Shirley Bryant Billingsley

Shirley Bryant Billingsley, 63, of Charlotte, died on August 15, 2015 at her home. She was born in Morganton, N.C. and was the daughter of Helen Hamby Bryant and the late Clinton C. Bryant. She was a loving mother of her daughter Brandy, who was also her best friend and with whom she shared innumerable, poignant experiences. Brandy was Shirley’s unwavering support during her battle with stage IV lung cancer in 2006 and Brandy and her family’s and her doctors’ support was a primary reason for Shirley’s survival from this disease for 8 years. Shirley was a constant support of her mother and shared a deep, loving bond with her; her mother provided her a preeminent example of caring, one of the many wonderful qualities that Shirley carried with her throughout her life. She was cherished by and shared a lifetime of love and family memories with her husband Eric. Including working together in rescuing their late dog Gidget, teaching her how to love, helping her to overcome her emotional trauma and giving her a lifetime full of love. She offered constant support and strength to her and Eric’s family as well as her friends. No matter what was going on she was always thinking of and was concerned with other people.

Through many years in the banking industry, she was loved by and loved many people with whom she worked. Her love for the Carolina Panthers and football was matched only by her love for her family and friends. Shirley could always be relied upon to provide an honest opinion and sage advice on one’s situation. She has immense emotional strength and possessed and unwaveringly positive attitude.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Eric Billingsley; daughter, Brandy Billingsley and fiancé’ Sean Ellison of Charlotte; mother, Helen Hamby Bryant of Morganton, NC; brothers, Jackie D. Bryant and wife Hazel, Larry J. Bryant and Jerry L. Bryant and wife Judy all of Morganton, NC; brothers-in-law, Johnny Billingsley and wife Anne of Florence, SC; Gary Billingsley and wife Janet of Augusta, GA; sisters-in-law Mary Sanders and husband Sammy of Charlotte and many special nieces and nephews.

A Service to Celebrate Shirley’s life will be held on Friday, August 21, 2015 in the Paul Helton Chapel of Forest Lawn

West. The family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Willow Haven Inspirational Spa (www.willowhavenspa.org), a nonprofit organization for cancer patients and their caretakers that Brandy and Shirley were in the process of starting. It was Shirley’s battle with cancer and Brandy’s deep involvement in caretaking for her mom during this time that inspired the idea of helping other make the journey through cancer slightly less arduous.