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Mary Catherine Billups, special ed teacher

January 3, 2018

Mary Catherine Billups, 77, of Lewes, passed away peacefully at her home Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. She was born May 23, 1940, in Reno, Nev., daughter of the late Mark Benedicto and April Clark.

Ms. Billups' career was in special education as a special education teacher at Lodi Unified School in Lodi, Calif., and as an elementary school teacher in Stockton Unified Schools in Stockton, Calif. After retirement, she relocated to Lewes to be near her granddaughter whom she adored.

Ms. Billups volunteered at Shields Elementary School and Head Start in Lewes. She was a member of Eagles Nest Church in Milton. In her spare time, Ms. Billups loved to travel; China, Hawaii, Alaska and Europe were among her favorite destinations. She also enjoyed sewing, reading, gardening and playing mahjong. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend who will be dearly missed.

Ms. Billups is survived by her children: Carla M. Billups of Waynesville, N.C., and Steven Billups and his wife Katharina of Lewes; her granddaughter, Martha Billups of Lewes; and her siblings, Birdie Stepken and Christopher Bentonio, both of Stockton.

Memorial Services will be held Thursday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m., at Eagles Nest Fellowship Church in the Chapel, 26633 Zion Church Road, Milton, where friends may visit beginning at 1 p.m. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ms. Billups' name to the Tunnell Cancer Center, c/o Beebe Healthcare, 424 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958, or to Duke Cancer Institute for Glioblastoma Research, c/o Sara Wajda, at 710 W. Main St., Suite 200, Durham, NC 27701, note in memo, "In Memory of Mary Billups, or visit https://www.gifts.duke.edu/dci.

Please visit Ms. Billups' Life Memorial Webpage and sign her online guest book at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.

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