Lita B Brank

Lita Bulla Brank, 83, of Charlotte died April 28, 2011 at Carolinas Medical Center. Born in Cumberland County, North Carolina on August 20, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Huie Alexander Bulla and Harriet Geddie Bulla. She graduated from the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, completed her dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins , and received her M.S. from Winthrop College. She worked for many years as a dietitian at the Nalle Clinic, but retired as a renal dietitian from the Metrolina Kidney Center. While working at the Metrolina Kidney Center, she co-authored a book 'Choose a Meal: A Personal Meal Plan for Dialysis Patients'.

Mrs. Brank was a charter member of St. Giles Presbyterian Church. For the past 36 years, she has been an active member of St. Andrews United Methodist Church where she participated in the Adult Bible Class, the United Methodist Women, Harvesters, and many different bible studies. For many years she served as a representative to Church Women United. She cherished the many friendships she developed at St. Giles and St. Andrews.

For all of her many accomplisments, what we, her children, cherish most about her is the fact that she was a great Mom. We remember her sitting beside the pool and watching us learn to swim. She wanted to make sure that none of us would share her fear of the water. She taught us about lifelong learning by going back to college to get her masters degree when she was in her 40's and 50's. She shared her love of learning with us by reading to us and giving us newspaper and magazine articles that she thought would be helpful. Through her participation in the Joy Luck Investment Club, we acquired financial knowledge. She also enjoyed sharing what she learned about history from watching Learning Company videos and attending Adventures in Learning courses with friends. We remember how she always made Christmas and birthdays special with all of her baked goodies - molasses cookies, chocolate chip cookies, lemon jello cake, and chocolate chip cake. She hand made a Christmas stocking for each of us - and we each think our own stocking is the best one. She invested so much time and love in each of us. We were blessed to have her for a mother.

Her husband of 46 years, Scott Hall Brank, preceded her in death. She is survived by her beloved sister, Hazel Upton of Greensboro who provided her so many opportunities she would never have had otherwise - a violin so she could play in the school orchestra, a piano so that she could learn to play (a lifelong love), and money for her to attend her first year in college. She is survived by two sons and a daughter - Joe Brank and his wife Crystal of North Wilkesboro, NC, Hugh Brank and his wife Jessica of Smithfield, NC, and Barbara Brank of Charlotte. Her sisters Barbara Catherine Bulla and Roxie Bulla Owen, and her brother George Hector Bulla preceded her in death.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 1 from 6-8 p.m. at McEwen Pineville Chapel. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 2 at Sharon Memorial Park. A memorial service will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 2 at Saint Andrews United Methodist Church in Charlotte.

The family requests that memorials be made to Saint Andrews United Methodist Church, 1900 Emerywood Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210.