Joe Billingsley

Joe L. Billingsley, 82, formerly of Fort Worth, passed away on April 17, 2011. At the time of his death, Joe was a resident of Salado where he had resided for seventeen years. Joe was born in Fort Worth on April 9, 1929. His parents were William Walter and Edna Billingsley. He had 10 siblings, all of whom predeceased him. His first wife, Billie Billingsley, and his second wife, Hazel Billingsley, also predeceased him. He married his present wife Ruby in April 2004. Joe is survived not only by Ruby Naylor Billingsley, but also by his three children with Billie Billingsley: Sheryl Ferguson, whose husband is David Ferguson, of Fort Worth, Vickie Prehoditch, whose husband is Tom Prehoditch, of Austin, and Gary Billingsley of Austin. He is also survived by two granddaughters, Debbie Beck, whose husband is Charles Beck, and Shellie Johnson, whose husband is Tim Johnson, each of whom resides in Fort Worth, as well as four great grandchildren.
Joe was a wonderful father, grandfather, husband, friend, and relative. He was largely self taught and was extremely intelligent, imaginative, curious, and creative. He and Billie instilled this same intellectual curiosity in each of their children, all of whom are eternally indebted to their parents for the selfless devotion and love that both parents gave them. Joe worked at General Dynamics in Fort Worth from 1957 until his retirement in 1991 as a logistics supervisor. Beyond this, his interests were so varied as to qualify him as a modern renaissance man with such hobbies as engineering, gemology collecting and faceting gemstones, astronomy, gunsmithing, geology, ham radio operation, gardening, and storm chasing. All of his family and friends will greatly miss Joe, his intellectual curiosity, and his indelible sense of humor.
Joes funeral service will be held at Harper Talasek Funeral Home in Temple at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 21, proceeded by a visitation at the same location at 9:00 a.m. Later that day, a memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Emerald Hills Memorial Park in Fort Worth at the gravesite.
The family wishes that charitable contributions be made to charities of choice in lieu of flowers.

Visitation

HarperTalasek Funeral Home
500 W. Barton Ave.
Temple, TX  76501
Thursday, April 21, 2011
9:00 am 10:00 am

Service

Chapel Service

HarperTalasek Funeral Home
500 W. Barton Ave.
Temple, TX  76501
Thursday, April 21, 2011
10:00 a.m.

Gravesite

Emerald Hills Memorial Park
500 Kennedale Sublett Rd.
Kennedale, TX  76060
Thursday, April 21, 2011
3:00 p.m.

Cemetery

Emerald Hills Memorial Park
500 Kennedale Sublett Rd.
Kennedale, TX  76060

Memorial Contributions