Rose Mary Higginbotham Tiblier

Rose Mary Higginbotham Tiblier, 93, a native of the Biloxi/D’Iberville area, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. God chose this special day to take her into His loving arms to be with Him and her heavenly family.

Rose Mary was born on May 20, 1930, in Biloxi, MS to Nelson and Edna Higginbotham. She was born the first of three daughters and the fifth of eight children.

She graduated from Biloxi High School, Class of 1948, and attended Perkinston Junior College. While in both high school and college, she loved participating in the concert and marching bands and playing her clarinet.

In 1950, she married her loving husband, Milton Ray “Bootsie” Tiblier, with whom she shared the next sixty-two years. During this time the Lord blessed them with four children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were her pride and joy.

She devoted more than thirty years to the D’Iberville schools where she served as a substitute teacher, secretary, and bookkeeper. While employed with the schools, she earned the respect of administration, faculty, staff, and students for work well done and the kindness she showed to all.

Rose Mary was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She was a devout Catholic and always had an unwavering devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary. Joyously, she shared her faith with her family and all who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Milton Ray “Bootsie” Tiblier; her son, Milton Wayne Tiblier; her parents, Nelson and Edna Higginbotham; her siblings, Percy, George, Curtis, Dennis, Ruth, Shirley, and Carey.

Rose Mary is survived by her daughter Patricia (Michael) Skrmetti; her sons, Michael (Karen) Tiblier and Mark (Deborah) Tiblier; her daughter-in-law, Becki Tiblier; her grandchildren, Brant Tiblier, Breanne (Randy) Prince, Jason Skrmetti, Mark (Amanda) Tiblier, Randy (Ashley) Tiblier, Ryan (Kaela) Tiblier, Tiffany (McKenzie) Lott, Nicholas Tiblier, Travis (Beth) Tiblier, Autumn (Chris) Ishmael, Kristin (Michael) Burkett and Lauren Creel; and great-grandchildren, Brennan, Brylee, Kayden, Grace, Heidi, Easton, Luke, Tanner, Harrison, Olivia, Landen, Abagail, Caroline, Will, Hannah, Mikey, Kiera, Piper, Billie, Sunnie, Brenden, Ethan, Fynnix, and Grayson.

Our family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to her wonderful caregivers, Allison Kelly, Catherine Kirksey, Eli Grageola, and Tracy Bush. We would also like to express our great appreciation to Dr. Paul Pavlov and his nurse, Twy Kirkland, and to Saad Healthcare, who provided our mother with wonderful therapists and nurses.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the Sacred Heart St. Vincent de Paul Society.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in D’Iberville on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 12:00 P.M. Friends may visit from 10:00 A.M. until Mass time. Interment will follow at D’Iberville Memorial Park.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Rose Mary Higginbotham Tiblier.