Say hello to Leigh & Roger Billingsley. They’ve lived in Bentwater for 8 years, and given that they’ve lived in 11 states over their 37 years of marriage, they’re settling down, having chosen Bentwater as their forever home. But why all the relocation? Well, Leigh hails from Glastonbury, Connecticut and Roger grew up in Goreville, Illinois, but their careers in the package goods industry took them everywhere else. They’ve been involved in product research & development, brand marketing, and business strategy working with and creating some of the best-known brands in the world. 

So, how does one go about doing that? Well, after receiving his doctorate from the University of Tennessee, Roger thought academia might be his calling. But it seems that his exceptionally sensitive best taste buds led him down the packaged goods path where he spent 38 years in research and development, working for household names including Kellogg, Nabisco, and ConAgra before wrapping up his career as Executive Vice President of Research, Product Development, Food Safety, and Quality Assurance for Dole Foods. Similarly, Leigh capped off her career as Vice President of Business Development at Dole Foods. But their odyssey began years earlier when they worked at Kellogg, albeit in different departments. Rumor has it that Leigh was working on a new product launch and Roger was asked to offer input on that same project. Leigh’s boss was so pleased with the outcome that he invited them out for a beer. Leigh and Roger were there, but the boss was a no-show. The rest is history.

Their corporate lives are now behind them, even though Roger still serves on the board of two startup companies. Meanwhile, Leigh serves as President of North Shore Republican Women and is an active member of Daughters of American Revolution and the PEO Sisterhood, a philanthropic organization dedicated to women’s education. Otherwise, they’re totally wrapped up in Bentwater and all that its lifestyle affords. That includes enjoying the company of their menagerie of furry or feathery roommates. There’s Shamrock, an Electus Parrot. Skye is a Great Pyrenees who spends his days patrolling the perimeter of his half-acre backyard. Molly is a Golden Retriever who shadows Skye, maybe because she eats everything Skye might leave behind. And, last but not least, the queen of the household and rule enforcer, is a feline named Mia. Given all this, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that Leigh and Roger are avid (and very generous) supporters of Animal Shelter Volunteers of Texas.

If the name Billingsley sounds familiar to you, it could be because of any one of several relatives. Does anyone remember June Clever? You know, Beaver’s mom? That was Barbara Billingsley. And how about Ralphie from The Christmas Story? That was Peter Billingsley. Then there’s Brooke Billingsley, their daughter. She does not have quite the level of exposure as the first two, but she has the looks and has starred in several magazine and television commercials. Having earned her Master’s degrees in International Business and Business Management from The University of Stockholm, the recently married Brooke now works for H&M in Stockholm, Sweden where she lives with her husband, Robert Marchand. The Bllingsley's son, Roger, was a nationally ranked chess player and competed across the country before earning his Master’s degree in cyber security from the University of Oregon. He now lives in Austin where he works for Google.