Obituary of Billy Jo Allen

Billy Jo Allen, much beloved matriarch and rock of our family for 96 years, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 27, 2020 at Bethesda Gardens in Monument, Colorado. Born from the union of Clarence William Preston Breckenridge Heavenhill and Zeffie Dean Peck in Belton Missouri on October 30, 1924, she later married Frank Clarence Allen of St. Louis, Missouri in 1945, an army air corps officer who served his country proudly in World War II and after in the U.S. Air Force.Billy Jo Allen spent over 20 years of her life traveling the world and raising her two children before settling permanently in Colorado Springs, Colorado where together they built a lovely life and raised their family. Billy was preceded in death by her first husband, Frank; her second husband, Russell Mackey of Cimarron, Kansas; her sister, Lorena "Faye" Heavenhill of Phoenix, Arizona; and her son, Michael William Allen of Breckenridge, Colorado. A regular, steadfast and beloved member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs, she leaves many to cherish her memory including her daughter, Dr. Penny Lynn Allen; her son-in-law, Robert L. Embery; her stepdaughter, Pamela Maxwell; her grandsons, Daniel Kirk Maiorca and Douglas Allen Fisk; daughter-in-law, Tonya Fisk; her stepgrandson, Robert K. Embery; and her great-grandchildren, Kristian Maiorca, Annalise Fisk, Rhianna Maiorca, Jack Embery; and many, many friends and acquaintances too numerous to mention from around the Colorado Springs area and beyond. All who knew and met Billy Jo Allen were mesmerized by her kind heart, dignity, grace, determination, wisdom, and open-minded, compassionate soul. In high school Billy Jo worked at Jeeters grocery near her family home, then following high school attended business school in Kansas City, regularly taking the bus in from the family farm at Belton, Missouri. While going to business school she also had a part-time job modeling shoes in Kansas City. She later worked for Hallmark cards both in the office and on the front line, and also as a key punch operator and a switch board operator. Following her numerous travels, upon settling in Colorado Springs she worked for Rocky Mountain Rehabilitation Center where she was known for her kindness, patience, sense of humor and wonderful work ethic. Later in her life, after raising her children, and spending as much time as possible with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, at age 80, and one never to be slowed down, she started a new career as a model for Damen and Draper clothing. We loved teasing her about that and attending the fashion shows where she modeled. She was very active in her church and also served as president of her garden club. We used to joke that her car would drive itself to St Paul's United Methodist Church daily if she didn't go over there to serve others, be it cooking for a reception or coffee, folding bulletins or just helping out with anything that needed to be done. As for her gardening, her roses, perennial beds and vegetables were widely known across the city as an inspiration, a work of art, and items of pure beauty. She was very competitive about her tomato growing and we all had contests each year as to who had the first, the most, and the sweetest tomato of the season. Needless to say, she always won. Billy's cooking was legendary as everything she made was homemade. Each dish always had the freshest ingredients, richest of flavor, and was always made with a dash of love and pure joy for the life she lived and the family she adored. Over the course of Billy Jo's life our family was built, grew and ultimately blossomed around her dining room table where we gathered for many years and many generations. She was loved by everyone she met and was widely known by all to be a caring, kind, loving, generous and welcoming Christian woman. We will always treasure her memory as a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother; the rock of our family and the foundation of whom we have all become. She will be dearly missed by us all and by her many, many friends and acquaintances near and far. The family is very grateful for the compassionate care she received at Bethesda Gardens in Monument, Colorado, in the final years of her life.