Gladys Bills Culley, 89, a resident of Washington, died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville.
Gladys was born to Professor Frank Hartwell Bills and Hannah Mabel (Junkins) Bills in Kingston, R.I., on Aug. 15, 1922. She was honored as the valedictorian of her high school class in Kingston and then went on to graduate from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science degree on Sept. 19, 1943. Due to World War II, she and her college sweetheart, Samuel S. Culley, were married two days later. She majored in both home economics and mathematics, although she was never in one of her father’s math classes. She was an active member of Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society, and Sigma Kappa, a social sorority, while in college.
Mrs. Culley was a homemaker, mathematics teacher, and textile researcher. She enjoyed reading, swimming, traveling around our beautiful country, and golfing with her husband and friends. Following the death of her husband in 1995, she moved to Washington to be near her daughter. Though macular degeneration left her legally blind at age 73, she maintained her independence and kept her engaging laugh. While in Washington, she enjoyed books on tape from the state blind center, attending First United Methodist Church, spending time with friends and her many caring “helpers”.
She leaves a daughter and son-in-law, Alice and Marvin Daugherty of Washington; three dearly loved grandsons, Walt Daugherty of New York, N.Y., Justin Daugherty of Chicago, Ill. and Brent Daugherty of San Francisco, Calif.; her siblings, Lester Bills and wife Ernestine of Peabody, Mass., Christine Whitaker and husband Walt of Niantic, Conn., and Anna Blease of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Along with her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her two sisters, Eloise Troise and Arline Bills.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Cowell Chapel of the First United Methodist Church of Washington with the Rev. Danny Allen officiating. Burial will be at River Bend Cemetery in Westerly, R.I.
The family will receive friends following the service in the church parlor.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Beaufort County Blind Center, 221 N. Harvey St., Washington, NC 27889 or to the First United Methodist Church New Horizons Fund, 304 W. Second St., Washington, NC 27889.
Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.
Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Culley family.