Lillie Looper, 77, of Dayton, the epitome of the Golden Rule, died Saturday morning, March 23, 2019 after a long battle with cancer and heart disease, having been admitted to the hospital for flu. While she was extremely kind, she was also furiously stubborn, and didn't go to the hospital till it was too late.
She joins her parents, Grover and Opal Terrell; her brother, C.L. Terrell; her husband, Jerry Looper; a grandson, David Looper; her grandkitty, Luke, who's enjoying belly rubs right now and a host of other family members.
Lillie leaves behind her four children, Mitch, Kevin and wife, Karen, Corey and partner, Carlita, and Brenda, as well as grandchildren, Sarah, Derek, Dalton, Matthew and Tristan and great-grandchildren, an extended family of cousins and aunts, and a wide circle of friends.
Lillie served many roles through her life—caregiver, factory worker, laundry worker, but most importantly mom—all to help make sure that her kids and anyone in need got what would serve them best at that moment. She supported and guided her own children as well as her children's friends, many of whom called her Mom. When disaster struck her community, she'd be one of the first to gather clothes, blankets, food and other supplies for those who lost their homes, and she never asked for anything in return.
Lillie was as funny as she was kind, and never lost her wicked sense of humor, even at the end, nor did she lose her love for dark chocolate, insisting that she wanted to at least see some dark chocolate even if she couldn't eat it. If only her hospital gown had been purple, the color of her amethyst birthstone.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 27 at McConnell Funeral Home Chapel in Greenwood. Her ashes will be scattered between her parents' graves at Dayton Cemetery at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.