He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis McKinley Britt and Winnie Pearl Thrash Britt, his sister Rosalie Britt Rushing and her husband Henry “Rush” Rushing, and his wife Margaret Anne Nail Britt.
He is survived by his three children, David Tillman Britt (Viola) of Pineville, LA, Michael Keith Britt (Judy) of Grand Rapids, MI, and Suzanne “Susie” Britt Roberson (Barry) of Brentwood, TN; six grandchildren, John Ellis Britt (Molly) of Seattle, WA, Christopher Tillman Britt (Bonnie) of Baltimore, MD, John Dunaway Britt (Rose) of Grand Rapids, MI, Elizabeth Pierce Britt Kellam (Patrick) of Salt Lake City, UT, Annebel Leigh Roberson of Ft Worth, TX, and Lilly Paige Roberson of Brentwood, TN; and five great-grandchildren, Zachary Tillman Britt, Elijah Marshall Britt, Simon Charles Britt, Jackson Robert Britt, and Finn Henry Britt.
Tillman grew up in Jackson, Mississippi where he played quarterback for his high school football team. He also played quarterback and ran track for Mississippi College, where he graduated. He worked briefly for his father in construction and then served two years in the Navy, first as a “Hospitalman Apprentice” and then as a “Naval Aviation Cadet.” After his military service, he married Margaret Anne Nail on New Year’s Day, 1950, and went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Kentucky. The couple returned to Jackson, Mississippi, where Tillman worked for the Office of Public Health and then Lamar Life Insurance Company. Sons David and Mike were born during that time. In 1963, the family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Tillman became corporate secretary and vice president for Audubon Life Insurance Company; shortly thereafter, Susie was born.
A devoted husband and father, Tillman was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served in many volunteer roles and committees. His business acumen was respected as one of the church’s trustees. Tillman was an active member of Kiwanis for many years. His hobbies included raising orchids and carving ducks, which he generously shared with family. Tillman and Margaret Anne were also proud members of a supper club with their closest friends for over 40 years.
Due to the restrictions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no funeral service other than a graveside service in Baton Rouge’s Greenoaks Memorial Park on Saturday, February 13th at 2:00 p.m. The family requests that those in attendance to the graveside service wear a mask please. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Joseph School (thejosephschool.org) or United Way of Central Louisiana (uwcl.org).
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