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Billie Kamananipilialoha Dysinger, popular Ramstein Educator and cherished friend, wife, and mother passed away Sunday, Aug 5 after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.
A native of Hawaii and imbued with an intrepid island-girl spirit, Billie entered the world on Nov. 28, 1977 in Honolulu and never once paused for breath as she travelled the planet as a Department of Defense teacher. A compassionate and enthusiastic advocate for children, she was noted for her extensive work with struggling readers and instructing her fellow teachers on the core fundamentals of literacy and differentiation. Well-known and respected throughout the community, a beaming smile and fierce hug in greeting were her patented trademarks for students, colleagues, friends, and strangers alike.
Hers was a life marked by a belief that love conquers all, and Billie lived each and every day with an unbridled enthusiasm and positive spirit that impacted all those around her, including her teenage sweetheart and husband of seventeen years Richard. From their first date in high school until their final moments together, theirs was a storybook romance defined by laughter and love, all of which carries on in their treasured son Logan.
A graduate of the University of California at Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and teaching credential from California State University, Sacramento, Billie also earned a master’s degree in Education and was a doctoral candidate at Durham University, U.K. with a research focus on differentiated educational practices. Her teaching career took her from the urban sprawl of Title I schools in Sacramento, Calif., to the rural fields of Iwakuni, Japan, before embarking on European assignments in Heidelberg and finally Ramstein. A steadfast believer in DoDEA’s mission to serve military-connected families, Billie felt great pride and satisfaction in her work on military bases across the world.
Billie is survived by her soulmate Richard, son Logan, parents Henry and Diane Judd of Oregon, brothers Robert of California and Happy of Hawaii. However, her extended family includes the hundreds of children she helped teach, her DoDEA colleagues, and the legion of friends she leaves behind.
Please join us in celebrating her uniquely beautiful life on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. in the Northside Chapel on Ramstein Air Base. Light refreshments will be served following the service at the Cannon House.
In lieu of flowers, attendees may choose to donate a new, hardbound children’s book to create a special reading nook within the Ramstein Elementary school library to honor Billie’s enduring passion for literacy. You may bring the dedicated book to the Memorial or there will also be a collection box at RES. Please note, you do not need to donate a book to attend; your presence is gift enough to Billie and her family.
