Larry Hilliard

HILLIARD, Larry

Larry Hilliard, 88, of Atlanta and Quitman, Georgia, passed away on December 26, 2023 with family by his side.

He was born in Atlanta to the late Harold and Sue Williams Hilliard on September 7, 1935. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Fletcher; and son, Donnie Hilliard.

Larry graduated from Roosevelt High School and received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgia State. He was employed by Southern Bell for 37 years, and enjoyed an active retirement full of adventures all over the globe, including hiking the Himalayas, cycling the Blue Ridge Parkway, sailing down the Rhine, and exploring the cultures of Southern Asia. As a child, he became an inaugural member of the Atlanta Boy Choir; his love of music led him to a lifetime of singing with multiple Episcopalian churches. He loved real estate, owning homes in historic neighborhoods of Atlanta, on the beaches of Florida, and in western North Carolina, where he designed and built a beloved long-time residence in Scaly Mountain. He and his wife, Julia renovated and restored a family farm in south Georgia, where he loved to maintain the land, relax by the bonfire, and drive his tractor across their 100 acres.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Julia Collins Hilliard; his children, Carla York, Keith Hilliard and wife, Barbara, Kelly Hilliard and husband, Mike, and Elizabeth Renfroe and husband, Adam Heffernan; his grandchildren, Jeffrey York, Chase Martin, Kahlin Graham, Mia Toney, Henry, Willa and RJ Heffernan; and his eight great-grandchildren.

He will be remembered on January 13, 2024 at 2 PM, at St. Bede's Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Conservation Fund and Bridgeport Hospice.