Doris Mae Lilly
May 23, 1930 — January 30, 2023
Doris Mae Lilly, 92, of Yulee, formerly of Cape Carteret, NC, passed away January 30, 2023 at River City Rehab Skilled Nursing Facility in Jacksonville, FL.
She was born at home in 1930 to the late Chester Smith, a coal miner, and Lucy Houchins Smith in the coal mining town of Stotesbury, West Virginia. She grew up there, the youngest of five daughters, and had three younger brothers. She graduated from Stotesbury's Mark Twain High School in 1948 and then went to work at the company store.
She married her husband, Carlos H. Lilly, on April 7, 1951, and became the wife of a United States Marine. They were blessed with a daughter, Sandra, in February, 1952 and a son, Michael, in March, 1954. Both children were born in Beckley, WV while their father was stationed overseas in Japan. His miitary assignments took them to Camp Pendleton, CA; Norfolk, VA; Quantico, VA and Cherry Point, NC.
Doris and the children lived in Beckley, WV when Carlos was sent to serve in the Vietnam war in the mid 1960's. His final base assignment was at Camp LeJeune, NC. During this time she worked at the base exchange and would work in retail for the next ten years. After his retirement in 1968, they bought a home in Cape Carteret, NC. Her husband passed away in 2005.
She stayed in their home until September 2016 when, at 86, she moved to Florida to live with her daughter.
Due to age and vision issues, she was no longer able to drive a car, but still loved to go out to eat, watch television and enjoyed visits with her family. After a year and a half in FL, she moved to Lakes Crossing Assisted Living in Kingsland. She thoroughly enjoyed her independence again and her own small apartment. She made new friends, did crafts, enjoyed the many musical events they had and loved attending church there. She had a standing hair appointment each week. In 2021, she had to move to River City Rehab for health reasons, but was alert and feisty until her passing.
She loved animals, family, Pepsi, chocolate candy and Wheel of Fortune.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her son,
Michael and grandson, Michael Lilly, Jr.; her sisters Mary Frances Scott, Betty Puckett, Juanita Hylton and Pauline Clemons; and brothers Chester Smith, Jr., James Smith and Kenneth Smith.
Left to cherish her memory is her daughter and son-in-law Sandra and Bill
Ethier; grandchildren Victoria (Brad) Merideth and Katelyn (Evan)
McCarthy, great-grandchildren Grady McCarthy, Caleb Merideth and Ella McCarthy and many loving nieces, nephews and friends. She will be greatly missed but as a Christian she is now with her Heavenly Father.
The family would like to thank the nurses, CNAs, kitchen employees and other staff at River City Rehab and also Community Hospice for the loving care they provided to her.
No local service will be held but she will be laid to rest next to her husband at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville, NC.
She was born at home in 1930 to the late Chester Smith, a coal miner, and Lucy Houchins Smith in the coal mining town of Stotesbury, West Virginia. She grew up there, the youngest of five daughters, and had three younger brothers. She graduated from Stotesbury's Mark Twain High School in 1948 and then went to work at the company store.
She married her husband, Carlos H. Lilly, on April 7, 1951, and became the wife of a United States Marine. They were blessed with a daughter, Sandra, in February, 1952 and a son, Michael, in March, 1954. Both children were born in Beckley, WV while their father was stationed overseas in Japan. His miitary assignments took them to Camp Pendleton, CA; Norfolk, VA; Quantico, VA and Cherry Point, NC.
Doris and the children lived in Beckley, WV when Carlos was sent to serve in the Vietnam war in the mid 1960's. His final base assignment was at Camp LeJeune, NC. During this time she worked at the base exchange and would work in retail for the next ten years. After his retirement in 1968, they bought a home in Cape Carteret, NC. Her husband passed away in 2005.
She stayed in their home until September 2016 when, at 86, she moved to Florida to live with her daughter.
Due to age and vision issues, she was no longer able to drive a car, but still loved to go out to eat, watch television and enjoyed visits with her family. After a year and a half in FL, she moved to Lakes Crossing Assisted Living in Kingsland. She thoroughly enjoyed her independence again and her own small apartment. She made new friends, did crafts, enjoyed the many musical events they had and loved attending church there. She had a standing hair appointment each week. In 2021, she had to move to River City Rehab for health reasons, but was alert and feisty until her passing.
She loved animals, family, Pepsi, chocolate candy and Wheel of Fortune.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her son,
Michael and grandson, Michael Lilly, Jr.; her sisters Mary Frances Scott, Betty Puckett, Juanita Hylton and Pauline Clemons; and brothers Chester Smith, Jr., James Smith and Kenneth Smith.
Left to cherish her memory is her daughter and son-in-law Sandra and Bill
Ethier; grandchildren Victoria (Brad) Merideth and Katelyn (Evan)
McCarthy, great-grandchildren Grady McCarthy, Caleb Merideth and Ella McCarthy and many loving nieces, nephews and friends. She will be greatly missed but as a Christian she is now with her Heavenly Father.
The family would like to thank the nurses, CNAs, kitchen employees and other staff at River City Rehab and also Community Hospice for the loving care they provided to her.
No local service will be held but she will be laid to rest next to her husband at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville, NC.
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