DURHAM: Ronda Truett Stell, 65, passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at her home in Durham surrounded by her family after a long and courageous fight against cancer. She was born in Cumberland Co., NC to Christel Truett and the late Karl Neil Truett.

Growing up, Ronda lived in multiple states across the US and in Germany as her family moved with her career military father. They eventually settled in McDowell County, NC. Ronda graduated from McDowell High School. She attended Western Piedmont Community College earning a degree as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Ronda worked in the laboratory at Watauga Hospital in Boone, NC for many years. She met her husband, Tracy Stell, in Boone where they were married on November 23, 1991, at Three Forks Baptist Church. Their marriage was a thirty-four-year union of love and devotion to each other. Ronda loved the mountains and always wanted to return to them and make them her forever home.

Ronda and Tracy relocated to Durham, NC where she worked for thirty more years in the Transfusion Services Department of Duke Regional Hospital. While at Duke, Ronda graduated from Winston Salem State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Labatory Science. Ronda was passionate about her work in the laboratory, patient care, as well as teaching and mentoring her peers, physicians, and nurses. Ronda made many forever friends during her lab career.

She was even more passionate about her family, her friends, her faith, and all her pets. Ronda loved playing softball, roller skating, traveling, crafting, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, tennis, the beach, and of course, the mountains of NC. Ronda loved Cameron and being his mom. She was very involved in the PTA and a frequent chaperone on school field trips.

In addition to her mother, Mrs. Stell is survived by her husband, Tracy Stell; son, Cameron Stell; sister, Lorrie Truett; and several cousins. She is also survived by her very best friend Georgia Potter and her three children (Jody, TJ, and Pam) who were like a niece and nephews to her.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, August 5th at Clements Funeral Chapel in Durham. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 12:30 to 2:00 pm at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, August 6th at Mount Lawn Memorial Park and Gardens in Boone, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the SPCA of Wake County, 200 Petfinder Lane, Raleigh, NC 27603. Spcawake.org.

The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. in Durham. Online condolences may be sent to www.clementsfuneralservice.com .

Obituary courtesy of Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service.