Judy (Rosier) Billings

Hazel Geraldine “Judy” Rosier Billings personified grace. On March 14, 2023, after navigating the many ups and downs of life with dementia, Judy died peacefully surrounded by family.

Judy was born in Edge, Texas, on August 28, 1932, to her beloved parents, Hazel Moore Rosier and William Rosier. She graduated from Bryan High and received her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology at Southwestern University.

On her first day at Southwestern, Herb Billings walked her home from church and, as they say, the rest is history. Judy and Herb were married on August 5, 1955, and had six children: Kathy, Kellye Kidd (Jonathan), Leigh Anne Frazier (Tim), Lisa, Michelle Billings Kinder (Patrick), and Marshall. She was madly in love with her grandchildren: Anna, Victoria, and Denis Kidd; Austin, Kelsey, and Grace Frazier; and Maya and Sophia Kinder. Her legacy continues with her great-grandsons: Marshall Frazier and Luke Kidd.

Judy and Herb spent over 30 years in Guatemala as missionaries and count the many friends they made there as family.

If you knew Judy, you loved and admired her. She embodied her faith and impacted many with her love, care, and sense of humor. She experienced more than her fair share of loss, which fueled her commitment to gratitude and joy. She cherished a sign in her home that read, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” She loved the saying, “this too shall pass,” and taught us not to take anything too personally, the bad stuff or the good stuff.

She was a fierce and strategic card player. Her favorite games were Garbage, Phase 10, and Skip-Bo. She loved coffee, Diet Dr. Pepper, and vanilla ice cream with fresh peaches. She addressed regular letters to her family with the salutation ‘Dear Ones.’ She loved her friends wholeheartedly and knew how to stand steady with a ready smile, a generous laugh, and razor-sharp perspective. She never stopped feeling married to her sweetheart, Herb, even though he preceded her in death by over 30 years, just days after they celebrated 33 years of marriage.

Judy is also preceded in death by her children, Kathy, Lisa, and Marshall; her sister, Elaine Miller; and her parents, Hazel and William.

We deeply thank her caretaker, Hilda Espinosa, and her husband, Joe, who loved mom like family. Hilda cared for Judy like a daughter, and Judy loved her as one. We gained a sister.

On Monday, March 20, 2023 at 11:00 am, a graveside service will celebrate Judy’s remarkable life at New Church Cemetery in Edge, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the hospice or organization of your choice that brings joy or lightens the load of others - as Judy did every day of her life.

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