Obituary for Richard W. (Josh) Billings
Richard W. (Josh) Billings died on January 16th. He was born on November 3rd, 1927 to Warren C. Billings and Edith Keeler Billings, in Rome, New York. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Patricia Blomfield-Brown Billings, two daughters, Spencer Nineberg and Hope McCulloch, a son-in-law, Allen Nineberg M.D. and four grandchildren, Bay McCulloch, Lucas McCulloch, Sam Nineberg and Henry Nineberg. He is also survived by a brother-in-law, Michael Bromfield Brown, a sister-in-law, Pema Chodron, and a very good group of nephews and nieces.
Josh graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1949 and with a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1952. He arrived in Providence a month after graduation and went to work for, what was then Hinckley, Allen, Salisbury and Parsons and is now Hinkley, Allen and Snyder. He remained there until his retirement. It was an association he enjoyed very much.
He served on many boards and committees in the Providence community. While serving as moderator of the First Baptist Church in America, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. gave the church half a million dollars for a complete restoration of the building, which had fallen into some disrepair. While Josh was president of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, they received a large grant from the Ford Foundation to expand their program. Both enterprises took a lot of time and effort but were, as Josh said, “a lot of fun”.
He loved to ski. He enjoyed tennis and golf, but he really loved to ski. The family went to Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H. every winter weekend for many years. In later years the venue changed to Alta, Utah, where vacations were spent for a few years and then, after retirement, all winter.
And he loved to travel. He and Pat traveled extensively in the United States and explored much of the world.
And last, but far from least, he loved his dogs. He loved them all but particularly Wilhe. We like to think they’re up there in the clouds, chasing each other around. We know Wilhe was glad to see him.
There will be a Memorial Service on May 19th at 11:00 am in the First Baptist Church in America.
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Josh graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1949 and with a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1952. He arrived in Providence a month after graduation and went to work for, what was then Hinckley, Allen, Salisbury and Parsons and is now Hinkley, Allen and Snyder. He remained there until his retirement. It was an association he enjoyed very much.
He served on many boards and committees in the Providence community. While serving as moderator of the First Baptist Church in America, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. gave the church half a million dollars for a complete restoration of the building, which had fallen into some disrepair. While Josh was president of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, they received a large grant from the Ford Foundation to expand their program. Both enterprises took a lot of time and effort but were, as Josh said, “a lot of fun”.
He loved to ski. He enjoyed tennis and golf, but he really loved to ski. The family went to Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H. every winter weekend for many years. In later years the venue changed to Alta, Utah, where vacations were spent for a few years and then, after retirement, all winter.
And he loved to travel. He and Pat traveled extensively in the United States and explored much of the world.
And last, but far from least, he loved his dogs. He loved them all but particularly Wilhe. We like to think they’re up there in the clouds, chasing each other around. We know Wilhe was glad to see him.
There will be a Memorial Service on May 19th at 11:00 am in the First Baptist Church in America.
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