Billie Thompson, 96, lived life with such gusto and kindness that people of all ages would say, “When I grow up, I want to be like Billie.” A native of Hinkle Creek, Miss., Billie died November 5, 2025, at Baptist Health Paducah after a brief illness.

Born Nov. 26, 1928, Billie grew up on a farm with independence and an adventuresome spirit. After graduating from Biggersville High School where she played on the girls’ basketball team, she moved to Corinth, Miss., to work as a telephone operator and model for a local department store.

She moved to western Kentucky 70 years ago with her husband Ted, her lifelong love and dance partner until his death in 1993. While their two sons, Lennis and Rory “Ro,” attended Paducah Public Schools, Billie was an active volunteer, creating the first cr

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