Obituaries

Patsy Ann Lewis-Billingsley was born November 1, 1953, to proud parents Johnnie and Evelyn Lewis in Helena, Arkansas. Patsy was baptized and attended First Baptist Church in West Helena, Arkansas. Later in life, she joined and attended New Haven Missionary Baptist Church in West Helena, Arkansas.

Patsy graduated from Central High School in Helena, Arkansas in 1971. She graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1975.

During Patsy’s work career she worked for the West Helena Police Department as a Patrol Officer for 4 years. She taught elementary education in Lee-Monroe County School System in Marianna, Arkansas for 2 years. She then began teaching at Central High School in the Helena-West Helena Public School System in the Special Education Department. She taught for 35 years where she positively impacted the lives of numerous young students and received various accolades and proclamations for her outstanding contributions to student achievements.

When Patsy retired, she tutored and mentored community children for several years. She was asked to come out of retirement to serve as the Director of Special Education in the Helena Public School System for a year.

Patsy was a loving and caring woman with a heart of gold and to know her was to love her. She enjoyed listening to music, playing dominoes and cooking. She was outgoing and widely regarded as the life of the party.

She was a loving wife and proud mother and grandmother, providing a wonderful home life filled with life’s lessons which were passed down to her. She had a straight-forward approach to life and told you what she thought you needed to know. Her philosophy was “just get it done”. Patsy was a loyal and giving friend. Her circle of friends was not extensive but if you were her friend, “YOU WERE HER FRIEND.”

Patsy was married to her loving husband David Billingsley. They were together for 45 years. She was preceded in death by David. She was also preceded in death by her loving parents Johnie and Evelyn Lewis, her younger sister Deborah Lynn Hill, her younger brother Ezra Dion Lewis, her sister-in-law Rubye Patterson, her uncle Lubin Henry, her aunts Rubye Williams, Carrie Cooper and Pearl Duncan.

She leaves to honor and cherish her memory her beloved and loving daughter Keona Henderson of Pine Bluff, AR and her beloved and loving son Daruis Billingsley of Fort Worth, TX, her loving brother Johnny Patterson of Olympia Fields, IL and her loving sister-in law Michelle Lewis of Fort Worth, TX. She leaves her uncle Winsley Henry and aunts Rosetta Ester and Wanda Smith. She also leaves her beloved granddaughter Kiarra Billingsley and her beloved grandsons Darius Billingsley Jr., Devonte Billingsley, Dimitrik Billingsley, and De Kerian Billingsley. She also leaves her beloved nieces Aller Gause, Jasmine Johnson, Sequioyah Kines and Barbara Davis, her nephews Eugene Gause, Marcus Patterson and Sean Patterson. She leaves close friends Linda Faye Franklin, Minnie Bell-Williams, Dorothy Spencer, Diana Linsey, Carolyn Turner, Laquana Green, and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and very dear friends.