Obituary of Bobbye Ellis Hilliard August 6, 1934 - April 20, 2025

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Bobbye Ellis Hilliard

August 6, 1934  -  April 20, 2025

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Bobbye Ellis Hilliard Obituary

When Bobbye “Honey” Hilliard passed away on Easter Sunday, her family and friends were in sad disbelief. Bigger than life for so many decades and living in a way that belied her 90 years, Honey just never seemed to grow old. We all thought Honey would live forever.

Honey was a singular force of nature. Vibrant and funny, strong-willed and opinionated, she found joy in every day’s sunrise. Never a “rocking chair” grandmother, she would exercise almost daily (with the help of her friend and trainer Sarah Arredondo), play bridge 3 times a week, read voraciously, and enjoy deep laughs and gin martinis with good friends. A born and raised East Texas girl she always, always loved her family unconditionally - liberally parsing unfiltered advice and opinions with conviction and love. We watched as she navigated her age with grace, independence, and style and always with a keen eye for fashion. She also never lost her unquenchable wild streak which led to her first tattoo at 85 (a honeybee).

Honey, our true matriarch, did not take life for granted. Life in return, favored her with a large, warm, extended, close-knit family who loved listening to her stories, enjoyed their “honey hugs,” and confided in her about their lives.

An expert bowler in her day, Honey was also an accomplished artist, chef, sailor, law office manager for her husband’s law firm, and newspaper reporter. A lifelong curiosity and insatiable eagerness for new challenges included jet skiing and snorkeling and always planning her next big trip.

Having lost the love of her life in 2011 when her husband Shelley passed away, whom she was completely devoted to for 57 years, Honey slowly began a new and even more adventurous chapter of her life. Traveling often with her entire family to all parts of the world — her indefatigable interest in all people and cultures allowed her to continue to make close friends. She also found a best friend and travel companion in her caregiver, Marina. Over the years, they became inseparable and loved each other’s deep friendship. Ever ready for the next adventure, Honey would take Marina with her, whether it was traveling to Canada to ride the glass ceiling trains through the beautiful mountains, or taking a Galveston cruise to the Caribbean islands, or driving over the windy ferry to Port A just to feel the salty spray and find some fried shrimp. They enjoyed sharing spa days and sometimes just listening to oldies and being together. Marina’s devotion and care brought Honey not only companionship, but also greatly extended her health and happiness.

It was a strong and positive outlook that inspired and fueled Honey - forged by the types of tragedies that accompany 9 decades of life - the death of her beloved husband as well as 3 of her 4 children. The loss of her one true soul mate, Shelley, was the ultimate test of Honey’s resilience. Just a week before Honey died, she reflected on how she was able to navigate that unbearable pain when, upon seeing this photo of the man she never stopped loving, she texted :

“Always a pen in his pocket ❤️ I still love him 🥰. I do not remember so much until I see a picture and my heart remembers, of course, I never forget. But it’s not always good to remember as it sometimes leaves me down.”

We will remember you, Honey. We will always, always remember you - and will toast you often with a very full wine glass, or as your family loved to say: a “Honey-pour!”

Honey now re-joins the love of her life, Delmar Shelley Hilliard, and feels the warm embrace of three of her children, Suzanne Hilliard, Delmar Shelley Hilliard, Jr., and Mary Melissa Hilliard (Feistel). She is also reunited with her brother, Ralph Winston Ellis and her parents, Iva Lee Ellis and Robert Sherman Ellis and her former daughter-in-law, Jennifer R. Hilliard.

Those left here to miss her desperately include her “baby boy” Bob Hilliard and his wife Catherine and their children, Emily, Alex (Brit), Carl, Robbie, Allie, Tobin and Del, and grandchildren, Molly, Finn and Briar, as well as her baby brother, Arthur Ellis, and his wife, Tina, who always kept Honey laughing and encouraged her next adventure.

Honey was also deeply loved and is survived by her granddaughter, Laury Nelson, and her great-granddaughter, Cathryn Garza (Mike), and 2 great, great-grandchildren, Mikey and Levi, whom she adored. She also leaves behind her sweet grandson, Stewart Feistel, his wife Ashley, and their beautiful daughter Lauren, as well as her strong and adoring granddaughter, Meredith Feistel. (There is an ongoing debate about who her favorite grandchild is, as Honey loved to secretly bestow that title on each of them when the others weren’t around!)

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all the nurses, doctors, and staff at Spohn Hospital for their support, patience, and care during a very difficult time. The family is also very grateful to Drs. Vish and Veena Reddy, who shared the family’s love for Honey for many years and carefully tended to her needs until the very end.

Consistent with her strong lifelong faith and constant desire to help others in need, in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc. or The Purple Door.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel from 11:30am to 1:30pm. A funeral service will follow at 2:00pm at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. 505 N Upper Broadway, Corpus Christi, TX 78401.