Jeanne M. Willingham

Jeanne M. Willingham, 93 of Pampa, died June 30, 2016 in her home in Pampa. Graveside services will be at 10:00 AM Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, with Chaplain Penny Harvey of Interim Hospice, officiating. Memorial services will be at 10:30 AM, Saturday July 30th at the First Methodist Church, with John Curry, officiating. Jeanne was born May 8, 1923 in Fresno, California to Dr. H.F. and Gladys Ellis Maggart. She lived in California, Fort Worth, and for a short time in Panhandle with maternal grandparents Emmet & Effie Lee Ellis (local pioneers) before moving to Pampa in 1947. She attended Our Lady of Victory College and Academy in Fort Worth and TSCW (now Texas Women’s University) in Denton. She also studied at professional schools of the dance in California, New York, Paris, London, Berlin and Zurich. She opened Beaux Arts Dance Studio in Pampa in 1948 in the Knights of Pythias Lodge, and continued at that location for 61 years. Over 3000 students studied with Ms. Jeanne. Many participated in area groups such as “TEXAS” and Lone Star Ballet. Others received their degree in dance and went on to teach and opened studios of their own. Other students danced with professional companies and Debbie Bray started her own dance company “Austin on Tap”. Jeanne organized and incorporated THE PAMPA CIVIC BALLET in 1972, which currently performs “The Nutcracker” under former student and now director Deanna McGill. In 2009, Ms. Jeanne was honored as Pampa Citizen of the Year for her many contributions to the community. That same year she also received the Golden Nail Award from the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce for her contribution to the arts. She was a long-time member of First United Methodist in Pampa. To the public she will be remembered as a cute, petite lady with a soft voice. For such a tiny person, she had a huge impact on many lives. To her “children” or students she will be remembered as someone that taught not only the disciplines of dance but life as well. She was a strong willed LADY that instilled in them how to be a lady or gentlemen. Good manners were very important to her. She had a great love of dance and felt ballet was the basis for all dance. She also taught other styles of dance including tap, jazz, Spanish, Hawaiian, contemporary, acrobatics and ballroom. For the first 50 years of teaching in Pampa, she remained a student in the summers, usually going to study in California and would return with great new routines and ideas for the next recital. She had no hobbies—dancing was her life. She did love cookies, chocolate and hot coffee. When Ms. Jeanne retired in 2009, she stayed in Pampa to be with her “children” some of which were third generation students. Ms. Jeanne has no living relatives except distant cousins and former local residents Helen Wells, Judy Richards and Jane McDaniel. She is also survived by long-time student/office manager Glennette Goode and friends Dr. Jay and Linda Johnson, all of whom she entrusted with her caregiving in her last years. Her “children” would like to extend a thank you to Lolly Reyes and her fellow caregivers, Serena Reyes, Britnie Cooper, and Tiffany Poling for their loving devotion and pampering of Ms. Jeanne these past 15 months. Memorials may be sent to Jeanne M. Willingham Foundation, PO Box 700, Pampa, Texas 79066-0700 which she had established for the purpose of furthering the arts and life in Pampa.