Jean Marie Billbe-Menendez

Jean Marie Billbe-Menendez passed away at the age of 89 on May 12, 2026, in Kirkland, Washington.  At the time of her passing, she was a resident of Brittany Park Retirement Community in Woodinville, Washington.

Jean Marie was a kind and loving person of quiet Christian faith. She was easy to like and even easier to love. Naturally optimistic and upbeat, she maintained a positive outlook even in challenging times. She worked hard and always strove to be the best person she could be—and she truly was.

Jean Marie was born on January 7, 1937, in Chanute, Neosho County, Kansas. She graduated from high school in the spring of 1954. Later that year, on October 3, 1954, she married Melvin Lee Billbe of Earlton, Wilson County, Kansas. They shared 41 years of marriage until his passing in 1995. Jean was preceded in death by her brother Frank William Bright and her parents, William Lonzo Bright and Lillian May Walt.

Jean is survived by her brother Richard Bright and her three children: Ted Delloyd (Sheila) Billbe; Sandra Marlene (Francesc) Billbe Macip; and Gregory Scott (Yvette) Billbe. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored.

After their marriage, Jean and Melvin moved to Wichita, where Melvin worked for The Boeing Company. In 1962, they left Kansas and began a cross-country journey with Boeing that took them first east, then south, and finally west, ultimately settling in Seattle, Washington—far from their Midwest roots.

In Seattle, Jean Marie joined Boeing, where she built a successful career in the industrial engineering organization at a time when the workplace was overwhelmingly male. She never made a point of highlighting her achievements, instead taking quiet pride in her work. Her professional success reflected the same dedication and strength she brought to every part of her life.

Jean Marie found immense joy in her family and friends, to whom she was deeply devoted. She was fortunate to share her life with two loving husbands—Melvin Billbe and later Louis Menendez—both of whom preceded her in death.

In her later years, Jean Marie carried herself with the same caring, positive, and adventurous spirit. Even as her sight and hearing diminished, she greeted everyone with a genuine smile. She remained thoughtful, interested in others, and deeply appreciative of the time she shared with those she loved most.

Jean Marie passed as she lived, surrounded by family and friends.

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