Billie Ruth Lewis Mayer

passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at The Harbor House Care Center in Poulsbo, Washington. She was born on April 22, 1925 to Donald and Ella Lewis in Snow Flake, Virginia and was 85 years of age. Billie lived in Oakland, California for 45 years and on Bainbridge Island for 18 years. She graduated from high school at age 16. After secretarial school, she went to work for a general at the Pentagon while going to school at George Washington University. She then decided to go to Hawaii with her cousin, Millie, where she continued to work for the Army, meeting her Navy husband, Bill Mayer. They were married in Washington D.C. in 1948, ending up in the Bay area in California where they lived for the next 45 years. Those years were filled with raising two children, being an executive secretary/Office Manager to the president of the Port of Oakland and the president of Chevron, among others, and traveling the world with Bill. She moved to Bainbridge Island in 1993. She met her companion of later years, Harry, and she continued to dance until the very end. She is now free to continue dancing. Billie is survived by her children; Cheryl (Cecil) Ross of Bainbridge Island and Steve (Jeannette) Mayer of Santa Rosa, CA. She also leaves behind her grandchildren; Chy (Rhonda) Ross of Everett, WA, Jude (Mayuko) Ross of Tokyo, Japan and Rain Ross of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, great-grandchildren Jett and Tula Ross of Everett, WA and her cousin Millie Jones of College Station, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husbands; Bill Mayer and Harry Ward. Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Memorial Service on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 11:00 am at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church on Bainbridge Island. Memorial contributions can be made to the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers or the Alzheimer's Association.