Life Tributes

Johanna Wilhelmina ‘Billie’ Jorgensen July 26, 1944 - February 11, 2023

SAN DIEGO — Billie Jorgensen died February 11, 2023 from cardiac arrest after living a most meaningful life. She was fortunate to be born in a small college town, Easton, Pennsylvania at an ideal time before TV and computers, to loving parents, Erna and Bill Danjczek who were WWII immigrants from Czechoslovakia. Billie’s youth was filled with extensive international travel, great education and activities with her family of five, of whom Tom Danjczek is the only surviving member. Billie met her husband Mark at a fraternity party when she was a junior in high school. Due to her parents’ insistence, that they not to marry until Billie completed college, on June 18, 1966. Billie graduated from Syracuse University with honors with a BS degree in Food and Nutrition and a minor in Chemistry. She won the Bordon Award for outstanding student, and she was awarded membership in Kappa Omicron Nu human science honor society. Billie was accepted to a highly prestigious internship at The Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital, whereupon graduation she was given the Sunkist Award for outstanding research in the field of renal nutrition.

Her first job was with Nabisco in food research as a Registered Dietician. Although Billie continued working as a consultant in food and nutrition, her business career became part-time once her first son, Erik, was born in 1969 which was followed by another son, Kirk, in 1971.

The purpose of Billie’s life changed forever when, she and Mark attended a Catholic retreat called Marriage Encounter. This retreat convinced Billie about the beauty of her marriage and her Catholic faith. From this time forward, Billie was all about promoting marriage and the Catholic faith. She did this nationwide because Mark was always finding a better business opportunity in another state. Incidentally, Erik and Kirk have calculated they each attended eleven schools by the time they graduated from high school. In one location she joined an Adoption Guild, in another she was a CCD teacher, in another she was a eucharist minister, but when she finally arrived in La Jolla, she involved herself in some lifelong spiritual activities that created bonding relationships with friends that brought out the joy of her faith. Billie, Mark and four other couples formed a Catholic Book club that lasted for 24 years. Through Cursillo, she was part of a Ladies’ prayer group that lasted for 25 years. She and Mark were founding members of the San Diego chapter of Legatus which continues to flourish after 25 years. She was instrumental in helping Dr. Bill Creasy launch his first Bible Study in San Diego. She sat on the board of Chuck LiMandri’s organization to defend religious freedom for many years.

Billie was competitive at everything she did; when not involved in Catholic activities or charities

-- she loved to play tennis and after moving to La Jolla she was a serious golfer. When asked how she managed to keep a good marriage, she would answer, “marriage is a decision, you have to decide to live your marriage vows and do it. Period.”Billiesuffered a brain aneurysm three years ago while attending her 10th Napa Institute Conference. Shortly thereafter, the only thing better than staying in La Jolla was to move one last time just 18 miles away to Santaluz, where Erik, Kirk and their families live. Billie was in paradise, walking distance to her whole family, including four grandchildren Will, Erik, Ella and Nate, who visited her often.

The family wants to thank Julie Zulueta, Nieva Javier and the whole team at Love at Home Cares (619) 534-2709, who took amazing care of Billie over these past few years. In addition to her husband, boys, daughter-in-law Julie and four grandchildren, Billie is survived by her younger brother Thomas Danjczek and her sisters-in-law Karen Danjczek, Cynthia Danjczek, and Karen Lewis.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the school associated with Mary, Star of the Sea parish:

Stella Maris Academy; 7654 Herschel Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037 (Tax ID #27-3979509)