Willie Gilliam

Willie B. Gilliam was born August 31, 1938 in Shannon, Mississippi to Maggie Strong and J. B Gilliam Willie was baptized at an early age at Good Hope Baptist Church in Shannon, Mississippi before marrying and starting a beautiful family with his wife Eloise Gilliam. Willie and Eloise packed up and headed north for Chicago, IL in 1968 where he remained until his passing. Willie was a man who loved to be outdoors. He loved to rise early in the morning on the holiday’s to BBQ for his family and spend hours in his garden growing more greens than we could handle. Willie loved to travel, especially for his annual trip to his hometown in Mississippi. Often times he would take some of his grandchildren along for the ride. During those long rides he zoned out to the smooth sounds Jazz and Blues blaring from his speakers. Willie loved sports! Anytime during the playoffs you could find him glued to the television and ready to engage you in a debate about the best team and the players he didn’t like. If sports were not on his tv you were sure to hear the sounds of a showdown from an old town Western blasting from his room. Willie B. Gilliam was preceded in death by his maternal/paternal grandparents as well as his parents and sister Earnestine Baker. He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife Eloise; his children Jay B of Grand Rapids, Mi; Andrew (Rhonda) of Nettelton, Ms; Ronnie, Donnie, Ellen, Paul of Shannon, Ms; Patrick, Sheila of Shannon, Ms; Zurndia, Pamela and Angela Gilliam; his siblings Gilbert(Curtistine), Ilean, Linda Sykes of Grand Rapids, Mi; Larry (Brenda) of Hagerstown, Md; David Strong of Milwaukee, Wi and Linda (Kate) Gilliam of Grand Rapids, Mi; 7 sisters in law; 3 brothers in law; 25 grand children as well as a host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends.