Stephen Hardesty Powell

1948 - 2025

Stephen Hardesty Powell

May 15, 1948 - July 16, 2025

Raleigh, North Carolina - Stephen Hardesty Powell passed away peacefully in his home on July 16, 2025.

A native of Thomasville, NC, Steve graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 with a degree in Developmental Psychology.

Steve spent 27 years in the furniture industry in High Point, NC, where he sold high-end home furnishings to retail and design clients throughout the Carolinas and Virginia. In 1997, he joined Merrill Lynch in Greensboro, NC as a Financial Advisor, where he achieved the rank of Executive's Club in 2001. In 2003, he joined Morgan Stanley where he stayed until his retirement in 2017.

Steve moved to Raleigh after he retired to be closer to his two daughters who, along with his grandchildren (and his granddogs, Bizzy and Bird), were the loves of his life. A devoted father and grandfather, he was a steady presence at school performances, sporting events and even the occasional carpool line. Steve spent dedicated time with each of his grandchildren, treating them to the coveted special birthday lunch and bookstore trip with "Granddaddy." As an avid photographer, once having his own dark room, he always captured special family moments that will be treasured forever.

He is survived by his two daughters and their families; Ann McFarlen Powell and her children James and Lila Whitehurst, and Caroline Powell Donelan, husband Cushing, and their children Genevieve (Gigi), Hardesty (Hardy) and Leonardo (Leo) Donelan. He is also survived by his two brothers, Robert S. Powell of Princeton, NJ and Thomas Alexander Powell of Thomasville, NC, and their families.

Memorial services will be held at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury Road, Raleigh, NC, Friday, July 25th at 11:00 a.m.

Brown-Wynne, 300 St. Mary's Street in Raleigh, is serving the family