| Graduation Year | Class of 1958 |
| Date of Passing | Jul 14, 2023 |
| About | APRIL 18, 1939 – JULY 14, 2023 Billie (Berlene) Kathlene (Cunningham) Harris, age 84, of Villa Rica, Georgia passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023, Emory Hospital, Atlanta, GA. Billie was born in Tyronza, Arkansas to David William Cunningham and Pearl Marie (King) Cunningham. Billie attended Haslett High School and graduated in 1958. She was married to Richard Owen Abbey June 20, 1959, and then to Darold Louis Harris October 18, 1986. She lived in several states: Arkansas, Michigan, California and Georgia. Billie worked as a legal secretary for the Michigan Attorney General's office throughout her career. She was overwhelmingly highly regarded by her co-workers and supervisors. One of her employers exclaimed, "I wish I had 10 of her!" She was known as being very reliable and dependable, with impeccable attention to detail; always meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations. Billie was a fantastic writer and an accomplished poet who wrote beautiful prose about family, love, and her innermost feelings. She was an excellent fabrician, sewing clothes from scratch and altering them into new creations. She could sew just about anything. She made her own dresses when she was a girl; made clothes for her kids; worked diligently for months creating pillows, drapes and crocheting afghans and scarves that she would gift to her family and loved ones. Billie loved gardening and spent a lot of time creating beautiful flower beds. This was among one of her favorite things to do. One of Billie's pastimes included treasure hunting; typically in the form of shopping for great deals, sales and finding fun treasures at yard sales. She also enjoyed designing photo albums and was so good at puzzles that she could find the pieces with what seemed like minimal effort. Billie's command of language was impressive. She knew the answers to most items in crossword puzzles that would stump even the smartest people. She loved reading a good book, and was especially fond of Nicholas Sparks. Among her favorite love stories from books or movies include, The Notebook, You've Got Mail and Somewhere in Seattle. Billie was known to be playful, fun-loving and whimsical. Nearly everyone who knew her also adored her. Although Billie was somewhat shy, she was also quite popular back in high school and over the years, she amazed family and friends with her youthful appearance and bubbly personality, both of which stood the test of time. Billie was a determined hard-worker and a perfectionist in many ways. For example, she balanced her checkbooks to the penny, literally. When sewing or crocheting, if a seam or stitch was out of line in any way, she would rip it out and start over. Billie cherished spending time with her kids. She especially loved storytelling that was told in a way to make her laugh. Once tickled, she'd often laugh with such delight that tears would be streaming down her face from laughing so intensely. Billie was always a joy to be around. Among the greatest loves in Billie's life was her family. Billie loved her three children with all her heart as evidenced by the sacrifices she made throughout her life to make sure she gave them everything she could. Billie adored all of her grandchildren and always tried her best to send birthday cards and presents throughout their childhood. Billie was thoughtful in everything she did. She preserved precious memories of the past by meticulously cataloging letters and cards sent to her, creating and organizing photo albums for each of her kids, and by preserving memories and feelings through her poetry. From day to day, Billie took great care to document actions and wrote lists of things to do. Billie also worked hard to plan for the future by saving pennies for a rainy day that she wanted to gift her children someday. Throughout her actions, she taught her kids things like integrity, compassion and kindness; all of which were deeply valued by all in the Abbey family. Billie showed her love by thoughtfully selecting cards and gifts to her loved ones. She always sent cards for birthdays and would spend significant time searching for the perfect one. Billie is survived by her children: David (Beverly) Abbey, Richard (Stephanie) Abbey and Teresa (Windi Schuster) Abbey; grandchildren: Katie (Tim) Wilson, Joseph, Zachary, Jason and Christopher Abbey; siblings: Darrell (Lani) Cunningham and Connie Cunningham; nephews: Darren Cunningham, Ryan (Heather) Cunningham and Richard Gilman; niece: Kathryn Wilson; step-son Jim (Donna) Harris; step-grandson: Dustin Harris and Blake Warren; step-granddaughter: Whitney Warren and step-great-granddaughters: Abigail and Rachel Warren. Also survived by special friend, Edward "Gus" Kern. Billie is predeceased by spouse, Darold "Lou" Harris (7/26/2012) and sibling, Delores Ann Gilman (3/9/2018). Services will be held at the Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, MI, July 28, 10:00 AM. (8:45 if following from Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing to the cemetery). Repast will be following the service at Clara's Restaurant, Battle Creek, MI. Those desiring may make contributions in memory of Billie to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, P. O. Box 22324, New York, NY 10087 or online: https://givenow.lls.org. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the doctors and nurses at Emory University, especially Martha Arrellano and Angela Hatcher and also Dr. Blum and Dr. Vale. Three words that sum up Billie's life: devoted, loving and youthful. The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Lansing, MI. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.grlansing.com for the Harris family. |
