Christie Cordelia Yetunde Bull

Christie Cordelia Yetunde Bull was a woman of deep faith who loved humanity and cherished her family. Until her passing, she was the May/Faulkner family historian. Christie attended the Buxton Primary School at Charles Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone, a school founded by her maternal great-grandfather, Rev. Joseph Boston May, and her secondary education at the Methodist Girls' High School. At the age of 18, Christie experienced the painful loss of her mother. During that difficult time, her father was also ill and unable to care for his seven children. As the eldest daughter, Christie was forced to discontinue her education at the Methodist Girls' High School and assume adult responsibilities at a young age. She migrated to Nigeria with her two younger siblings, Morenike and Olu (both deceased), to care for them under the supervision of her Aunt Etta (deceased).

While in Nigeria, Christie worked at Paterson and Zochonis, commonly known as PZ, a department store with historic roots in Sierra Leone. It was also in Nigeria at age 21 that she met Samuel Wilfred Oluwole Bull (deceased), an honorably discharged World War II veteran who had served as a Flight bomber in the British Royal Air Force. The two quickly fell in love and were married in Nigeria. Their union was blessed with four children: Mimosa, Samuel Jr. (deceased), Christian (deceased), and Ayodeji. In the late 1950s, Christie and her family returned to Sierra Leone to resettle. Life, however, took a different turn, and the marriage did not unfold as planned. Christie was later blessed with two additional children, Hycy and Fitz-Gerald.

Upon her return to Sierra Leone, and in keeping with the tradition of the time, Christie served as a housewife. However, at 35, she courageously entered the professional world. She joined the Post and Telecommunications Office at Tower Hill as a switchboard telephone operator. After approximately 5 years of dedicated service, she was posted to Makeni in the Bombali District, where she served as the Makeni switchboard operator for about 3 years.

Christie later returned to the main Post Office in Freetown and was subsequently called to serve as a switchboard telephone operator at the Presidential State House in Freetown. In this distinguished role as a member of the presidential national security team, she served under two presidents of Sierra Leone: President Siaka Probyn Stevens and President Joseph Saidu Momoh. She continued in service until her migration to the United States of America in 1990. Christie possessed a remarkable memory, especially when it came to telephone numbers. She had the extraordinary ability to memorize government office numbers and connect calls between ministries entirely from memory. Until her final breath, her sharp mind remained one of her greatest gifts, along with her ability to recall important historical facts about her family. Younger family members often called upon her to remember names of ancestors, family events, and details from the past. With clarity and accuracy, she would recall facts, names, and events that helped preserve the family's history.

Christie deeply loved her extended family. She was fiercely protective and would defend any family member with courage and conviction, even when she had only limited, partial, or no information. She loved to dress elegantly, cook generously, and celebrate life joyfully. Whenever she was asked, "How are you?" her response was always filled with faith and confidence: "With Christ in the vessel, I will smile at the storm." For 36 years, Christie traveled across the United States, visiting friends, family, and loved ones. Her life was a testimony of resilience, faith, sacrifice, service, and love. She will be remembered as a devoted mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend, and matriarch whose legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

Children: Mimosa, Ayodeji, Hycy (Gloria), & Fitz-Gerald. Grandchildren: Charles, Lisle, Lynea, Hycy Jr., Deji, Mandela, and Ransford. Great-Grandchildren: Mimosa and Christian. Several Cousins, including: Mrs. Iris Garnet-Smith, Mrs. Morenike Beckley, Mrs. Yomi (Faulkner) Nicol. Sisters-in-Law: Mrs. Annie May-Parker, Mrs. Judith May-Parker. Several nieces and nephews, including: Wilhemina Faulkner, Eustace Thompson, Stella Parker Decker, Verona Parkinson, Glenna Parkinson John, Nigel Parkinson, Isabella May-Cole, Duni Hebron (God Daughter), Adjuwa Williams, Gwen Stuart Mason, Claudia May Harding, Carolina May-Parker, Olabisi May-Parker, Claudius May-Parker, Colin May-Parker, Ola Frazer, Christian Frazer, Giftie Frazer, Yvonne Bobie, Remi Johnson, Adeolu May-Parker, Eugene Beckley, Miriam Beckley, Iyaloday Max-Macarthy, Ekundayo Max-Macarthy, Fumi Max-Macarthy, Charlie Max-Macarthy, Joya Max-Macarthy, Joyce Max-Macarthy, Lemuel Max-Macarthy, & Folukeh Bull, Leah Hammler, Eva Harding, Extended Family: May-Parker, May, Parker, Faulkner, May-Cole, Garnet- Smith, Stuart, Parkinson, Thompson, Beckley, Max-Macarthy, Roberts, Barlatt, Mason, Roy-Macauley, Spencer, Bull, Nicol, Armarty, Max- Macarthy, Vincent, Williams, Richards, Cole, Njai, Coker, Davies, O'Connor, Pratt, Manley, Johnson, Hammond, & James. Several Friends, including Emlyn Norman, Pamela Njai, Arnold Cole, Hannah Massaquoi, Fouad Sheriff, David Cole, Darlington Hebron, Daphne Davies, Teddy Cosia, Teddy Hunter, Elnathan "Okoya" Johnson, Tenneh Sillah, Lucinda Thomas, and the staff, and management at the Juniper Skilled Facility.

A funeral service will be held, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 11:00 AM, at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 258 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow at Gaston Memorial Park.

The South Chapel of Greene Funeral Service is honored to serve the Bull family. Condolences may be made online at: www,greenefuneral.com.