Willa Corpening Pye, 90, of Lexington, passed away Friday, September 14, 2018. Born in Hendersonville, NC, on February 6, 1928, she was the daughter of the late William Perkins and Dorothy Redden Corpening.

Willa, fondly called "Billie" by family and friends, loved to dance and was a former USO hostess. She met the love of her life "Bob" Pye while working at Western Union in Richmond, VA. The family moved to Jacksonville, FL in 1967 and then returned to "Bob's" home state of South Carolina, settling in Columbia in 1969.

"Billie" loved her church family, men's quartet music, attending activities of her children and grandchildren, and participating in the family's sport of choice – bowling. Later in life, she had a 23-year career with the US Forest Service. "Billie" took pride in sharing the same birthday with the late President Ronald Reagan. Upon sending the President a birthday card one year, she received an official thank you letter from the White House.

Surviving family members include a daughter, Edna Pye Moore (Eric); son, Robert Wesley Pye; grandchildren, Mary Carolyn Moore, Nicole Moore "Nickie", and Skylar Pye. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Pye was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Donald Pye "Bob".

Services for Mrs. Pye will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, September 21, 2018, at Eau Claire Baptist Church, 4427 N. Main Street, Columbia, SC 29203, with the Rev. Steven Bouknight and Rev. James A. Goudelock officiating. Burial will follow the service at 3:30 o'clock, in Greenhaven Memorial Gardens in Woodruff, SC. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. the evening of Thursday, September 20, 2018, at Shives Funeral Home, Colonial Chapel, 5202 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203.

The family would like to thank the staff of Spence Place, Lexington Extended Care, for their compassionate care of "Miss Willa" these last few years. The family would also like to thank the hospice nurses and her personal aide of MSA Hospice for their loving care these last few months.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, SC Chapter, 140 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 210, Columbia, SC 29210, or to Eau Claire Baptist Church.
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