Billie Jean Miller Dunn

SAN ANGELO Born in Clinton, Okla., March 7, 1926. Daughter of Belva Hogue Miller and Katie MacAbee Miller. She lived her first 18 years in Clinton, then met and married a naval pilot who was training there, Willam (Bill) F. Dunn Jr., April 1, 1944. She moved to Vero Beach, Fla., and then returned to Clinton while her new husband went to war in the Pacific. He returned and she gave birth to Willam (Chip) F. Dunn III on Aug. 27, 1945, in Clinton. Following the war and the birth of their first child, she lived with her young family in Providence, R.I., Baltimore, Pensacola, Fla., Scranton, Pa., and New Orleans. Her husband was then called up to serve in the Korean War and she moved to San Diego to be there as he embarked and returned with the Pacific fleet.  On Dec. 2, 1950, she gave birth to their second child, Michael L. Dunn. Following the Korean War, she lived with her husband and their two sons on the West Coast, from San Diego to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, to Portland, Ore., and the San Francisco Bay area (probably her favorite part of the world). The family moved inland to a small town in New Mexico in 1957, so that Billie and her husband could go into business with her parents in Tucumcari. There, on Aug. 1, 1958, she gave birth to their third child, Paul R. Dunn. After three years in New Mexico, the family "settled" in Amarillo, Texas, again going into business with Billie's family. In Amarillo, Billie gave birth to their daughter, Anne C. Dunn (now Hardegree), on Dec. 20, 1964. She and Bill migrated back to the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest as they raised their kids. Finally they truly settled in San Angelo in 1973, and she remained here the rest of her life. Billie was married to Bill Dunn for 48 years, until his death in 1992. She supported him in his real estate and other business ventures, but also developed her own health food and supplement business as a distributor for Shaklee Inc. She created for herself great success in Shaklee as a salesperson, but more importantly to her, as an educator in nutrition. She was as strongly committed to improving quality of life through healthy living and eating as one could be and her dedication to the notion of helping people live a better quality life through healthy eating habits became a guiding principle throughout the last half of her life. She remained active with her family and community until she was no longer able to live independently. She was a member of Holy Angels Catholic Church and Women's Organization. She devoted much of her free time to the dedicated study of the Order of the Franciscans. She was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and volunteered regularly at the San Angelo Visitor Center. Although she lived in San Angelo for 33 years, she was an active member of the Newtimer's group, welcoming new residents and cultivating friendships. She could find beauty anywhere: in her kids' and grandkids' smiles and accomplishments, in sunsets on the beach in Mexico or at the lake here in San Angelo. Billie was preceded in death by her mom and dad, Belva and Katie Miller; her brother, Belva Miller Jr.; her son, William (Chip) Dunn; and her husband, William F. Dunn Jr. She is survived by her sons, Michael and Paul Dunn; her daughter, Anne Hardegree; and by Terry Dunn, Margie Dunn and David Hardegree, daughters and son-in-law; and by a bunch of grandkids, David Dunn, Joseph Dunn, Aaron Dunn, Sarah Dunn, Joshua Dunn, Rebecca Hardegree, Willam (Bud) Dunn, Matthew Hardegree and Caroline Dunn. She is also survived by her great-granddaughter, Aspen Katherine Dunn. We miss her and will miss her for years to come, but we know she is in the arms of her loving Jesus, in whom her faith was ever-present and strong and she is, at last, reunited with her Bill and Chip. She died peacefully in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. This is a woman whose life is truly complete. Family and friends may sign the online register book at johnsons-funeralhome.com. Rosary service will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 13, 2010, in Johnson's Funeral Home chapel. Memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010, at Holy Angels Catholic Church with the Rev. Charles Greenwell presiding.