Billie Johnston Kennedy
June 1, 1919 - March 18, 2009
Obituary
Billie Jean Johnston Kennedy
June 1, 1919 – March 18, 2009
Billie was born to Ethel Michie and William Wood Johnston in San Francisco, California on June 1, 1919. When she was very young they moved to Tacoma, Washington, which she always called ‘Home’. She graduated from Stadium High School in 1936, and then attended University of Puget Sound for a year before transferring to her father’s alma mater Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. There she met and was welcomed into the Kennedy family where she found her dearest lifelong friend in Mary Elizabeth Kennedy and her future husband Richard Carroll Kennedy. In 1940 Billie graduated with a degree in Psychology. On July 8, 1941, Billie and Richard were married in the Stanford Chapel. Five months later, their lives were forever altered by the intrusion of World War II. While Richard served in the US Coast Guard overseas, Billie like many young women found herself working in support of the war effort. Because of her remarkable intelligence and keen ability in mathematics, she found herself side by side with draftsmen and engineers designing ships. As the only woman working in a traditionally all male environment, she had to repeatedly prove herself beyond everyone else … and that she did easily. She always talked about her experience in the shipyards with enthusiasm and how the work helped her endure the long and painful aspects of war. At the end of The War she was replaced as most women were and she became Richard’s partner as he restarted his career that took him back and forth across the country. In 1946 Billie and Richard moved to Toledo, Ohio. There in 1947 their son Bill was born. In 1950 they moved to Seattle, where in 1951 Elizabeth was born. They all returned to the east coast for a year where Richard was a professor at Rutgers. In 1952 they moved to Hamilton, Montana where Richard was employed at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory. In 1961 Patricia was born. In Hamilton for 35 years, Billie was surrounded by a wonderful group of friends including many from Rocky Mountain Laboratory affiliations and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She also found her most treasured talent, as a teacher. Always a stickler for academics and studying, she involved herself with her own children’s schoolwork, but it was outside of home where she made the biggest difference. She volunteered in the Hamilton School District as a tutor for those with learning disabilities and special needs. For this, she would want to be remembered. The joy she exhibited was palpable when ‘one of my kids’ succeeded at a task, great or small. In 1998, Billie and Richard moved back to the Seattle area to be closer to their daughters. The last 9 ½ years of her life she shared a home with Patricia and her husband, and there she died surrounded by her children, cats and possessions in the room that was built for just for her.
While Billie was born in a time when most women were ‘housewives’, she was much more than that in the Kennedy household. Her intelligence, quick wit, and passion for learning made her the driving force in the family. She had only three biological children, but she counted so many more. Her tiny kitchen in Hamilton was the gathering place for terrific meals and even better parties and conversations. Once in Seattle, she was able to appreciate the ocean and the fine arts mostly unavailable to her before, — the theatre, ballet, museums, and art. Sometimes it was more fun to watch Billie watch the performance than to watch the performance itself.
Billie is survived by her Son Bill, daughter-in-law Lynn Merz, her beloved grandson Morgan M. Kennedy, Daughter Elizabeth Kennedy Ketcheson and son-in-law Gary Ketcheson, Daughter Patricia Kennedy and son-in-law Tom Padrick and the ‘Padrick’ grandchildren, Tammy, Jeffrey and Jennifer. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, most especially Bobbie Moore and countless ‘adopted’ children.
She leaves behind with all her kids a deep love of words, reading, the arts and learning.
The family would like to thank Carrie Richards, RN and her team from Swedish Hospice, and the hospice volunteers for your care, compassion and respect shown to our mom in her final months. Thank you to Rev. Peter DeVeau for your visits and kindness. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have been so supportive of us for so long. We feel blessed beyond words to have all of you in our lives.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Swedish Hospice – 5701 – 6th Avenue South Suite #404 Seattle, WA 98108 206 386-6602, or the charities administered by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in West Seattle – 3050 California Avenue Seattle, WA 98116 206 937-4545. Mom would especially ask that you donate your time to read a book to a child.
Billie and her family will always have a special place in my heart. I only knew Billie for an short 2yrs. There is a lot of things I will remember about Billie. Her smile, her poems and when she would sing too me the same song over and over again, and I never got sick of it. She love her cats and made sure that I gave them the same amount of wet food each time. This might sound funny to some of you, but everytime I eat cheese and crackers I will not be able to help myslef but too smile, Even Grilled cheese. I think they were some of her favorite foods. I enjoyed sitting at the table eating lunch and looking out the window and watching the face reaction Billie had with that cute smile and saying..”it is so still” She always talked about the tree right in front of her yard, how she loved the color of it. Billie cared for everyone, and loved when people came to visit her. She always loved it when my boyfriend Anthony came to see her. She would have a smile from ear to ear. Billie will be missed, but not be forgotten. When ever I am walking down the street and see a tree not moving any leafs or anything, I will feel Billie by myside….saying “It is so still outside, it is so still” I love you Billie! You had made me part of your family. When we meet up again, we are going to have to eat some cheese and crackers and I would love too hear you sing some more songs to me!
Sue Johnson was kind enough to send me the link to this site. As I read about Billie, I remembered the kindness and friendship both she and Dick showed me during my time in Hamilton 1980-89. It sounds like she enjoyed her last years in Seattle very much; I hope the memories of these happy times will comfort you now that Billie is no longer part of your daily lives.
Dear Liz and Patricia and Family,
I so enjoyed reading all about your mom. What an interesting and wonderful life she led! It is very hard to lose a precious parent. I hope you are comforted in knowing you held her close to you in her last days and gave her the best care. May you now find peace.
Sincerely,
Anna
Swedish Hospice harp