Helen Hughes Kilgore

Helen Hughes Kilgore passed peacefully into the presence of Jesus Christ on January 24, 2018. A native of Mississippi, she was born August 8, 1924, in Yazoo City to Ruby and Harold Hughes. Her father died when she was 3, and the family moved to Jackson. When Helen was 9, her mother married Julian Johnson.

Graduating from Jackson Central High School and Millsaps College, Helen worked for Delta Airlines where she met the late Joseph Kilgore. They married in 1947. They had two daughters, Judy Searight (Bill) of Plano, TX, and Lisa McKay (Jim) of Jackson, MS. Helen was a caring and loving wife and mother. She worked several years with her husband at their business, Kilgore Insurance Agency. For 11 years., she was a faithful caregiver for her husband until his death in 1991.

Helen was a longtime member of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church and later belonged to Christ United Methodist Church before moving to Plano in 2000 to begin a new chapter in her life. She had many friends in Texas, and enjoyed her last years at Sunrise Senior Living of Plano.

Survivors include her two daughters, grandchildren Amanda Batista (Rich) of Roanoke, TX; Bill Searight (Sarah) of Rose Valley, PA; Emily Kirkpatrick (Kirk) of Boca Raton, FL; and Chris Campbell of Atlanta, GA; and five great grandchildren—Katelynn, Carly, Colton, Maggie, and Ella.

We are so grateful to the caregivers and staff of Sunrise, Faith Presbyterian Hospice, and Melissa Smith for their wonderful care and assistance.

Visitation will be held at Lakewood Funeral Home on Saturday, February 3, 2018 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM followed by a graveside service at Lakewood Memorial Park.