Billye Mae Jennings Stockton of Little Rock passed from this life on March 16, 2023 at the age of 102.
Billye was born on December 5, 1920 in Conway, Ark. of her parents Eva Wilbanks and Elias Swafford Jennings. She was the granddaughter of H. Park and Tennessee Belle Wilbanks, a pioneering family that settled in Conway Station soon after the end of the Civil War.
She attended Conway public schools where in high school she received, among other honors, “Homecoming Queen,” “Homecoming Class Maid,” “Outstanding Student of 1938,” and “Water Carnival Queen of 1938.” She was also a high school cheerleader for four years. From the age of 10, Billye aspired to be an Interior Designer and planned to go to The Parsons School of Design but the effects of the Great Depression wiped out the family savings. Through the help of neighbors and a part-time job, Billye was able to attend Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA) majoring in Art and Home Economics. There she was also the Sorority Editor of “The Scroll” yearbook and a columnist for “The Echo,” the college newspaper. Billye was also selected as the “Carnival Queen” of 1941.
Billye left college and on December 8, 1941 she began working at New York Life Insurance where she met Harold F. Stockton. Harold had been working in Antigua for a U.S. engineering firm when Pearl Harbor was bombed and after several attempts to return to the states, he finally arrived in July. While visiting friends at that same insurance firm, he met Billye. After a whirlwind courtship, they married on October 8, 1942.
Harold’s eyesight disqualified him from service until 1944 when the Army changed their mind. After Basic, he was sent to Los Angeles for special training. Billye got a job there in a defense plant and just before Harold was shipped overseas, their first son Fleming was born in Hollywood on December 23, 1944. After the war, Billye and Harold moved with their infant son to Little Rock. Billye became pregnant with Kathie in 1947 but tragedy struck and Kathie died shortly after birth. After a few years, sons Mark (1950) and Stephen (1953) joined the family.
From 1955 to 1975 Billye became involved in civic affairs – schools, church, women’s clubs, charities, and politics. She was a PTA officer at Jefferson Elementary, Forest Heights Junior High, and Hall High School. Ultimately she became the Vice President of the Greater Little Rock PTA Council.
During the racial conflict in 1957-58 at LR Central High School, Billye was a member of SOS, STOP, and WEC. These organizations spearheaded the drive for the peaceful integration of LR public schools. Billye is one of the 100 women whose names are commemorated in the solarium of the Decorative Arts Center in Little Rock. Billye also served on the Governor’s Commission on Education during the integration of Little Rock public schools.
Billye loved Little Rock and was deeply saddened by the stain on its national reputation after the 1957-58 school crisis. She entered and won a statewide contest sponsored by CBS, Channel 11, and the Arkansas Democrat to represent Arkansas in a daily column for upcoming programs on CBS. During that time she traveled to New York and Beverley Hills and met with several CBS notables.
In 1960, Billye was elected Vice President of the Greater Little Rock Council of Garden Clubs and was the first chairwoman of HANDS, a city beautification project led by garden club women and sponsored by the Sears-Roebuck Foundation. The project offered $500 seed money to finance efforts that involved citizen improvement of the city through anti-litter campaigns and cleanup/paint-up/fixup efforts. Billye parlayed this into making a movie of a Mayoral tour that would show this progress in post-integration Little Rock. With the help of friends and businesses, including local producer Irving Skipper of Videotone, Inc., John Pounders of Channel 11, and Jason Rouby, head of Little Rock’s Urban Progress, she raised an additional $3500 to make the 20 minute color film “Take a Giant Step.” Billye wrote, directed and produced this movie shown by Urban Progress groups in cities all over the country. It now resides in the Library of Congress and in the University of Arkansas Special Collections Library. In 2007, Tom Dillard of the UofA Library honored Billye at the public screening of the film.
In 1966 Billye became one of the twelve original board members of Youth Home, Inc. and served on the board for nine years. This organization, founded by Carol Burns Smelley has a mission to help low income kids and teens with mental health issues. Billye was asked to organize and manage a resale shop called the Red Door for the next year and a half.
In 1968 she resigned from the Red Door and volunteered to work on Republican Winthrop Rockefeller’s re-election campaign. Subsequently, she worked on two more election campaigns for Democrat Dale Bumpers. Billye was very proud of her Independent political status and worked for the candidates she thought would best serve Arkansans.
From 1975 until May 1997, Billye worked both as a freelance Interior Decorator and an Antiques Dealer. She specialized in authentic period décor and worked on the restoration of many historic homes in the greater Little Rock area.
Billye was a member of Calvary Baptist church for 25 years and then joined Pulaski Heights Baptist church for the remainder of her life.
Billye was predeceased by her husband, Harold, daughter Kathie, and son Fleming. She is survived by her sons, Mark and Stephen, and by her seven grandchildren Zachary, Jessica, Will, Aimee, Alex, Ian and William. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Elegant Creations Event Venue, 6221 Hwy 5, Bryant, Ark., on May 28th at 2 p.m.
Billye lived her life with intention – improving things where she could, marveling at the beauty in the world around her, and believing in the goodness of all people. We all will miss her.

Published May 23, 2023