion for medicine didn’t stop at the bedside; he was deeply committed to the pursuit of medical research and advancement, always eager to be part of something that would help people far beyond the walls of a hospital.

DJ’s adventurous soul led him around the world, but his heart remained in Italy—his favorite place to explore. Whether traveling abroad, snowmobiling in Montana, surfing waves in Myrtle Beach, going on cruises with his family, or riding motorcycles with close friends, DJ lived for the thrill of the ride and the joy of shared experiences. Some of his most cherished moments were spent riding dirt bikes with his children or listening to music with them, creating original art pieces, and simply making others laugh. DJ’s greatest life love was Trey and Tessa, who carry forward his boundless energy, curiosity, and love for life. His adventurous spirit and compassionate heart live on in them—a lasting tribute to the extraordinary man he was.

He is survived by his children, Donald Joseph Coveleski, III “Trey” and Tessa Amy Coveleski as well as his parents, Don and Linda Coveleski, twin sisters Kristy Coveleski-Reed and Karen Coveleski, mother of his children Julie Coveleski Simpers, nephews Jacob, Jaxson, Brady and niece Lily, extended family and many friends.
A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held to honor DJ’s life and legacy on Thursday, August 7th at 3pm in Wakefield United Methodist Church, 10701 Common Oaks Drive, Raleigh NC, 27614
DJ will be profoundly missed and forever remembered for the love he gave, the lives he touched, and the joy he brought into the world.

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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Aquamation

$2640.59

As an alternative to traditional cremation, City of Oaks Funeral Home also offers Aquamation. The Aquamation process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.

City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations