Rev. Maurice Gilliam

                             Rev. Maurice Gilliam 

The Rev. Maurice Holt Gilliam passed away on Monday, September 16, 2013 at the NC State Veterans Home in Fayetteville, NC. He was born on December 28,1922 in Pittsylvania Co., VA, the son of Lawrence Holt Gilliam and Stella Boyd Hicks. Maurice grew up on the family farm in Rockingham Co., NC and graduated from Reidsville High School in 1941. He was drafted in 1943, and proudly served as a tail gunner on a B-24 in the 450"' Bomb Group, 15" Army Air Force, during WWII. He flew 50 combat missions out of Italy, which inspired the book about his crew, Shadow: A Cottontail Bomber Crew in WWII. After the war, he graduated from Campbell College and Wake Forest College. In 1957, he graduated from the Southeastern Theological Baptist Seminary at Wake Forest. He then served as a Baptist minister in numerous congregations throughout the state for nearly 50 years, including: East Erwin Baptist Mission, Woodland Baptist Church in Wake Forest, Hiddenite Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, Central Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, Hallsboro Baptist Church, and Iron Hill Baptist Church. He also served as an interim pastor at numerous churches in his retirement. Rev. Gilliam was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, pastor, and friend. He loved God and had a special gift for preaching and spreading the Gospel. Left to cherish his memory and witness for Christ are his loving wife of nearly 70 years, Stella McKinney Gilliam; his sister, Gayle Sutton of Elon College; his son, Larry Maurice Gilliam, and his wife Katrina of Whiteville, NC; his daughter, Kay Gilliam Warner, and her husband, David of Simi Valley, CA; four grandchildren, Dr. Karen Gilliam Raiford, and her husband Neil of Brownsboro, AL, Michael Warren Gilliam of Whiteville, NC, Dr. Kimberly Warner Alfano, and her husband Mark, of Ventura, CA, and Anthony Brian Warner, of Simi Valley, CA; four great-grandchildren, Benjamin Hunter Raiford, Thomas Holt Raiford, Turner Cheyney Raiford, and Isabella Camille Alfano.

His funeral service will be conducted Saturday, September 21, 2013, 11am at New Hope Baptist Church in Whiteville, NC by Reverend Kenny Byrd. Burial with military honors will be in the church cemetery, The family will receive friends Friday, September 20, 2013, 6:30 - 8:30pm at Peacock Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made to www.peacockfuneralhome.net.  Memorials may be made to New Hope Baptist Church.