Hazel Parks Coburn

One of six children of Sarah Jane Benton Parks and James Wood Parks, she was born in Seven Springs, North Carolina on August 14, 1925, and moved to New Bern with her family in 1929. She was a Charter Member of Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church, being among the first eleven members to be baptized when she was herself 11. She remained active at Neuse Forest until her 70s where she served as an Elder and received the Lifetime Membership Award from The Women of the Church, then as a member of Riverdale UMC. After attending Brinson Memorial School, she graduated from New Bern High School, Class of 1944.

On February 7, 1947, she married William Lester Coburn, Sr., with whom she had four children: Rita Kay Coburn Rice (LLoyd), Nola Lynn Coburn Cayton (Jimmy), William Lester Coburn Jr. (Holly Clark Coburn), and Sarah Elizabeth Coburn. She will be remembered fondly by her children, their spouses, her grandsons Matthew Scott Cayton and James Levi Cayton III; and great-grandchildren William Alexander Cayton, Jeremy Parks Cayton, and Eva Lessig Cayton.

She was predeceased by her husband, brothers Major, Gilbert, Jesse, and Stuart Parks, and her sister, Eleanor Parks Carrier.

She and her husband were avid campers in their later years, often spending several months of the year with their camping buddies in Virginia and Florida. She loved to quilt, play Bingo, and watch movies, as well as keeping up to date on local and national news. A faithful voter, she read about the candidates and chose her votes carefully.

A Service in Celebration of the Resurrection will be held at Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 2:00 pm. Visitation will be held Friday, June 9, 2023, from 4:00 - 7:00 at the home of Lynn and Jimmy Cayton, 109 Virginia Lane, Trent Woods, NC.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cottenfuneralhome.com for the Coburn family. Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of Hazel Coburn.