Doris Mae Tiblier

Doris Mae Necaise Tiblier, August 16, 1935 – December 2, 2023.

An uncommon woman – Doris, Mom, Grandma Doris, Doris Mae, and Aunt Mae-Mae, quietly entered heaven to reunite with the first and only love of her life, Billy Tiblier. Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Billy, and parents Sennie and Quillie Necaise.

Born to a cannery worker and a fishing boat captain in 1935 in Biloxi, Mississippi, Doris was an only child. Her favorite memories were those spent with her grandparents and cousins on weekends and during the summer when she was young. Doris graduated from D'Iberville High School in 1953 and married her high school sweetheart in 1955. A decade later, they moved to Los Angeles, California, returning to the Gulf Coast in 1976.

Doris Mae was known for her cooking, gentle nature, sneaky humor, and her family was everything to her. She embodied the words devotion, love, and grace. She loved Mardi Gras, Saturday night mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with in-laws (followed by dinner together), and Christmas at home with her family. Grandchildren filled her heart and soul for more than forty years, then her great-grandchildren. She instilled a love of found family, good food (especially crabmeat po'boys and banana pudding), music, reading, and a love of dogs into her children. This has been passed down all the way to her great-grandchildren. She encouraged imagination, education, playtime, music lessons, and friendship. Without knowing it, she taught the concepts of faith just by being herself. Funny thing, Mom had an unshakeable faith in God, but she wasn’t particularly religious. She attended multiple churches through her life and became a Catholic in her late fifties.  

Bruce and Dawn grew up with strict rules and high expectations, but as Doris was an only child, she made her own rules for raising her children. By accident, she created two open-minded, unapologetic adults over fifty who still read too much and listen to music too loud. She reveled in laughter and loved a glass of wine. Without conscious thought, she taught her children how to love, how to care, when to fight, when to take a break and have fun, and when to walk away. Those who paid attention to her subtle wisdom learned diplomacy, negotiation, compromise, and the art of holding a grudge when all else fails and the bridge has burned. A force to be reckoned with when crossed, she was the only human in existence to have the last word in an argument with Billy Tiblier, redirecting him with a sentence or two. Rarely did these disagreements end in his favor, and he bought her flowers to apologize every single time.

Through hardship, joy, earthquakes, grief, hurricanes, and birthday parties, she and Billy were married for sixty-three years after meeting at age fourteen. They were each other’s first and only love. They were parted in 2019, and her broken heart never mended. Miss Doris wasn’t famous or wealthy, but her remarkable personality and compassionate nature reminded you that you were loved. Whether those relationships were blood family or friends, she gave those who knew her so much love that it will never leave them.

Doris Mae Necaise Tiblier is survived by her children, Bruce (Lucinda) Tiblier and Dawn (Robert) Rebarchik; grandchildren Matthew (Tanya) Tiblier and Lindsay (Jamie) Martin; and great-grandchildren Guinevere and Eleanora. Doris is also survived by a rag-tag group of her found family including her children’s best friends and college roommates, who are left to treasure memories of her sense of humor and affection and advice provided to “her darlings” over the years.

A Celebration of Life will be held Wednesday, December 6, 2023, visitation at 1:00 p.m. at Riemann Funeral Home, 13872 Lemoyne Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39532, and service at 2:00 p.m., with private graveside service to follow. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to your local library system, humane society, or favorite charity.

The Riemann Family Funeral Home in West Jackson County, is honored to serve the Tiblier.  Please share memories, condolences, and photos with the family at www.riemannfamily.com