Billy Jean Vanderpool

Billy Jean Vanderpool lost her battle with cancer on May 17, 2018. She was 81. Billy Jean Sonday was born in Phoenix, Arizona on November 17, 1936. Her father named her after the celebrated evangelist, Billy Sunday. She was raised in the greater Los Angeles area. Billy loved sharing stories of her childhood memories of Los Angeles, especially that her parents owned the Crossroads of the World restaurant in Hollywood during the early 1940’s. Billy was the widow of fallen Palos Verdes Estates police sergeant V. Thomas Vanderpool, EOW 2/14/1994. Billy and Tom were married on Valentine’s Day in 1958 and raised their family in south Torrance. It was here that Billy became active with the Girl Scouts as a troop leader, district trainer, and the director of the Mojave Primitive Encampment. The training program she created, Meet Mother Nature, was well received by the Angeles Girls Scout Council during the 1980’s. Billy enjoyed her career as a medical technologist for over 55 years. After graduating from Long Beach State College, she trained at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange and went on to become a manager of both private and public hospital clinical laboratories. She lived in La Mirada for the last 20 years. In recent years, one of Billy’s favorite activities was heading off to the local casinos to play video Four-Card-Keno. She also looked forward to traveling with her two daughters, Kathleen Vaderpool and Debra Lujan, and spending time with her two grandchildren, Alexis Lujan and Max Lujan. A graveside service will be held 2:00PM, Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at Green Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.