Alice Gill

Family-Placed Death Notice

GILL, Alice ALICE WALKER COFFIN GILL ONE OF THE FIRST FEMALES IN GEORGIA STATE SENATE Mrs. Alice Walker Coffin Gill, age 89, resident of Ellaville, died on May 21, 2008 at her home. Born on November 22, 1918 in Cochran, Georgia, Mrs. Gill was the daughter of John Augustus and Alice Taylor Walker. Alice was a graduate of Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, GA. She taught school for a number of years at Richland Elementary School, Schley County Elementary School and Southland Academy in Americus, GA. Her first marriage was on December 25, 1939 to Charles Alston Coffin, a cotton broker, merchant, and city councilman in Richland, GA, with whom she had two children, Alice and Charles. During his term as State Senator from the Twelfth District of Georgia, Charles died unexpectedly on August 5, 1951. Alice was elected to fill her husband's unexpired term and became the second woman Senator ever to serve in the Georgia Legislature. On November 25, 1953 Alice Walker Coffin remarried Paul Leon Gill, a banker, pharmacist, and former mayor of Ellaville, GA. Mr. and Mrs. Gill had two children together, Paula and John. When Mr. Gill was elected State Senator from the Thirteenth District of Georgia, Alice renewed her involvement in Georgia politics by accompanying her husband to Senate sessions in Atlanta. Mr. Gill passed away on March 16, 1975. Mrs. Gill was always involved with the affairs of her community. She was a Sunday school teacher at the Ellaville Methodist Church as well as a leader in a number of organizations. Mrs. Gill was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and enjoyed life to the fullest. She was preceded in death by a sister, Ruth Walker Nicholson of Edgefield, SC. Survivors include her daughter, Alice Coffin Brown (Dr. W. Virgil) of Atlanta; son Charles Alston Coffin (Hwa Yong) of Columbus; daughter Paula Elizabeth Gill Williams (Nelson) of Americus; and son John Paul Gill (Lara) of Americus. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: William Matthew Brown (Janie) of Birmingham, AL; Peter Coffin Brown (Laurie) of Atlanta; Charles Alston Coffin, Jr. (Sydney) of Charlotte, NC; Dr. David Wilson Coffin (Dr. Janis) of Augusta; Samuel Lee Coffin of Columbus; Turner Nelson Williams, IV of Charleston, SC; John Paul Williams of Athens; Elizabeth Walker Gill and John Paul Gill, Jr. of Americus. She is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and one nephew, Dr. Benjamin Edward Nicholson and one niece, Mrs. Robert Hayne Hodges. Services will be held at 2 P.M., Friday, May 23, at the Ellaville Methodist Church with interment to be held at the Ellaville Cemetery. Rev. Brooks Partain and Rev. Robert Poston will officiate. The family will receive friends at Watson-Giddens Funeral Home in Ellaville Thursday from 7 to 8 P.M. Mrs. Gill's eight grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Memorials and contributions may be made to the Ellaville Methodist Church in Ellaville, GA or to the Alice Gill Memorial Fund at Southland Academy in Americus, GA. You may sign the online guest book and share your own special thoughts and memories with the family of Mrs. Gill by visiting Watson-Giddens Funeral Home's web site at www.watsongiddensfuneralhome.com