Mary Lou Hurt Shillings, age 77, moved into her heavenly home on Friday, June 12, 2015. Mary was born as a gift of God's love on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1938, in Lee City, Kentucky, as the forth of seven children of D.B. Hurt and Reva Lykins Hurt.
After graduating in 1955 from West Union High School in West Union, Ohio, Mary met her future husband, Jim Shillings, at a church revival in Dayton, OH. They married on January 29, 1957, and had three children: Paul, Karen and Darlene.
Mary continued her education in various cities and graduated from the University of West Georgia (f/k/a West Georgia College) in Carrollton, GA with a Bachelor’s degree. She worked as a laboratory technologist in medical laboratories of various hospitals in Georgia and Florida, last working at Lucerne Hospital in Orlando, FL (before its integration into the Orlando Health hospital system).
In addition to her occupational activities, Mary served behind the scenes during Jim's ministerial service at the following churches:
Parkview Baptist Church, Lake City, FL (1958-1962)
Lee Street Baptist Church, Valdosta, GA (1963-1966)
Curtis Baptist Church, Augusta, GA (1967-1968)
Tabernacle Baptist Church, Carrollton, GA (1968-1971)
First Baptist Church, Brunswick, GA (1971-1975)
White Oak Hills Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, GA (1975-1979)
First Baptist Church Pine Castle, Orlando, FL (1980-1999)
Mary is survived by her husband of 58 years, Rev. James Shillings; her daughters, Karen (Shillings) Zerbo (Kew Gardens, NY) and Darlene (Shillings/Riley) Crisler (Orlando, FL); her grandchildren, John Riley, Diana Riley Santos, and William Riley (all of Orlando, FL); her sister, Bertha Hurt Lambert (Sardinia, OH); her brothers, Roy Hurt (Manchester, OH) and Jimmy Hurt (Ionia, MI); and many nieces, nephews, cousins and beloved friends
Mary was predeceased by her parents, D.B. Hurt and Reva Lykins Hurt Auvil; her sisters, Faye Hurt Goodman, Nina Hurt Hardymon and Martha Hurt Thomas; and her son, Paul Shillings.
Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church Pine Castle, 1001 Hoffner Avenue, Orlando, FL, on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, at 9:30am, with the memorial service immediately to follow at 10:00am. Arranged by Baldwin Brothers, Dove Chapel, Orlando, FL.
Leave a reply