My Aunt Bobbie

March 20 of this year took a sad and different turn, my Daddy’s sister Bobbie Sue passed away after a resilient battle with cancer. She will be greatly missed. I share her humor, quick wit, straight forwardness and her stubbornness. Many phone conversations about our health battles have been about how our being so stubborn has kept us around. She fought the good fight and never one did she forget to tell me she loved me, she prayed for me and that she was proud of me. I was asked to speak at her funeral and the following is what I said in it’s entirety.
Let me preface with what happened when I got up to start, no one told me about the air conditioning vent directly below the pulpit and when I stepped up and turned around guess what came on? The AC, I had a Marilyn Monroe moment followed by a high pitched OOOOOOH!! Don’t worry, I explained what happened and in true Fuller fashion everyone in my family laughed out loud.
Now here is what I said:
On behalf of the family of Bobbie Sue Fuller Smith; Thank you!
Thank you for your calls, texts, prayers, love and for being here with us today. If you are here Aunt Bobbie made an impression on you, and we hope you find one of us to share your stories because WE KNOW there are many to tell!
Bobbie Sue Fuller was born August 20, 1951, to Wyatt & Elsie Fuller. To the best of our collective knowledge, she was the last child born in the home here in Leah. She was the fifth of seven children. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Brenda, Mary, Charles and Vera and a daughter Ashley. She is survived by her husband, Sid, daughters Robyn O’Hora and husband Matt and Sarah Proctor and her husband Cory. Her grandchildren, Everleigh 14, Brendon 13, Davis 11, Sydney 7 and Weston 5. Her living siblings are Gene Fuller and wife Beverly, Lynn Fuller Gaskins and sister-in-law, Peggy Fuller. She also leaves behind a multitude of nieces, nephews and family she has adopted along the way.
While trying to decide how to speak about Aunt Bobbie many words came to mind – fun, fearless, witty, and outspoken, in other words our straight to the point Aunt. Let me just say if you did not want her opinion, don’t ask. She was the aunt who could sweetly deliver what no one wanted to hear or say out loud. Many times in my life my mouth has done the same thing, and I always say to my husband; “well, I said it sweetly”. Aunt Bobbie would tell me it’s all in the delivery.
On December 23, 1978 Aunt Bobbie married Lionel Sidney Smith, my Uncle Sid. He provided an absolutely amazing life for her. She was the world traveler in our family thanks to Uncle Sid. They have lived in many places during their marriage and have traveled all over the world. According to Sarah, Aunt Bobbie kept organized photographs of every trip she went on and even ones that Uncle Sid went on solo. The last big trip they took was a 4 ½ month long RV excursion across Canada and Newfoundland – in which she would promptly let everyone know when she had cell service by posting on Facebook or calling you directly. We all know how much Aunt Bobbie loved her Facebook.
She was a hostess, she never hesitated to invite her nieces and nephews to visit and was not afraid to invite more than 3 or 4 at the same time – Uncle Sid, bless you for putting up with all of our shenanigans. Prior to having her own children, she would dote on her nieces and nephews like we were her own. She introduced me to many firsts in my life. She was the first to paint my fingernails, put make-up on me, curl my hair, take me to a movie, the memories I have are endless of the fun things she did for me. One of the funniest things I can remember was a trip to either King’s Dominion or Carowinds with my brother. We were walking along and these two people dressed up in costumes that made them look 10 foot tall and otherworldly were walking toward us. It was odd enough that we stopped and stared. One guy was dressed up with white and black face paint and had spikes on his shoulders. When they got close to us, he bent down and threw his hands in the air and stuck out his tongue. My brother screamed and then proceeded to climb Aunt Bobbie like a tree. The guys dressed up thought it was hysterical. After our hearts settled, we laughed, my brother not so much. Come to find out it was two of the singers of the Rock band Kiss.
Aunt Bobbie LOVED family, she loved each one of us. She prayed for us daily and would let us know what she thought about us. Thank goodness I was always on the good list because if you were not, she would let you know exactly where you stood in her book.
One of her greatest joys was becoming a Mama. After the heartbreak of losing Ashley, she was blessed with Robyn and Sarah. She loved her girls and was so proud of the women and mothers they have become. My husband and I were able to babysit Robyn and Sarah before we became parents. We recently laughed about the rite of passage when Tal and I took them to Baby land General Hospital and watched a doll be birthed from a cabbage. My husband has never been the same.
Robyn and Sarah have had many accomplishments in life, top students, college graduations and marriages to her precious sons-in-law, Matt and Corey. Next came Aunt Bobbie’s blessings – her grandchildren. Sarah sent me an email with this in it and describes Aunt Bobbie as a grandmother to a tee:
Mom is the most dedicated of grandmothers. Her grandkids are her life, and her love and devotion to them has sustained her throughout her many health struggles through the years. She loves to listen to my daughter, Everleigh, play piano. She is her biggest cheerleader- always encouraging her in volleyball and came to several games when she could. They chat on the phone a couple times a week- she would write down or remember jokes she’d heard and tell one to her every chance she got. She ended every phone call with Ev or me telling us how she was praying for us every day. When mom lived with us, we would always laugh at her diverse music choices. Ev would hear her listening to “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor, and mom would just laugh and say she loved the beat. She would often have video calls with her youngest grandkids, Sydney and Weston, always happy to let them show off their toys or dance moves. She attended Sydney’s dance recital and loved to see pictures and videos of anything the grandkids were up to. When she could, she loved being able to see Davis play football and Brendon’s Tae Kwon Do class. She listened to Brendon play the saxophone, and Mom and Dad even did a Polar Express Ride with all the grandkids from both families one year. She always had a candy haul whenever she saw a grandkid- so much candy!! Everleigh still has like 5 boxes of Sour Patch Kids from Christmas. She loved to shower them with all sorts of random gifts and put some money in their hand. Her desk at home is absolutely covered with their notes and drawings. She loves them all dearly, always praying for them and wishing the best for them.
Aunt Bobbie was EVERYONE’s biggest cheerleader. She would always let you know how proud she was of you and if you were struggling, she would lift you up, mostly with a joke. Her humor was something! She would even joke at the most inappropriate times which made things even funnier. I can remember her teaching us a cheer as a kid. We still laugh about it now. It started off Rah Rah Ree, kick them in the knee…..
Another thing Aunt Bobbie’s was great at was her ability to give over the top gifts. If she drew your name at Christmas, you should be very afraid because your gifts could be hilarious and embarrassing. If you are laughing right now, I guarantee you have either received one or were there when one was opened.
Aunt Bobbie also had an ability to adopt people into her family from everywhere they lived. She poured out her love on new friends and neighbors, filling their lives in any way she saw fit. She has adopted family from all of the different places she & Uncle Sid have lived. She never met a stranger and never hesitated to open her home to anyone she saw in need of a place to stay. I can’t say this enough – her love was endless!
Aunt Bobbie was also quick to let you know that she was praying for you. I know she did because I have personally felt every single one. She loved The Lord and she wanted all of us to be heaven bound. Three weeks ago, my mom, my daughter and I went to visit Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Sid, she never let her illness get her down. The last time I was able to talk on the phone with her I knew it would be the last time. We talked about my son’s upcoming wedding and how she would be there with the best seat in the house, how she had people she was going to see – her family whom she missed dearly. I told her that I knew she was going to a place far better than anything we have experienced here on earth and that I would be there one day. Her reply was “And I will be there to greet you with my arms wide open”. When Robyn called me to ask if I would speak today, she told me that Aunt Bobbie had a great day visiting and talking with Uncle Sid, her, Sarah and the grandchildren. At some point she was staring off into the ceiling, and she asked her what she was looking at. Aunt Bobbie told her “Vera, she is waiting for me”. My goodness at the peace God gives us at times like this. There is a heaven and the promise of eternal life with Jesus awaits us if we only believe. My grandma, Aunt Bobbie’s mother would say good stuff in – good stuff out. Jesus is the good stuff. Aunt Bobbie had many health struggles in this life but she never wavered from the fact that Jesus was her Lord and Savior.
I have been reading the book of Psalms and Psalm 33 to me, sums up Aunt Bobbie’s life. Let me read parts of it: This is for you to look up.

I feel like Aunt Bobbie would want me to share that if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is a great day to accept him. My Bible study from yesterday said “Remember even if you have walked 100 steps away from God it’s just one step back. All you need to do is turn around”. There is no sin too big for God’s forgiveness, it just takes acknowledging you are a sinner and accepting Jesus’ gift of sacrifice and forgiveness of your sins through his death on the cross and resurrection. Then my suggestion is getting in church and read your bible every day.
Aunt Bobbie’s life was a true testimony of fully trusting in Jesus. She had fought health struggles for a long time. Over the last 10 years we both have laughed about our stubbornness keeping us going. She was fearless of death and lived each day to its fullest. I never heard her truly complain, she would always say when I asked how she was, “Okay”. I would respond “Really Aunt Bobbie?” and she would say, why complain, it won’t change anything. She was right, you get to choose how you live each day, in joy or sorrow.
A song comes to mind that is sung by CeCe Winans, it starts off like this:
I love You, Lord, For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up, Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I know while she was on this earth Aunt Bobbie praised God every day and now is she is worshipping at His feet for all eternity.