Mary Ballard Shipman's Obituary
Beloved Mother and Grandmother
Mary Ballard Shipman of Sterling, VA passed away on March 25, 2010 at the age of 81 in Pittsburgh, PA, at her daughter’s home. She was born on February 12, 1929 in Lumberton, NC to Lucy Mills and David Ballard. She spent the first 13 years of her life in Lumberton before leaving to attend boarding school. She spent her summers working in North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia and New York. After graduating from high school, she earned a BA in education at North Carolina Central. She married Edward Shipman and had four children. Mary eventually went on to earn her master’s degree at Virginia Tech. She was an intelligent, innovative, compassionate woman who became an exceptional teacher. Early on in her career she taught in Richmond, Virginia, and then moved on to Fairfax County Public Schools, where she served for 32 years. Her sincerity shined through as she embraced and helped so many students – many who will remember her for the rest of their lives.
She is survived by her four children: Edward, David, Carol and Yvette; a sister Margaret Moreno of Bronx, New York, and a brother, James Burton as well as a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
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