Catherine "Bea" Windham

Catherine “Bea” Windham passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday morning March 2nd in Gulfport, Mississippi. Bea was 80 years old at the time of her death, and was a resident of Long Beach, where she lived since 1970. Bea was born in Gulfport, Mississippi on 10/25/1933 to parents Ida Mae Favre Stephenson and Walter C. Stephenson. She was raised in the Pineville Community, where she attended school, and was an avid tennis player. She was married to and predeceased by Halford “Elroy” Windham Sr., and lived in Pass Christian, where she was the mother of three children, Deborah Ann Bates, Halford E. Windham Jr. and Hugh Gillis Windham. She was a valued and loyal employee of the Harrison County Tax Assessors Office for years, and retired from Hancock Bank after over 30 years of dedicated service. She served Hancock Bank in Pass Christian, Long Beach and Gulfport, and cherished the many colleagues that she worked with throughout the years. In her younger days she would love to ride on the Hancock Bank Mardi Gras float in the Pass Christian Parade, and ironically she passed on that very same day this year. Bea was an outstanding cook, specializing in all types of seafood and soul food dishes, and she loved to watch her New Orleans Saints and Ole Miss Rebels play football each weekend, and loved to watch professional tennis matches. Survivors other than her children are a sister, Delores Jones, a brother, William H. “Buddy” Stephenson, grandson Jeffrey Louis Bates and great granddaughter Isabelle Ann Bates, along with numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins. Services will be held at Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15TH St., Gulfport, visitation Wednesday, March 5, 2014, for family from 9:00 – 10:00 A.M. and friends from 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. with burial immediately following at Live Oak Cemetery in Pass Christian.