Harold Wayne (Hal) Durham passed away on Sunday evening, August 18, surrounded by the love of his wife and daughters, after fighting a long battle with Alzheimers.
He was born August 7, 1940, in Roaring River, NC, the son of Conrad G and Nellie Stone Durham. He attended Pfeiffer University and served in the United States Air Force. After graduating from Moravian Theological Seminary he served a number of Moravian churches in North Carolina. In 1985 he entered clinical pastoral education training at the Hazelden Foundation in Center City, MN, and after finishing the course was named the director of their new Renewal Center, a continuing program for people in Twelve-Step Recovery. While there he developed that program and later conducted the same retreats in a number of European countries. After leaving Hazelden he continued to conduct Renewals overseas. He met so many wonderful people and continued to maintain friendships for the remainder of his life.
After moving to Idaho he continued to work in the recovery field and opened an out-patient practice working with Drug Court participants. After retiring from the practice he continued to travel overseas several times per year until he retired at the end of 2014.
He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years Nancy, his daughters Melissa Durham and Julie Durham McGrorty and her husband Victor, his grandchildren Grace McGrorty and Andy McGrorty and his wife Peggy, and his precious little 4 month old great grandson Roger. He is also survived by his remaining sister Margie Whitley and her husband Wayne of Kernersville, NC, and many loved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Mary Nell Chambers, Nina Stone and Shirley Jones.
Hal had requested that there be no formal services so his family will have a private celebration of his life which will certainly include his favorite – ice cream. We were fortunate in that we were
able to gather the week before he passed to celebrate him for his 84th birthday.
He will be loved and greatly missed by his family and everyone who shared his earthly journey.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or St. Jude’s Children Hospital.