Billie Blades

Billie Jean Burleigh Blades, age 78, passed away Wednesday, June 2, 2010 surrounded by loved ones at her home on 3rd Avenue in Picayune, MS. Visitation will be Saturday, June 5th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Picayune Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Sunday, June 6th at 2:00 p.m. at Goodyear Baptist Church, with Bro. Arlis Grice officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Billie and her husband, Dewey, were instrumental in bringing Goodwill Industries to Picayune to support the local Association for Retarded Citizens. They led Pearl River County in establishing the first Special Olympic Games in Picayune in 1969. She and Dewey founded the Picayune Chapter of Association for Retarded Citizens. She also built the Picayune Infants Project. She was a member of the Krewe of Roses, the Pearl River County Art League and the Picayune Civic Women’s Club. She was also a member of First Baptist Church of Picayune. She is survived by her four children, Donna (Bryant) Miller of Georgia ,Rebecca Blades of Picayune,Michael (Jakee) Blades of Tennessee and Allison Tate of Picayune;thirteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dewey Blades, Jr. ;son, Patrick Blades.