Ardith Bilyeu Thompson

Ardith Marie Anderson Bilyeu Thompson      June 28, 1924 – February 20, 2021

 In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11

This verse, often quoted by Ardith Thompson, describes the way she lived her life.

Ardith was born in the quaint, small town of Ferndale, California, where, she joked, “you know everybody and you know all of their business!¨ She was born at the Gingerbread Mansion; the historic Victorian house was serving as a maternity hospital at the time. Growing up in this Northern California dairy community, she led a simple but meaningful life, anchored in the values that her Swedish immigrant parents Andrew and Annie Anderson taught and exemplified day in and day out.

As a child Ardith loved to spend time with her friends. Whether she was hiking in the coastal redwoods or bicycling to Centerville Beach, she always had fun. Some of her favorite memories included having picnic lunches in the Redwoods where she loved to wade in the creek with her sisters. Even after moving to the Bay Area, she loved camping trips to the Redwoods and visiting Ferndale and close friends.

Ardith became a Christian as a young child and was a devoted follower of Jesus her entire life. As taught by her parents, she put God’s commandment to love your neighbor into action. Her generous spirit was evident to all who knew her. She went above and beyond in giving her time and gifts to others, from organizations to individuals. Flowers, meals, and often cash would be sent to those who she felt needed a boost.  Ten days before she passed away, she asked that she be given cash from her bank account for her “personal Deacon fund.” She said, “As I sit in my recliner, the Lord directs me to who is in need.”

Music was an integral part of Ardith’s life. Her love of music drew her to play the trumpet and the piano. At Ferndale High School, she joined the marching band. The most exciting event from those years was taking the trip to San Francisco to perform at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939, which celebrated the building of the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ardith learned to play the piano at a young age and developed a gift for accompaniment. She not only could play countless songs by ear, she could also transpose music in her head almost automatically. She always had a piano in her home and in her classrooms; her students loved having music as a core part of their time in her class.  She was the accompanist for her church, the Evangelical Free Church, for decades.  In her post-retirement years, Ardith played the piano with a senior band as they performed at senior centers in the East Bay.

Ardith was a proud graduate of Humboldt State College, with a bachelor’s degree in education with minors in music and English.  She was hired to teach in the Richmond Unified School District right after World War II and continued to teach elementary school there for forty years.  After “retiring,” she was a substitute teacher for twenty-two years as she loved students, teaching, and the comradery of fellow educators.

A true believer in love and marriage, Ardith fell in “head over heels love” with Virgil Bilyeu, an Army Medic stationed in Ferndale during World War II. Virgil, the young, blue-eyed man from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was to become Ardith’s husband and father to her children. After a proposal under the redwood trees at Humboldt State, they married on June 16, 1945. Their God-centered, fun-filled marriage brought much joy for forty-six years until Virgil’s death in 1991.

Ardith’s love of love and marriage led her to Frank Thompson, with whom she shared a life of family and service for seven years before his death. Ardith embraced Frank’s children and she loved the times she spent with them.

Prior to Ardith’s passing, she and her “sweetheart,” Norman Stieglitz, enjoyed five years of fun and companionship. They loved going out to eat, going on drives, holding hands, praying together for each other’s families, and watching movies and TV (though their tastes often differed!).

Ardith’s home, purchased by Ardith and Virgil in 1950 with the help of the GI Bill, became the center for hospitality for over seventy years. Potlucks, after-church meals, coffee times, and especially Thanksgiving dinners (always inviting those who might otherwise be alone) were times of laughter and fellowship. One neighbor recently dubbed her “Queen of Norvell Street¨ for her longstanding reach and care for her neighbors. In later years, when large groups became a challenge, Ardith began “Tea for Two” and kept a running list of people who she wanted to have one-on-one conversations with. Her lovingly set table and undivided attention for her guests was palpable. As someone recently commented, “When Ardith asked you how you were, she really meant it!”

As her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, we felt so blessed to have her enrich our lives for so many years.  When Ardith was asked where she credited her longevity, she proudly stated, “The Three G’s: GOD, GOOD GENES, and a GOOD doctor!” For years, we were upheld and inspired by her twice-daily prayers for each of us… plus more if we had a special need!

Her children: David Bilyeu, Marta Bilyeu Dragos (Octavian), and Lisa Marie Lipscomb (Jim) all live in the East Bay and were very close to Ardith over the years. They each had their roles: David was the house and garden up-keeper, Marta was the financial/medical coordinator, and Lisa was the creative social and hospitality director.

She adored her grandchildren and focused on having an individual relationship with each one of them:  Andrew, Alexander (Julie), Julianna (Victor Ratiu) and Erik (Sara Renfrew) Dragos; Lucas (Christie), Stephanie (Jeremy Steggell), and Thomas Lipscomb. With her spirit of love and wit she would joke, “my grandchildren are perfect and if they’re not, I don’t want to hear anything about it!”

Great-grandchildren were a special bonus the last few years and brought Ardith much joy: Alina and Octavian James Dragos, Marcus Dragos Ratiu, and Audrey Elise Steggell. These little ones were blessed by her love and prayers and will be told about their Grandma Ardie for years to come.

In addition to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Ardith is survived by her beloved sister Irene Anderson Smith. Irene and Ardith chatted nightly and we all loved hearing their reminiscences. Irene’s family– including Shera and Rick Melick and their family, and Corinne and Bob Geir– has always been close to Ardith and we are thankful for their love and support. Ardith was preceded in death by her parents Andrew and Annie Anderson, her sister Hildur Anderson, infant brother Harold, husbands Virgil Bilyeu and Frank Thompson, and infant granddaughter Sofia Rakel Lipscomb.

Private funeral services are scheduled and a future Celebration of Life is planned. For further information, contact Lisa Lipscomb at lisalipscomb@pacbell.net

Suggested memorial contributions may be made to two organizations that were very meaningful to Ardith:

Mount Hermon Christian Camps and Conferences            mounthermon.org

Bay Area Rescue Mission                                                      bayarearescue.org

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