- The Cleaver clan became the iconic 1950s American nuclear family. As the mother in the show, she was often seen performing her household duties wearing complementary pearls and earrings. The pearls actually were her idea--she had a noticeable surgical scar on her neck and wore a strand of pearls to conceal it from the cameras.
- Her show, Leave It to Beaver (1957) was canceled at the end of the sixth season due to her cast mates desire to move on to other projects. Also, Tony Dow was graduating from high school, and Jerry Mathers was entering high school that same year.
- Was reunited with her ex-Leave It to Beaver (1957) co-stars, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers, along with ex-Airplane! (1980) co-star, Peter Graves, on the final episode of The Love Boat (1977).
- Began her TV series Leave It to Beaver (1957) at age 41.
- After the death of her second husband, Roy Kellino (who died prematurely of a heart attack in 1956), she married Dr. William Mortensen, a Santa Monica physician and widower, who was an old friend of Barbara and Roy's during their marriage.
- She had a bronze statue, created by Leave It to Beaver (1957) co-star Tony Dow, on display in her backyard garden.
- Her mother, Lillian Combes, worked in a factory, while her father, Robert Collyer Combes, was the Chief of Police.
- She and first husband Glenn Billingsley, a successful restaurateur, had two sons, Drew and Glenn, Jr. Since 1974, Drew and Glenn have owned and operated Billingsley's Restaurant in West Los Angeles, in the tradition of their father, and their great uncle, Sherman Billingsley, founder of New York City's very fashionable 1940s-era nightclub, The Stork Club.
- Started acting in films at age 33.
- Grew up in a single-parent home, after her parents divorced when she was 4.
- Met Jim Henson at a party, before he hired her to voice Nanny on Muppet Babies (1984).
- Regularly played poker with Rod Serling's family before his death.
- Before she became a successful actress, she once worked with a magician, balancing cards.
- Was voted high school prom queen.
- Had two failed TV series in the early-to-mid 1950s before becoming a household commodity as June Cleaver in 1957.
- After her parents' divorce, she didn't see her father.
- Began her Hollywood career as a contract player for MGM in 1945, after trying to make it on Broadway, where her only show closed after just four performances. On Broadway she was billed as Barbara Combes, her birth name, but she was married by the time she signed her first contract, so her first credited roles were as Barbara Billingsley.
- Met Marjorie Lord in The Argyle Secrets (1948), where the two began a lifelong friendship that lasted from 1948 until Billingsley's passing in 2010.
- After a 20- year absence on television, Billingsley made a comeback with The New Leave It to Beaver (1983).
- After her final role on Secret Santa (2003), she retired from acting at age 87.
- She changed her name from Combes to Billingsley when she married Glenn Billingsley in 1940.
- Her mother, Lillian Combes, worked in a sweater factory for years.
- She was briefly related, by marriage (1940-47), to actor/producer Peter Billingsley's father. Peter Billingsley is best known for his starring role as "Ralphie" in the seasonal TV-movie classic, A Christmas Story (1983). Barbara's first husband Glenn Billingsley's cousin is Peter's father.
- Best known by the public for her starring role as June Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver (1957), which has been in continuous re-run/syndication since it ended it's original network television run in 1963.
- Her career was revived when she had a prominent, but small role in Airplane! (1980).
- Was a staunch Republican who gave much of her time and money to various conservative political causes. She attended several Republican National Conventions, galas and fund-raisers. She was active in the campaigns of Wendell Willkie, Thomas E. Dewey, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.
- Before she was a successful actress, she once worked as a foreman at a knitting mill.
- Her granddaughter, Taylor, wanted to follow in her grandmother's footsteps of becoming an actress but her parents wouldn't allow her to begin as a child actress.
- A popular student at George Washington High School, Billingsley was voted Homecoming Queen.
- Was named after her mother.
- Played the same character (June Cleaver) on six different series: Leave It to Beaver (1957), The Love Boat (1977), Elvira's Movie Macabre (1981), The New Leave It to Beaver (1983), Baby Boom (1988) and Hi Honey, I'm Home (1991).
- Auditioned for the role of Danny Thomas's second wife on The Danny Thomas Show (1953).
- Survived by her two sons, Drew Billingsley of Granada Hills, CA, and Glenn Billingsley Jr. of Phillips Ranch, CA, as well as several grandchildren.
- Was a member of the Unity Church.
- After having grown up in Los Angeles, she attended Los Angeles Junior College for one year before moving to New York City, seeking a career on Broadway. After several auditions, she won a part as "Lureen Lee" in a new play, "Straw Hat", which was to open just after Christmas 1937, on Broadway. It closed after only four shows.
- Resided in Santa Monica, CA, from 1956 until her death in 2010.
- Her first son, Drew Billingsley, was born in Key West, Florida, her second son, Glenn Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California.
- She followed Ronald Reagan's career after they co-starred in a stage play, long before he ran for governor or president.
- Is a fan of the late Richard Mulligan's two comedy shows: Soap (1977) and Empty Nest (1988), and appeared in an episode of "Empty Nest" in 1991.
- Dropped out of Los Angeles Junior College at age 19.
- Her favorite television series to date was Leave It to Beaver (1957).
- When she was little, her mother would often take her to the movies. Her mother loved dramas rather than comedies.
- Her third husband, Dr. William Mortensen, died on 7/5/81.
- Her hobbies included gardening, dining, watching movies, listening to radio, tennis, drinking wine, spending time with her family, sewing and traveling.
- Has a restaurant named after her.
- Oprah Winfrey once said Billingsley was her childhood television heroine.
- In 2007 she was singing at her former Leave It to Beaver (1957), co-star's, Jerry Mathers's, mother's 80th birthday party, when he returned from appearing on Broadway, in his debut role, as Wilbur Turnblad in "Hairspray".
- The youngest of three children.
- Her son Glenn Jr. married Karen Zappas in 1976, and they are still together. They're parents of 3, Barbara's grandchildren, Logan Billingsley, Morgan Billingsley and Taylor Billingsley.
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