Billie Mae Swatek

Billie Mae (Hall) Swatek was born December 13, 1925 in Narden, Oklahoma. She lived in Oklahoma City for most of her adult life, moving to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2003. She died January 11, 2010 in Little Rock. Billie graduated from Central High School in Oklahoma City and attended business college. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi. She worked as a medical assistant in the 1950's and served as president of the Oklahoma State Medical Assistant Society. She was a homemaker while her children were growing up and was active in the Big Sisters organization. She became a realtor in 1983. She began her beloved avocation of playing duplicate bridge in 1965 and reached the status of gold life master. She served as president of the Sooner Unit Bridge Club in both 1975 and 1992. She was a lifetime member of the American Contract Bridge League National Goodwill Committee. She was the recipient of the Wilbur Henke Award in 1992. She inspired her son to play bridge, and they had a wonderful partnership. Billie enjoyed spending summers at Grand Lake with her family. She was an avid fan of live horseracing and in recent years enjoyed going with her daughter to Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Arkansas every Saturday during racing season. In one of her lighter moments in the early 1960's, she danced on a grand piano at the Playboy Club in Chicago. She will always be affectionately remembered by her daughter as "Muzzy." She was a long-time parishioner of St. Joseph's Old Cathedral in Oklahoma City and was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church in Little Rock. She leaves her two children, Stephen Swatek and his wife, Kathy, of Kansas City, MO and Susan Schaefer and her husband, Jack, of Little Rock, AR and one granddaughter, Jessica Swatek of Kansas City, MO. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William K. Swatek and her mother, Ada Evelyn Wallace. Billie will be greatly missed by her family who loved her dearly.