Donald Graham Covalt

Donald “Donnie” Graham Covalt, 83, passed away on May 19, 2026, at the VA Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, surrounded by friends and family. He was born on August 17, 1942, at Rex Hospital in Wake County, North Carolina.

Donnie grew up in Cary, North Carolina, where his family owned and operated Covalt Safe and Vault Service. From a young age, he learned to garden, raise chickens, and work alongside his father in the family business, becoming a third generation locksmith.

As a young man, Donnie joined both the U.S. Navy and the Merchant Marines, serving aboard the USS Intrepid and traveling around the world twice. After his service, he returned home to care for his father and eventually took over the family business. Over the years, he worked in boiler rooms across Raleigh—including Meredith College—and held roles in roofing, tree work, blacksmithing, and machine work. Known as a true “jack of all trades,” Donnie became the person everyone could count on to ask, “What can I do or make for you?” or “What can I teach you?”

Donnie was preceded in death by his life partner and love of his life, Gisela Maria Cudney; his mother, Hilda Alice Senter Covalt; his father, Graham Duncan Covalt; and his sister, Norma Willis. He is survived by his sister, Helen Huskey; his nieces, Diane Thompson; great-nephew Mike Thompson and Donna Gaillard; great niece Alyse Gaillard; Brother in-law John Willis and his “claimed family,” Lacey McDougall, Adam Stiles, and their son, Theodore.

A man of many passions, Donnie enjoyed historical reenactments with the Frontiersmen, gunsmithing, teaching scuba diving at the YMCA, diving with his father, riding his motorcycle both at home and overseas in Morocco, beach combing, range shooting, engineering, auto mechanics, and especially blacksmithing with the NC ABANA. He was active in community events across the state, demonstrating metalwork and sharing his expertise with others. Teaching was one of his greatest joys, and countless people—young and old—benefited from his patient instruction and generous spirit.

Donnie was also known for his storytelling and his sense of humor. In his later years, he enjoyed reworking family recipes from Gisela, his mother Hilda, and his sister Norma. Above all, he loved teaching and tinkering—two pursuits that defined his life and the legacy he leaves behind.

He will be remembered as a man of his word, a gifted craftsman, a loyal friend, and someone with a contagious sense of humor and a big heart. As those who knew him often said, Donnie Covalt was one of the good ones.