Obituary of Doris June Gillis

Doris June Gillis entered into the presence of her heavenly Father on the morning of December 3, 2018.  A service to remember June’s life will be held at 11 AM, Thursday, December 6 at First Baptist Church in Troup with Rev. Joe Ballard officiating.   Interment will follow at Griffin Cemetery near Troup under the direction of Cottle Funeral Home.  Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

June was born to Philip and Jessie (Searcy) Evans on July 7, 1930 in Griffin, Texas.  She was the oldest of the Evans’s seven children.  She attended Troup schools until her graduation in 1947.  Following high school, June graduated from Jefferson Davis School of Nursing in Houston.  Following graduation, she went to work for Humble Oil Company as a corporate nurse.  It was here that she met the love of her life, Gene Gillis.  Gene and June were married in 1956 in Baytown, Texas.  Shortly thereafter, they started a family through the gift of adoption.  Gene’s career with Humble Oil (which eventually became Exxon) took the family across the country, overseas, and then back to the States. 

Over the years, June truly demonstrated what it meant to be a devoted and supportive wife, a loving mother and a perfectly gracious hostess to anyone who entered her home.  She always gave of herself by volunteering in her community wherever she lived.  In her last place of residence, her beloved hometown of Troup, she enjoyed working with the Friends of the Troup Library and the Troup Women’s Civic Organization.  She was also a child of God and worshiped in churches around the world including Chapelwood United Methodist in Houston and Troup First United Methodist Church.  June had a strong love of children and was often found teaching Sunday school at her local church.

June was an incredible encourager and found great pleasure in cheering on her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in all of their academic and sporting endeavors.  She also loved the game of tennis and played at every possible opportunity until she was no longer able to do so.  June’s family was everything to her and she loved nothing more than to have a meal followed by an afternoon of laughter and games on “Evans Hill.” 

June is preceded in death by her parents and her husband of almost forty-three years, Gene.  Other family members who have preceded her in death include her sisters Jean Evans and Joan Evans, her brothers Dean Evans and Glen Evans, her in-laws Fred and Seawillow Gillis, her sisters-in-law Mary Kay Evans and Eleanor Barber as well as her brother-in-law Searcy Barber.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Adam Keiser of Concord, New Hampshire and her son and daughter-in-law, David and Carol Gillis of Houston.  June’s grandchildren include Sofia Keiser, Kira Cabanel, Michelle Gillis and Kevin Gillis along with one great-grandchild.  She is also survived by her sister Linda Kay Evans of Troup, her brother and sister-in-law Robert and Margie Evans of Tyler, her sister-in-law Jane Evans of Katy as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

Pallbearers will be family friend Joe Carlyle, and nephews Cade Covington, Clint Covington, Greg Evans, Mark Evans, and Matt Evans.

The family would like to say a special thank you to the many caregivers at The Hamptons at Pine Forest who lovingly cared for June over the past two years, as well as her private care team, which consisted of Donna Harbeson, Wanda Hancock, Chilel Sognia, and a number of other precious ladies.  Memorials, if desired, may be sent to the Troup Education Foundation (PO Box 125, Troup, TX 75789) or the Cameron-J.Jarvis Troup Municipal Library (PO Box 721, Troup, TX 75789).