Ella Grace Cecil

Ella Grace Cecil, 12, of Durham, passed away on March 13, 2026. Born in Durham, she was the beloved daughter of Kimberly Parham Cecil and her fiancé Brian Harvey, and Howard Bentley Cecil III. She is survived by her sister, Ava Paige Cecil and fiancé Hudson Faulkner; bonus sisters Oliva Alaina and Corinne Harvey; grandparents Evelyn and Benny Cecil and Linda and Kenneth Parham; and many cherished uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and teammates.

A sixth-grade student at Salem Middle School in Apex, Ella served as manager for the Salem Spartans Softball Team. She had a deep love for music, animals, and makeup, and found joy in coloring, making slime, and creating with CapCuts. She especially adored her pets—cats Coco and Callie, and dogs Oreo and Mito—spending countless happy hours with them.

Ella’s bright spirit shone through in life’s simple pleasures: shopping trips with her mom and grandma to Target and South Pointe Mall, visits to Starbucks and Panda Express, and rides through Efland to Randy’s Supermarket for her favorite SpongeBob SquarePants popsicle. She loved driving her 4-wheeler and go-cart, cheering for NC State, following the Carolina Hurricanes, and camping or swimming with her grandparents. Above all, she cherished every moment spent with her family and friends.