Earlene Shirley Billing

Earlene Shirley Vandercook Billing, 78, of Jonesboro formerly of San Mateo, CA passed away on Saturday morning September 20, 2014 at the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House.

She was born on January 7, 1936 in Oakland, CA to the late Earl and Florence Turner Vandercook. After high school she attended Holy Names College where she earned her Bachelor’s degree, and later she went on to earn her Master’s Degree from San Jose State University in Library Science. She worked for the California school system, and served as the President of the California Librarian Foundation from 1974 to 1975. She also worked with the Ford Foundation Project in the lower economic schools for ten years. She retired from the California school system in 1996, and she continued to live in San Mateo until 2009 then she made the move to Jonesboro to be near her son and his family. After moving to Jonesboro she became a member of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by one sister, Mary June Kembell.

She is survived by one son, Larry Billing and his wife Risa; three grandchildren, Carson, Jackson, Graycen all of Jonesboro; one half-brother, Edward P. Vandercook of Sacramento, CA; one sister, Suzanne Lyman.

Funeral Mass will be at 3pm Thursday, September 25, 2014 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church will Father Jack Vu officiating.  Burial will immediately follow at Holy Cross Cemetery with Emerson Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.