Mary Pittard Shipp

Mary Elizabeth Pittard Shipp passed away peacefully at Swift Creek Health Center at the Templeton on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Mary was born on November 27, 1942, in Warrenton, NC, to John B. Pittard and Mary Neal Pittard.

Mary graduated from Jacksonville High School, where she was a gifted student, enthusiastic cheerleader, and class leader. After high school, Mary headed to St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, then transferred to Meredith College to finish her degree. During the summer of 1961, Mary met a dashing Carolina boy named Bill at Baylake. Rumor has it that it was love at first sight (and also that Bill was persistent!). These two crazy kids got married in the summer of 1963 and spent many wonderful years building a life and family together. After having two kids, Bettie and Billy, born on the same day three years apart, this family of four lived across North Carolina, from Asheville to Plymouth to Fayetteville.

Professionally, Mary found her calling in elementary education, teaching third grade for over 20 years at Vanstory Elementary School. She prided herself on her creative teaching strategies and on making strong connections with her students. She often spent her own money to make sure ALL students had access to the supplies they needed. Her students knew they were deeply loved and were encouraged to uncover their true potential in her classroom.

Mary could cook (or congeal!) anything and make it delicious! Her meal planning skills were legendary, especially around the holidays, honing recipes so that each component of a meal perfectly complemented one another. She loved creating family traditions, like waking Bettie and Billy on their birthday with matching cakes or gathering the family on Christmas Eve to read the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Mary also created beloved traditions with her four grandchildren. She made sure each individual child had a special something to do with Nanny, from having tea parties, drinking (very sugary) coffee, watching birds, playing Legos or Slap Jack, to making Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes. She created a girls’ room and a boys’ room at her home in Cary, so her grandchildren could have sleepovers whenever they wanted!

Every house Mary lived in was filled with family photographs, ambient lighting (little lamps!), family antiques, and tables…lots and lots of little side tables that she would find on her numerous antiquing trips with friends. She enjoyed spending time with her sweet friends from college and church, traveling with Bill to New England or Colorado or London, and making everyone feel loved and welcome.

Mary leaves behind her son, William Paul Shipp, Jr. (Billy) and daughter-in-law, Sarah Bullard Shipp; her daughter, Bettie Shipp Rabb, and son-in-law Mike Rabb; her grandchildren, Emily, Will, Laura, and John Rabb; her sister-in-law, Mary Jewel Shipp Robinson, and brother-in-law, Bill Robinson; her sister-in-law, Jane Bond Shipp; her cousin Robert Zucker; her nieces and nephews, Leslie Matthews Doyle, Mark Matthews, Natalyn Shipp Webster, Kande Shipp Collins, David Robinson, and Brian Robinson. She was predeceased in death by her beloved husband Bill, her sister, Geraldine Matthews, her brother, John Pittard, and both her parents.

Visitation will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, on Monday, June 2nd, from 6pm to 8pm. Graveside family service will follow on Tuesday, June 3, at 12pm, at Springvale Cemetery in Clinton, NC.

Her family would like to thank Transitions LifeCare and Swift Creek Health Center at the Templeton for taking such great care of Mom during the past few months.