Honestly, when you're looking for boles funeral home & crematory obituaries, you aren't just looking for a name and a date. You’re looking for a person. Maybe it’s a neighbor from Southern Pines you haven't seen in years, or a veteran from Pinehurst whose story deserves more than a passing glance.
In Moore County, the Boles name is basically an institution. Jamie Boles started this whole thing back in 1984. Since then, the funeral home has grown from a single spot in Southern Pines to a network that covers Seven Lakes, Pinehurst, and Sanford. They’ve even got the Boles-Biggs branch over in Lumberton.
But here’s the thing: most people think an obituary is just a final "notice of death." It’s actually way more than that. It’s a digital archive of a community's history.
The Reality of Searching for Moore County Obituaries
If you’ve ever tried to find a specific person on the Boles website, you know it can be a bit of a whirlwind. People often get frustrated because they can’t find a listing from three years ago on the main page.
The main site, bolesfuneralhome.com, usually highlights the "Last 30 Days" or "Last 60 Days" by default. If you’re looking for someone like Charlotte Hayes or Philip Reece Parsons—both of whom passed in early 2026—you’ll see them right at the top. But for older records, you’ve gotta use that "Advanced Search" feature.
It’s not just about the text, either.
The Boles family—including General Manager Marsha Southers and long-time staff like Ben Matthews—have built the site to be interactive.
You can:
- Post "Tribute Wall" messages (sorta like a digital guestbook).
- Send flowers directly to the service.
- Subscribe to email alerts so you don't miss a local passing.
Why the "Crematory" Part of the Name Actually Matters
A lot of people see "Boles Funeral Home & Crematory" and think the cremation part is just a side business. It’s not. Jamie Boles is a Certified Crematory Operator. They actually own and operate Longleaf Crematory right there in Southern Pines.
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Why does that matter to you?
Well, it means your loved one never actually leaves their care. In many other funeral homes, they "contract out" the cremation. Your loved one gets put in a van and driven to a different county to a facility you’ve never seen.
At Boles, it stays in-house.
They even have the Good Shepherd Pet Crematory & Cemetery in Seven Lakes. If you’re a pet person, you know that losing a dog or cat feels pretty much the same as losing a human family member. Emily Boles manages that side of things, and they treat those pets with the exact same dignity.
What Most People Get Wrong About Costs
Let’s talk money for a second, because nobody likes to, but everyone needs to. People often assume that the "obituary" is a free service provided by the funeral home.
Kinda.
Boles will host the obituary on their website for free. That’s standard. But if you want that same obituary to appear in the The Pilot or The Fayetteville Observer, those newspapers charge by the line. Boles calls these "Cash Disbursements." Basically, they pay the newspaper on your behalf to save you the headache, then just put it on your final bill without a markup.
It’s a convenience thing, but it can catch people off guard when the "newspaper notice" line item shows up as several hundred dollars.
How to Find a Specific Obituary Right Now
If you are looking for someone right this second, don't just Google the name. The search engines can be slow to index new deaths.
- Go directly to the Boles Obituary Listing page.
- Use the "Serving Location" filter. If they lived in Seven Lakes, check the Seven Lakes filter first.
- If the name doesn't pop up, try just the last name. Sometimes middle initials or nicknames (like "Dick" for Richard McGowen) can mess up a specific search.
The Human Element: More Than Just a Website
You might see names like Mike St. Onge or Denise Grandolfo on the staff list. These aren't just corporate employees. Mike, for instance, is the Chief of the Eagle Springs Fire Department.
This is what makes boles funeral home & crematory obituaries feel different from the ones you find on big national conglomerate sites like Legacy.com. The people writing these entries, or at least helping the families write them, are the same people you see at the grocery store in Aberdeen or at a football game in Southern Pines.
They’ve seen the community change. They remember when the Southern Pines location was the only one. They understand that a 91-year-old veteran like Philip Parsons deserves a different kind of tribute than a younger person.
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Actionable Steps for Families
If you’re currently tasked with handling arrangements or searching for a record, here is what you should actually do:
- Check the "Tribute Wall": Sometimes the best stories aren't in the official obituary; they’re in the comments left by high school friends or old coworkers.
- Request a Price List: By law, they have to give you a General Price List (GPL) if you ask. Boles is pretty transparent about this, but it’s always good to have the paper copy.
- Look into Pre-Planning: Denise Grandolfo is one of their main pre-arrangement counselors. You can actually write your own obituary ahead of time. It sounds macabre, but honestly? It saves your kids from having to guess your favorite hobbies or middle name while they’re grieving.
- Use the "Get Notifications" tool: If you want to keep up with the Moore County community, sign up for the email alerts. It’s the easiest way to stay connected without having to check the site every day.
Whether you're looking for a specific service date or just trying to remember a friend, the Boles digital archive is probably the most complete record of Moore County’s history you’re going to find.