Billie Carolyn Thompson Freshwater

August 11, 1929 - November 15, 2024 

Wilmington, North Carolina 

Last Friday, our wonderful mom and grandmom, surrounded by family, slipped into heaven. She was still smiling and acknowledging visitors the day before she passed. Her contentment and peace were obvious to everyone. 

Many thanks to the compassionate staff at Trinity Grove for the excellent care they provided. A steady stream of nurses, with tears in their eyes, came to say goodbye. 

Billie was preceded in death by her husband, William Ross Freshwater, Jr. (Dub) in 2016, and her sister Fran Gray in 2024. She is survived by her two sons, Bill Freshwater (Jan) and Tom Freshwater (Myra), 7 grandchildren (Ross Freshwater, Whitney Miller, Zach Freshwater, Ben McCoy, Dawn McCoy, John Freshwater, Katherine George), and 11 great-grandchildren. 

Billie was born to Carl and Sarah Thompson in Mooresville, NC. She and her sister enjoyed a rich active life growing up on the family’s dairy farm outside of Davidson, NC.  She loved sharing stories of the cows by name, the vegetable gardens, her aunt’s pulled taffy, their favorite dogs, her childhood friends who played with her, and watermelons from the garden they’d cut on a tree stump. There, she formed a lifelong love for family, the outdoors, animals, and desserts (they were part of every meal).  

After graduating from Greensboro’s Women’s College with an education degree, she married William Ross Freshwater Jr. (Dub) in 1950. After living in Greensboro for several years, they settled in Wilmington, NC, in 1952. Billie taught 2nd grade for forty years at various schools in Wilmington, primarily at Sunset Park Elementary. 

All the Freshwaters have many stories of people asking if we're related to Billie. She was the favorite teacher in every case. Hundreds of students fondly remember her that way.   

Billie was a charter member of Pine Valley Methodist Church in Wilmington and was active there from its opening in 1961 until she transitioned to a nursing home in recent years. 

The family home on Stonewall Jackson Drive was a gathering spot for the neighborhood kids while Bill and Tom grew up. The front yard doubled as a baseball diamond and a football field, the driveway was home to countless basketball games, and the backyard hosted a badminton court and putting green. With the addition of a pool table in the back of the house, there was a continual ebb and flow of friends, with frequent laughter and shenanigans. 

Billie had a gift of hospitality. She loved inviting folks over for dinner.  Many remember impromptu invitations to Sunday dinner after church. She (miraculously) always had plenty of food for the extra guests who showed up. It helped to have 2 refrigerators and 2 fully stocked stand-alone freezers😊.  Her warm personality combined with Dub’s humor created a fun haven for anyone fortunate enough to gather around her table. 

Billie was famous for her cooking and baking. The cakes she baked for church fund-raisers were, no doubt, fought over.  Who could forget her delicious hummingbird, carrot, and pound cakes? 

Billie was an avid sports fan. She was especially a diehard NCSU football and basketball fan.  

Billie and Dub enjoyed many beautiful hikes in the North Carolina mountains. They eventually split their time between their home on Harbor Island, and a condo in the North Carolina mountains. 

Billie was steadfast in her unwavering Christian faith. She wasn’t one to talk openly about what she believed. Instead, she chose to live out her faith with constancy in her prayer life, in generosity to others, helping needy people, opening her home, and treating every individual special. Her humble, sincere Christian faith affected everything she did and impacted her family and friends for generations. 

A Graveside Service will be held at 11:00am Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 1311 Shipyard Boulevard, Wilmington, NC 28412.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pine Valley Methodist Church “Make Room” fund, 3788 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28403.

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