George William “Willie” Gilliam, age 97, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at NMMC in Tupelo. He was born on December 6, 1916 to George Jasper Gilliam and Velma Azalea Nelson Gilliam in the Macedonia Community of Union County, MS. He married the love of his life, Delia Busby on June 12, 1941 and they shared 54 years of marriage before her death in 1995.
He graduated from high school at Macedonia and attended Holmes Junior College and Delta State on a basketball scholarship. He obtained an Associates and Bachelor’s Degree in Coaching and Science. He was a member of the DSU 3rd place NIT Team. After WWII he obtained a Master’s Degree in Agriculture from Mississippi State University. He coached boys’ basketball at Pittsboro and girls and boys basketball at Macedonia where his girls’ team was state runner-up champs. His teams won 97 out of 113 games. He also taught Ag in the Veteran’s program at Randolph for 10 years. He worked for the MSU Extension Service for 22 years where he served as 4-H Agent and County Agent. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers Market Association that built the Pontotoc Grain Elevator. He organized the Cattlemen’s Association and recruited Representative Mac Huddleston to Pontotoc as a Veterinarian. He served on the Pontotoc County Fair Board for 57 years.
He was a WWII Navy Veteran and a member of the American Legion Post 16, where he had served as Commander and Adjutant. He was a member of the Rotary Club.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Pontotoc where he sang in the choir for 51 years, and he and his wife were the founders of the “Keenagers”. His goal was to share his story about how God had directed his life. He will be remembered as saying, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”.
He enjoyed public speaking and spoke to over 200 groups, telling his jokes and his testimony. He won the Tupelo Speaking Tournament and went on to win the Mid-South Fair’s Speaking Competition. He and his wife built the first dairy bar “The Frozen Cup” and ran it for 15 years in Pontotoc. He was a people person that loved everybody and met no strangers.
He was an avid MSU fan and held season tickets to football, basketball and baseball for over 40 years.
Services will be Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 3:00 PM at First Baptist Church in Pontotoc with Dr. Ken Hester officiating; burial will follow in West Heights Cemetery. Browning Funeral Home in Pontotoc is in charge of the arrangements.
Survivors include his two daughters: Linda Karen Gilliam and Sherry Thompson (Danny), both of Pontotoc, MS; a daughter-in-law: Sandra Gilliam of Fulton; one brother: Kelly Gilliam (Ruby) of Yazoo City, MS; a sister-in-law: Bettie Sneed of New Albany, MS; three grandchildren: Michael Gilliam (Mendy), Michelle Poores and Heather Jousan (Dean); five great-grandchildren: Caitlin Rigby, Preston Rigby, Wren Gilliam, Kyle Gilliam and Keagan Jousan; one great-grandchild due in November, Webb Jousan; special nieces and nephews: Linda Mitchell, Lisa Overstreet, Mark Sneed, Beverly McGaha, Dale Manning, Gale Manning, Rocky Gilliam and Clayann Panetta.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and two sons: Gerald Gilliam and Bobby Dwayne Gilliam; a sister: Geraldine Manning; a half-sister: Lois Moody Gray; and one brother: Clay Gilliam.
Pallbearers will be: Danny Thompson, Michael Gilliam, Preston Rigby, Wren Gilliam, Kyle Gilliam, Dale Manning, Gale Manning, Rocky Gilliam, Torrey Mitchell, Dean Jousan, Dean Mitchell and Tommy Mitchell. Honorary Pallbearers will be: Fred Wicker, George Stegall, Lou Ramsey and Bobby Davis, Walter Chittom, Ricky Ferguson, Kevin Foster, Joe Whitten and Wallace Henry.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 PM Monday and Tuesday from 12 noon to 2:30 PM in the fellowship hall at First Baptist Church in Pontotoc.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the G.W. Gilliam Scholarship Fund, 402 C.J. Hardin Drive, Pontotoc, MS 38863, or to the Pontotoc County 4-H, 402 C.J. Hardin Drive, Pontotoc, MS 38863, or to the First Baptist Church, 31 W. Washington Street, Pontotoc, MS 38863.
Condolences may be offered at www.browningpontotoc.com
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