Arthur "Art" Saraphis

Art Saraphis passed away peacefully, on August 24, 2026, at the age of 89. Two of his sons, John and Steven, were at his bedside. Born in Washington, DC, Art was the son of the late Steven Saraphis and Lydia Hall Saraphis.

Art was born February 18, 1937, and lived a full life. He was a man of strong and thoughtful faith - in his God, his country, and his church. He spent 30 years in the US Navy, retired in 1985 and then had a 20-year career with Belk’s department store. He was an active member of St. Matthews Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and several US Navy organizations for retired military.

He and his wife, Rose Josephine Saraphis, who passed away in 2003, had five children - John, Joanne, Wayne, Kelly, and Steven. In addition to his children, Art is also survived by seven grandchildren - Caitlin, Peter, Sarah, Daniel, Abby, David, and Ryan.

In addition to his parents and wife, Art was preceded in death by his two sisters, Betty and Ruth.

Art was a generous and caring man and will be greatly missed by his family and by all those whose lives he touched.

A funeral Mass will be held for Art at 11:00 am on Thursday, September 3rd at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 1001 Mason Rd. Durham, NC 27712. The Rite of Committal will immediately follow Mass in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Durham Rescue Mission (www.durhamrescuemission.org) in Art’s memory.