Gary Rance Hurley, Jr., 43, left this world Friday, September 29th of 2017 at his home in Goldsboro after subcumbing to a lengthy battle with addiction.

A service to celebrate his life will be held Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 6 p.m. in the chapel of Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro with visitation to follow.

Born 10/19/73 in Thomasville, Georgia as the only son to Gloria Elaine Hurley and the late Gary Rance Hurley, Sr, he is survived by his mother and three sisters- Lisa Hurtado, Tonya Smith and husband, Robert, and Dee Hurley-Holmes and wife, Donna. Rance, as he was commonly called, also left behind his girlfriend and soul mate Robin Hill, as well as 13 adoring nieces and nephews.

Always the competitive spirit, Rance was a frequent spectator of professional and collegiate sports, particularly the NFL's 49er's and UNC's Carolina Tar Heels, respectively. He also enjoyed The Young and the Restless, table poker, and found pride in keeping the garden up to par. He found pleasure in talking to the younger generation, and was firm in his assertions that a mile in his shoes was not a path they wished to walk.

Rance's struggles mirror that of many seized by the lifeless grips of addiction, and he lived in a constant state of denial and doubt that prevented him from seeing himself as capable of exiting it's grasp. The love that he had for his family wasn't enough to combat the emptiness present in his mind, and he, like millions of other addicts in this world today, desperately and aggressively sought a filler for that void that never came. His search for peace came to a close one fateful Friday afternoon.

This obituary is not only dedicated to Rance's unfortunate end to his journey for closure, but to the countless others infested with the vile disease we know as addiction, and to the hopeful end of the social stigma that comes with substance dependency. It is with the family's utmost respect to the life and struggle of Rance Hurley that we share a message of understanding and patience, in hopes that those who  face a similar battle can turn towards a family of wise words and open arms, and fear not the ridicule and shame that has become so common in today's opinion of drug addiction.

 Service Information