Llois "MeMe" Blacksher

Llois Laverne “MeMe” Blacksher, 88 of Durham and Hillsborough, North Carolina passed away Sunday December 8, 2024, at Peak Resources Brookshire. 

MeMe was born March 9, 1936, daughter of the late Lloyd Charles Johnston and Jessie Mae Shuler Johnston in San Antonio, Texas. 

While Llois worked for many years as an accountant in the airline food service and industrial paint settings, her favorite job was being a nanny. That’s when she earned her nickname “The MeMe”. That name fit her perfectly, and everyone called her MeMe, from her family and friends to her and her grandchildren’s healthcare providers.

She helped first to raise her beloved grandchildren while living in Texas. She then cared for friends’ boys for quite a while, traveling with them as they moved, until she returned to Texas. In Summer of 1993, Llois had the opportunity to move to North Carolina to help care for the children of her nieces. She looked upon them as her grandchildren too, and they were deeply loved and nurtured by her. After they were grown, she nannied her last baby, the newborn son of dear friends.

Though living in North Carolina at the time of her death, Llois always remained a Texan at heart. Blue Bell ice cream, bluebonnets, and TexMex food (especially tacos) were among her very favorite things. Llois enjoyed arts and crafts, sewing, ceramics, dollmaking, and designing stunning and creative personalized quilts for family and friends. Her artistry and creativity were unsurpassed, and loved ones will treasure her creations, given with love, for many years to come.

Llois loved to travel and visited many areas of the United States, taking long car trips at different times with her best friend, Donna, and her longtime friend, Joan. She was particularly fascinated by the Southwestern US and Sanibel Island in Florida.

Llois will be deeply missed and long remembered and loved. She was a true MeMe to everyone who needed a MeMe, regardless of their age. 

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her son Carl Kenneth Blacksher, Jr.

MeMe is survived by daughters, Ellen McDonald and husband Guy of Georgetown, Texas, Cindy Sechelski of Conroe, Texas; grandchildren, Shaun Buckminster, Mandee Bowers, Katie Aaron-Simon, John Cantrell Saylor, and Gabe Olinga; nieces, Sharlene Simon and Barbara Aaron of Durham and many long time friends. 

A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2025 from 1p to 3p at Hudson Funeral Home, 211 S. Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703. 

In lieu of flowers, MeMe suggested donations be made to CrisisDogsNC, an animal rescue organization close to her heart or to a hospice of the donor’s choice. CrisisDogsNC is a 501©3 nonprofit; the donation link is https://crisisdogsnc.org/donate/