Mary Alice Busby

Mary Alice Busby, 83, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed peacefully on Sunday, September 25, 2016, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s at the Greenbrier nursing facility in D’Iberville. During her last days, Mary was surrounded by her loved ones and prayers from near and far. Mary was the first child of Rubi and John Dillard and she was a native of Beaumont, Mississippi. She attended Beaumont High School where she was the valedictorian and very active in basketball. She was a five-year starting player, one of the very few women to start playing basketball for her school in the 8th grade. She was truly a pioneer in women’s sports. Mary was a 45-year resident of Biloxi. She was a faithful Catholic after her late-in-life conversion to the Catholic faith, which she cherished. She was employed at the First Mississippi National Bank. Since Mary was an expert seamstress, her joy was to gift her friends and family with her exquisitely designed quilts. She will be remembered as a sweet and kind woman, who was always quick with a smile and who loved to laugh. Mary was preceded in death by the love of her life, William Busby and they were married for 32 years at the time of his death. Mary is survived by the joys of her life, her five children: Teresa, John, Brad and his wife LaRose, Mark and his wife Nicole and Matthew and his wife Erica. Mary is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. In addition to her children and grandchildren, Mary is survived by her sister and best friend, Rubi John Dunnam Fournier and her husband Ben. Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church with Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com