City of Oaks Cremation
Home
AboutOur TeamTestimonials
Direct CremationCremation with Solidified RemainsCremation & VisitationImmediate BurialGreen BurialTraditional FuneralAquamationGlass OrbFingerprint KeepsakesPlanting MemoriesUrn StoreFlower StoreMonumentsEspañol
Obituaries
Contact Us
Menu
Home
AboutOur TeamTestimonials
Direct CremationCremation with Solidified RemainsCremation & VisitationImmediate BurialGreen BurialTraditional FuneralAquamationGlass OrbFingerprint KeepsakesPlanting Memories↗Urn Store↗Flower Store↗Monuments↗Español
ObituariesContact Us

Footer

City of Oaks Cremation

We believe in practical, affordable solutions.

© 2026 City of Oaks Cremation, LLC. All rights reserved.

Website developed by Lyda Media"

City of Oaks Logo

City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations

Obituary
John Cohen Dilday

Fuquay Varina, North Carolina

Age 81.
Died 4/3/2025.

John Dilday, 81, passed away on April 3rd, 2025. He was born on October 24th, 1943 in Ahoskie, NC. He is survived by his loving wife, Gayle; sons, John Michael Dilday (Ann), Brian Dilday (Koryn), Mark Dilday; daughter, Teresa Scott (Brad); stepdaughters, Shannon Annas (Darrell) & Erin O'Sullivan; 15 grandchildren, Zachary, Ryan, Lydia, Kayce, Madyson, Camryn, Bryson, Levi, Paisley, Gracie, Carolina, Kylie, Kevin, Kayden, & Kinsley. Also survived by: brother, Joe Dilday (Brenda); sister, Alice Pruden, & several nieces. After attending East Carolina University for several years, John decided to put his feet on the yellow footprints at Camp Lejeune on February 21st, 1966. After his service in Vietnam & several other duty stations, he finished his tour at Quantico, where he proudly played football for the Corp (which he cheerfully recounted stories about throughout the years). Once a Marine, always a Marine, in 2011 he joined the Marine Corp League, & loved being a part of the camaraderie of his fellow Marines. He obtained the PDD rank in the Military Order of the Devil Dogs. As part of the Marine Corp League, he served in a number of positions over the years—Jr. Vice Commandant, Commandant (3 years), Central District Vice Commandant, Aide-De-Camp, & Chief of Staff for the State of North Carolina. He was awarded the Marine of the Year in 2016 for the Tar Heel Detachment. In his lifetime, he was an avid sports fan, a consummate storyteller, a cowboy movie enthusiast, & was always open to travel & new adventures. He never met a stranger, & was exceptionally outgoing & social by nature. John was a man of great honesty & integrity—values which guided him throughout his life, and now, his journey continues in the presence of his Savior. There will be a Memorial Celebration of Life, followed by an old-fashioned BBQ, per John’s wishes, in his backyard on May 17th, 2025 at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Capitol City Young Marines, which was a program very near & dear to John’s heart. Donations to: Cheryl Alston Capital City Young Marines 229 Redberry Drive Wendell NC, 27591 OR: PayPal ccym@capcityym.com

For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.


You can share this obituary using the following address, or click the button below to share on Facebook.

https://www.cityofoakscremation.com/obituaries/john-cohen-dilday
Share on Facebook
All Obituaries

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

Scale

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.

Handshake

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.

Map

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.