Billie Jean White

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend Billie Jean White, Age 86, of Vernal returned home on 11/16/2021. Billie was born on December 2, 1934 in Pecos Texas to Leslie Sawyer Weaks and Violet Lillian (Jones). Her father passed away when she was 7 years old and her mother married Harold Martin and Billie was blessed with a sister when she was 17. She loved her sister Corinne as if she were her own daughter. Billie graduated from high school in Carlsbad NM. She moved to Vernal in 1956 to be with her parents. She worked at the Vernal Express for Mr. Wallace when she met Karl Nye Hodgkinson. The two were married on August 12, 1958 and they had 3 children. GayeLynne Smith, Black River, NY, Karlene (Edgar) Gardiner of Vernal, and Charles (Marenda) Hodgkinson of Vernal. Karl passed in 1981 and eight years later she married Eldon White. They spent over 20 years fishing and watching car races until he passed. She worked at Wildlife Resources for 26 years and loved every minute of it. The guys she worked with were her family and many weekends she would get a call and go down to the office to sell a hunting permit for someone. Then she worked at Water Rights for 15 years and loved the guys that she worked with there very much. She was the office mom to all of them. She always loved working with the public and talking to everyone. She didn't ever meet a stranger because they became a friend instantly. She would call me after going to the store and be so frustrated if she didn't see anyone she knew. She loved her job so much that she kept retiring then going back to work. She ended up retiring 3 times. She was a Pink Lady at the hospital for years. She would also meet with her friends a couple times a week to play games, which they all loved. She also loved attending family dinners, birthday parties, and watching her great grandkids play sporting events which she rarely missed. She loved being a caretaker to many people over the years. She became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in her 70's and loved being a Compassionate Service Leader. She is survived by her 3 children, sister Corinne (Terry) Murray, sister-in-law Ruth Winn, many nieces and nephews, 10 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter. She is preceded in death by both parents, 2 husbands and a grand baby. Funeral services will be held on Monday, November 22, 2021, at 11:00 AM at Glines 3rd Ward Chapel (100 South 495 West). A viewing for family and friends will be held Sunday evening from 6-8p.m. at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home and Monday 9:45-10:45a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the Vernal Memorial Park.