Charles James Billingslea

Charles James Billingslea, son of Eugene Billingslea and Leona Walther, went to be with the Lord on January 17, 2021 at age 68. He was born on August 11, 1952 in Little Rock.

He served the University of Arkansas for 36 years beginning as a custodian while taking undergraduate at the same time. Then he served as a skilled electrician and fire alarm tech. His continuous love for education and training helped him to become a master electrician and even served as a foreman at Power Distribution (Physical Plant Division). He ended his career as an arc flash hazard analyst where he spent most of his time working on computer models that analyze arc flash hazard on nearly every building on campus. Upon his retirement in 2014, he continued working on his small-scale rental property in Fayetteville, Arkansas that he and his wife owned and managed since 2002.

In 2008, he finally got his BS in Business Administration degree with a major in Finance at the U of A—Walton College of Business and receiving a grade of A after years of postponing his undergraduate. He was raised as a Lutheran and served as president of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fayetteville for several years, but he and his family joined the Mission Blvd. Baptist Church in March 2019.

Charles spent some of his formative years in Miragoane, Haiti when his dad worked as a mining engineer for Reynolds Company. Then moved to Greenland, Arkansas around four-years-old where he was surrounded by loving families and helped his Grandpa’s chicken farm business as a young boy. He finished his elementary in Greenland school. Due to his dad’s business venture on Beaver Lake, the Copper Mine Lodge, he moved in Rogers, Arkansas and finished his high school in Rogers High in 1970. Coppermine Lodge became his home and kept him busy not just on boating, fishing, and swimming, but also helping his parents on maintenance work, dealing with tourists and showing them the beauty of Beaver Lake, and sharing them information about big fish.

Charles is survived by his loving wife, Alona and two children, Abigail and Hannah. Charles believes that the most important thing he ever did was to find Jesus.

The family would like to thank the people at Shiloh Christian High School for providing them free rides for their daughter while Charles was dealing with his medical issue, the people of Mission Blvd. Baptist Church for their prayers and loving support, the healthcare personnel of Washington Regional Medical Center for their focused service and sensible advice especially at the moment of Charles’ passing and to Dr. Rosenfeld of Highlands Oncology for being around at the same time. Likewise, to his own sister, brother and relatives for their prayers especially to Uncle Bob in California who continuously kept in touch with him with sincere sympathy to fight his cancer.

Last, but not least, to Buddy, his Anatolian Shepherd dog who greeted him with kindness almost daily and his daughter’s Dachshund, Waldo, who truly shows respect, cheer, and entertainment while he was at his home.