Obituary of Jane Billings

Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and Scottsdale, Arizona

Life Partner of Steven N. Kreisman

Jane Ellen Billings, 73, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2026.  She was born on May 6, 1953 in Bedford, IA to Robert and Mildred Stacy. Jane attended Simpson College in Indianola, IA and earned her teaching degree. She moved to Colorado in 1977 and later went on to receive her master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado.  She welcomed her only child (Jennifer) in 1981.

Jane was an intellectual at heart and would have happily spent her entire life attending college and adding degrees to her wall. Since being a professional student does not pay the bills, she did the next best thing and spent her career as an educator. From her early days as a speech, poetry, and language arts teacher to the end of her career as principal of Valley High School in Gilcrest, Colorado, the constant drive for Jane was the importance of our public education system and her desire to be part of making it better.

She was unapologetically supportive of the social causes she believed in and stood up for those who couldn’t for themselves. Yet she believed in Civil Discourse and was furious with the decline of that most basic tenet of our country in recent years.  Those who knew her best will miss her wit, her intellect, her book reviews, and her many stories.

Jane’s life began a wonderful new chapter on September 27, 2005 when she met Steven Kreisman in person at the in-between city of Longmont, Colorado. Introductions were courtesy of modern computer dating. Both considered the date a longshot.  Steven agreed to the date without seeing a picture of Jane but liked their introductory phone contact.  Jane’s friends urged her to accept the date even though CPA types can be boring and Steven’s picture was of him in a thirties-forties suit with his foot on the bumper of his 1941 Cadillac Convertible.  Sparks flew on that special evening and they have been together ever since.  They enjoyed conventional traveling as well as participating in organized travel vacations driving their Old Cars, spending lots of time at their Arizona home, getting together with friends, arguing about politics, and the joy of grandchildren.  Sunday morning drives including brunch were very special to her.  Jane was promoted to the role of Nana in 2008 and 2013 with the births of her granddaughters Elizabeth and Katherine who provided an unending source of joy in her retirement years.

 After retirement from teaching, she worked part time in Steven’s CPA practice as research manager, continued her gardening hobby, and loved being with Steven’s family in Denver, Chicago, Scottsdale and Wichita and her daughter’s family in Cedar Rapids. Jane loved shopping and reading.

Jane is survived by her Life Partner, Steven Kreisman; her daughter, Jennifer Jensen of Marion, Iowa; her two granddaughters, Elizabeth and Katherine Jensen of Marion, Iowa; her sister, Julia Stacy of Bedford Iowa; Mark and Karin Kreisman and grandchildren Natalie and Reed Kreisman of Deerfield, Illinois.

Chapel Service, Sunday, 7/26/26. 1:00 PM Temple Emanuel; Interment Emanuel Cemetery;

Shiva afterwards. Directions to be provided at the service.

Livestream available on Feldman Mortuary YouTube Channel.