Rodger Billingsley

Memorial service for Rodger Louie Billingsley will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday, December 15, 2008 at Walker Funeral Home Chapel in Gillette, Wyoming with Bill Morel of the Family Life Church officiating, inurnment will follow at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery, Gillette, Wyoming. Military honors provided by American Legion Post #42. Rodger Billingsley passed away, Friday, December 5, 2008 at Campbell County Memorial Hospital following an extended illness. Rodger was born April, 1941 in Salem, Illinois to Louie and Christine Billingsley, he was the fourth of six children. His family moved several times before making their home in Casper, Wyoming in 1951. He attended St Johns Military School in Salina, Kansas and Natrona County High School in Casper WY. While attending school he worked as a camera operator for KWTO TV in Casper. He joined the Army Signal Corp where he obtained his GED. He spent most of his enlistment in Japan where he picked up some of the language which he enjoyed using when he answered the phone. After his military service he attended college at Western Kentucky State and Casper College and worked as a copyboy for Casper Star-Tribune. He met Jim Nisselius from Gillette and spent his summers in Gillette working on the oil rigs. He met Pat Benton and they were married November 22, 1969. Rodger worked for several oil companies including Dowell, Sun Cementing, and Bison Acid & Frac., and Basic Energy Service in Gillette, as well as custodian at the old Central Junior High School which was located where Gillette City Hall is now located and seasonal mower operator for Campbell County Road and Bridge. His hobbies included photography, computers and electronics. Rodger was a gun enthusiast and enjoyed shooting sports. He enjoyed the outdoors and spending time maintaining the family homestead in Crook County. He derived the most enjoyment from helping others whenever a helping hand was needed. He was a regular blood donor until medication forced him to withdraw from donating blood. He was an organ donor upon his death. Rodger is survived by his wife, Pat of Gillette; brothers, S.Wayne Billingsley of Maryland; Stanley M. Billingsley of Kentucky; sisters, Yvonne Warshauer of Lakewood, Colorado; Carolyn Cockle of Seattle, Washington; brothers-in-law, Phillip M. Christophers of Douglas, Wyoming; Clayton J. (Jane) Benton of Loveland, Colorado; and several nieces and nephews including Marlys Nelson of Gillette, Wyoming. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Mary Ann Richards. A memorial has been establish in Rodgers name to benefit the Gillette Soup Kitchen and memorials can be sent to the Walker Funeral Home at 410 Medical Arts Court, Gillette, Wyoming 82716. Condolences can be sent via the internet at www.walkerfuneralgillette.com.