Jerry Lynn Soldi

Obituary For Jerry Lynn Soldi

Jerry Duff Soldi (Jerry Lynn Duff), or “Duffy” as her friends used to call her, passed away on Tuesday January 10, 2023 in Chapel Hill, NC at her beloved Walnut Hill farm. She was 89 years old. She was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and neighbor.

Jerry was born on April 25, 1933 to Willie Marie Melton and Lynn Alfred Duff in Lenoir City, TN. A part of the Silent Generation, she was the embodiment of hard work and dedication. She excelled at writing, accounting, and community engagement. She was a generous giver.

Jerry spent her early childhood in Lenoir City, TN until her family moved, along with Jerry’s Aunt Ella Jane Melton, to Burlington, NC to work in the textile mills. Jerry lost her father at the young age of four to Bacto Endocarditis. Her mother, Willie, was the head of the household until meeting and marrying Jerry’s beloved stepfather, Jesse Edward Broadstreet.

Jerry graduated from Burlington High School in 1952 and eventually moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 1954. She worked at the UNC placement office as the secretary to the Director for 13 years. She joined the newly formed Binkley Baptist Church in 1958, where she found a like-minded community dedicated to inclusiveness and social ministries. In 1964 she met her Italian neighbor, Angelaurelio Soldi, who came to this country in 1962. Jerry’s cocker spaniel, Jingles, brought them together as Angelaurelio was a lover of animals as well. They fell in love and were married the following year.

Shortly after, they purchased a farm in the New Hope Community where they raised two daughters, Marisa and Cristiana. Jerry chose Carolina Friends School for both girls from Kindergarten through High School and became very active at the school. She served on the school board for many years and successfully helped manage one of the school's largest fundraisers, the craft fair. She was also active in fundraising for the New Hope Volunteer Fire Department and worked in support of the New Hope Community Association. In 1979 Jerry became the Admissions Coordinator at Carol Woods, a new retirement community in Chapel Hill. Jerry assisted and advised people considering retiring at Carol Woods, befriending many of them. She nurtured the community through her ability to listen and help people find a home and adjust to their new life. She retired from Carol Woods in 1994.

It was to their farm and the surrounding community that Jerry brought her empathy for the land, its inhabitants, and the people. She felt at home and contributed to the cultural legacy of visiting neighbors and helping each other when times required it. There was hardly anyone that she didn’t know or take her daughters to visit. Jerry was always generous and answered when help was needed. When her grandson Nathan was born to her daughter Cristiana, she moved into their house and took care of him for many months. Jerry also provided daycare for her second grandson, Haydn, born to her other daughter, Marisa. A nurturing woman, she loved animals including the family’s dogs, cats, and horses. She was an avid reader, and she loved art and theater – especially the Playmakers Theater. She was an early foodie and sought out all the best restaurants and especially enjoyed ice cream. To share a bowl of ice cream with her meant happiness. She played the piano and sang beautifully in church. She could sew and make the best old-fashioned southern iced tea and buttered toast when her daughters were sick. Jerry was a lover of all genres of music, the UNC Tarheels, and frequented countless local stores where she never met a stranger.

She was preceded in death by her parents Willie M. and Lynn A. Duff of Lenoir City, TN, and stepfather Jesse E. Broadstreet of Burlington, NC. Jerry’s survivors include her loving husband, Angelaurelio, her grateful children Marisa S. Spurrell and husband John of Durham, NC, Cristiana S. Davis and husband Michael of Apex, NC; her grandchildren, Haydn Spurrell of Cary, NC, and Doriana Spurrell of Durham, NC; Nolan Davis of Apex, NC, and Nathan Davis and wife Brittany and great-grandchildren Owen and Asher Davis of West End, NC.

The family wishes to express its heartfelt appreciation to all the wonderful doctors and nurses of UNC Hospitals - Hillsborough Campus that gave reassuring and helpful medical advice and brought comfort. We would also like to thank Amedisys Hospice and Palliative Care for their competent assistance and gentle guidance. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations for Jerry D. Soldi be made to Carolina Friends School, Binkley Baptist Church, New Hope Volunteer Fire Department, Durham Rescue Mission, or any charity of choice.

A remembrance celebration will be held at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC on April 29, 2023 at 2:00 pm. Memories and condolences may be shared with the Soldi family via ElioSoldi@gmail.com.