Billie Lea Woodward, 95, passed peacefully on Monday, January 1, 2024, in Manhattan, KS.
Billie was born in Dresden, Kansas on March 4, 1928, to Benjamin and Montana Bowman. Billie married the love of her life, Philip D. Woodward (1928-1992) in December of 1949 and was blessed with two children, William Ben Woodward (1951-2021) married to Mary Ann Woodward and Susan Lea Baxter married to Steve Martin Baxter. She was a loving grandmother (GB), to five grandchildren, Jenni Runyan, Lindsay Dunn, Jessa Peterson, Taylor Woodward, and Kassie Jobgen. She was blessed with eight great-grandchildren, Remington, London, Scarlett, Chandler, Indie, Crew, Beckham, and Charlotte.
Billie attended Colorado Women’s College and graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. Degree in Home Economics in 1950. She studied voice and sang in University Chorus and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Billie was active in the Manhattan Community dedicating her life to helping others, contributing to the growth of the community, donor and supporter of Kansas State University and the local arts and music scene. Billie had a deep passion for music and sang in the First Presbyterian Church Choir for 64 years. Additionally, she was involved in The Manhattan Civic Choral, The American Symposium for Choral Music, The Manhattan Arts Council, The Kansas State University Alumni Creative Arts Board, and the Master Teacher Institute for the Arts.
Her other passions included spending time with family, culinary arts, entertaining, and traveling. Billie was a happy, influential, and compassionate woman who will be deeply missed.
The visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 9th from 4:30 until 6:00p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 801 Leavenworth in Manhattan.
Funeral services will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, January 10th at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, an expression of sympathy may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Music Guild or KSU Cancer Research Philip D. Woodward Fund. Contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.