Leslie Gilliam

Leslie Gilliam, 58, wife, mother and dear friend to all, died peacefully on December, 9, 2016 at her home in Keswick, Virginia surrounded by family. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March of 2015. Leslie showed amazing strength and faith throughout her battle with cancer and never lost the will to fight. Her bright smile, compassionate honesty, and caring nature allowed her to make friends everywhere she went. Leslie is survived by her husband, Richard Gilliam; her children, Baxter Gilliam, Julia Gilliam, and Anna Gilliam; her siblings, Carol Jones, George Flanary, and Allison McCabe; her step-mother, Betty Flanary; her step-brother, Jack Belcher; and her step-sister, Beth Milam. She is also survived by her aunts and uncles, and many wonderful cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. Leslie was born in Jonesville, Virginia on October 23, 1958 to Nelle Rose and Curtis Flanary. She grew up working on her family’s dairy farm and caring for her siblings. One of her most fond childhood memories was starring as a contestant on the local television show, “Kiddie Kollege”—it was at this point that her enthusiasm for learning and her love for the stage began to develop. Leslie went on to attend University of Virginia nursing school; however, she took time off from school in 1977 to care for her mother who was battling breast cancer and receiving treatment at UVA. After her mother passed away a year later she met her future husband of 33 years, Richard Gilliam, and she re-enrolled at James Madison University where she earned a Bachelors degree in Economics. After graduating from JMU, she married Richard in Knoxville, Tennessee in August of 1983. She then received her Masters degree in Health and Wellness from East Tennessee State University. She and Richard moved to Abingdon, Virginia in 1988 where all three of their children were born. Throughout her life Leslie enjoyed learning, loved traveling, and found happiness in staying active and being outdoors, but her true and abiding passion was for serving her family, friends, and the community. In talking about her service to the community, Leslie once said, “Rallying around a common cause increases our sense of community and helps us accomplish big goals. That is where we get our heart and where we get to dream about what we can do together.” In Abingdon she began serving the Southwest Virginia community through her involvement with the Barter Theater, the William King Art Center and the American Cancer Society—she was a founder of the first Relay for Life in Abingdon in 1996. In 2001 she and Richard moved their family to Charlottesville, Virginia where they have resided ever since. Living in Charlottesville, she became very active and engaged in the community by supporting the United Methodist Church, the Paramount Theater, the Covenant School, the UVA Cancer Center, the Martha Jefferson Hospital, James Madison University, as well as various other charitable endeavors. Leslie served as a Board Member at the Paramount Theater and on the Board of Visitors at James Madison University. While she worked tirelessly to serve the community in Central Virginia, she never forgot her roots in Southwest Virginia. Leslie continued to serve as an active Board Member at the Barter Theater, and she was dedicated to supporting the local economy in Abingdon and the surrounding areas. Leslie was a devoted wife and mother. She sought to instill in her children the importance of having a caring heart and serving God. She also instilled in them a love for solving world problems during “coffee-time” every morning. She once said, “I believe that philanthropy and community service are both essential to solving problems that exist in all communities.” Leslie was a woman of strong faith, believing in the power of God and the beauty of eternal life after her passing. The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support during Leslie’s battle with cancer. During her fight she received outstanding care and support from Dr. Amir Jazeri, as well as the nurses and staff at M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas. A special thanks to her primary caregiver, Leigh Cantrell at the UVA Cancer Center, who provided tremendous support, encouragement and care. An additional thank you to all of the wonderful nurses and caregivers at the UVA Cancer Center who went above and beyond to encourage and comfort Leslie. Thank you also to all of Leslie’s prayer warriors for their meals, prayers and love. A service will be held at First Baptist Church, 735 Park Street in Charlottesville, Virginia on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 6 p.m. The family will receive friends at the church at 3:30 p.m. Following this, the family will receive friends at Farris Funeral Home in Abingdon, Virginia on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. This will be followed by the burial at Forest Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the UVA Cancer Center/Gynecological Oncology Division, P.O. Box 800773, Charlottesville, VA 22908 or online at cancer.uvahealth.com.