Darlene Alice Whitehurst

Darlene Bates Whitehurst March 24,1947 - May 29, 2025 Darlene Bates Whitehurst passed away Thursday May 29th in Mobile, Alabama. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband Emory Donald Whitehurst. Never did a couple suit each other more. Anyone who saw them dancing after midnight to old 50’s music and the sound of crickets knew they were meant to be and it's fitting that they were united in heaven on his birthday. Her youngest son, Wayne Allen Cliburn, also proceeded her in death. We know that he and her beloved brother Denny were waiting to greet her as well. She is survived by her children Ronda Stabler, Ronnie (Donna) Cliburn, Kim (Brinson) Cross, Lisa (Jody) Irby, and Shelly (Troy) Gorlott, 14 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and countless “adoptive” family members and friends. Many knew her as Nanny, a loving, kind, and generous woman who always left space for those she loved and those who needed her love. You didn't have to be her biological child for her to love and mother you. You didn't have to be anything special for her to see and include you. A talented seamstress, florist, cook, and baker it seemed like she could do anything. One of the things she was most proud of were the beautiful Mardi Gras trains she created and sewed by hand, some of which you can see today in the Mardi Gras Museum in Mobile. Her most prized ones being the ones she created for her granddaughters when they had their reigns as Mardi Gras queens. The time she spent sewing, crafting, cooking, and baking was often in the company of her children and grandchildren. These talents she passed on to her family and they live in them in addition to her spunk, humor, and firecracker personality. She loved to tell stories of her loved ones and her life experiences and the tales were often punctuated with her delighted cackle of laughter. She loved life, lived every second to the fullest, and never let the losses drown her. She lost parents, siblings, a husband, and a child but although each loss left its mark, her eyes never lost their gleam. You never left her presence not feeling loved and knowing that you had a place with her. The world will be darker without her in it but there is laughter, love, and life left in the remembrance of her and her legacy. Her love will never die. Services to celebrate her life and legacy will take place on Tuesday June 3rd at Serenity Funeral Home’s Event Center from 4-8pm with a service and prayer at 6pm.

Tributes

Darlene Alice Whitehurst

March 24, 1947 - May 29, 2025