Billie Carroll Hyde

Billie passed from this world to her heavenly home at the Butterfly Wing on May 26, 2019. Billie was born in Leesville, LA in 1935, the sixth girl in a family that grew to seven with the addition of one little brother. She grew up in Baton Rouge, attending Dufrocq Elementary, Baton Rouge Junior High, and graduating from Baton Rouge High School in 1953. Voted "Best Worker" by her classmates, Billie proved them right by putting herself through LSU, where she joined Phi Mu Fraternity. Upon completing her B.A in English, Billie moved to Houston, and later to San Francisco. Upon returning to Baton Rouge, she embarked on a career with DOW Chemical, starting as a secretary in the Baton Rouge sales office. In the early 1970's, when she was asked to again train some new male college graduate in how the sales office worked, she argued successfully that she should be given a promotion and do the job herself. She went on to win numerous awards and recognitions for her successes in several different positions at DOW Chemical, including the sales office and as a shipping coordinator and at the plant in Plaquemine. She finished her career as a "user representative" in development of an SAP computer program to be implemented at DOW plants worldwide. In retirement, she loved travelling in the U.S. and abroad. Before rheumatoid arthritis interfered, she loved to play tennis, ride bikes, and swim. She always enjoyed playing bridge. She demonstrated leadership and service, serving as an officer in any group she joined. She stayed involved with the community throughout her life, with groups like the Pelican Chapter of Civitan, the Baton Rouge Chapter of Ikebana International, and was a founding member of Lagniappe Studies (now OLLI) at LSU. She joined the Camellia Society and was a docent at the Rural Life museum. She loved theater and music, being a season subscriber at various times to the "Hot Nights, Cool Jazz" program at LSU, the LSU Union Theater, Theatre Baton Rouge, and the Baton Rouge Symphony. She was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church, where she enjoyed the "Half-Past Niners" Sunday School class. She loved her family dearly, and maintained lifelong friendships with treasured friends from elementary school days, through her career adventures, to the wonderful "new" friends made in Lagniappe Studies and Ikebana in the last ten years. She still enjoyed lunching with her high school classmates and cheering on the Tigers! Billie was preceded in death by her parents, Jennings Bryan "Jack" Carroll, Sr. and Maggie Aurelia Reid Carroll, sister Maxine Wren and husband Eddie, sister Betty Bowen and husband Don, sister Marie Seals, brother-in law Jim Wilkinson, sister-in-law Debbie Carroll, nephew-in-law Barry Wahlig, and Joseph Hyde. She is survived by her only child Stephanie Hyde, sisters Sue Fain and Patty Wilkinson, brother Bryan Carroll, Jr. and wife Claudia, brother-in-law Bob Seals, Sr., nieces and nephews Linda Wren Wahlig and family, Dr. Eddie Wren and wife Mary and family, Karen Bowen, Karla Bowen Torres husband Dennis Moore and family, Lisa Bowen Sagar and husband Dominic and family, Jack Fain, Jennie Seals, Robert Seals Jr. and wife Barbara and family, Mike Seals and family, Jay Carroll, III and wife Amy and family, numerous great-nieces and great-nephews, and their babies, too! Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Celebration on June 23, 2019 at the Garden Center of the Botanical Gardens at Independence Park in Baton Rouge. Visitation begins at 10, ceremony at 11, reception following. Flowers are welcome, or memorial donations may be made to the cause of choice. Special thanks to Steve Barnes for all of his help. Thanks to the staff and personnel at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, the Baton Rouge General Hospital(s), the visiting ministry of 1st Methodist, and especially The Hospice of Baton Rouge. Arrangements by the Neptune Society.