Bio
Jake Billingsley was the 11th person voted out of Survivor: Thailand. He was the last remaining member of the Sook-Jai team and the fourth member of the jury.
Jake was born in Tyler, Texas on August 21, 1941 and raised on the Texas side of Texarkana along with his older sister Ann. His father worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad and his mother at Red River Army Depot.
As a youngster, Jake's father was gone much of the time due to a serious illness and his mother worked full time. Because of this, Jake and Ann found their independence at an early age.
Jake began mowing lawns at age seven so he could buy a bicycle that the family couldn't otherwise afford. He also bought a BB gun, and his love of the outdoors, and hunting in particular, began.
Jake became a cub scout and quickly achieved the ranks of Wolf, Bear, and Lion. At age eleven he joined the Boy Scouts, and by age 14 had attained the rank of Eagle Scout, followed by the God and Country Award and the Explorer Silver Award.
Jake represented the Boy Scouts of America in the annual report to the Governor of Texas in 1957.
During this same time period, Jake was achieving other ratings as well. As a swimmer he was unstoppable. The Red Cross finally gave him his Junior Life Saving certificate at the age of eleven after he had passed it three times.
He began teaching swimming as a Water Safety Aide and passed the Senior Life Saving Course at ages 14 and 15 before the Red Cross finally relented and waived the age requirement.
At age 16, the American Red Cross sent him to National Aquatic School where he became a Water Safety Instructor. His summers always found him as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at Spring Lake Park Pool in Texarkana.
At Texarkana Texas High School, he was a cheerleader and was selected a class favorite, receiving the "Best Personality" award. Jake continued cheerleading at Texarkana College, and served as Vice President of the Delta Sigma Delta fraternity.
During college, Jake raised a small herd of registered Black Angus cattle that helped pay his way through college. He received his degree in Animal Husbandry from Texas A&M where he was a Distinguished Student.
While at Texas A&M, he was on the swimming team and managed the swimming pools for Coach Art Adamson.