Carol A. Lilly

CRESTVIEW, Fla. - Carol Ann Lilly, 64, of Crestview, Florida, formerly of Shelbyville, IL, quietly passed into the welcoming arms of the Lord at 4:39 a.m. Saturday July 19, 2008, in Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida surrounded by her loving family after bravely fighting brain cancer for the past fifteen months. Carol Ann Gilbert was born June 19, 1944 in St. Elmo, Illinois, the daughter of Harold Collins Gilbert and Frieda Faith Cox. Her mother later married Edward Lenore Mills. Carol always called him her daddy. She graduated from St. Elmo Community High School in 1962. After graduation, she worked for Franklin Life Insurance Company in Springfield, Illinois. She married the love of her life, William Henry Lilly on July 3, 1964, at the First United Methodist Church in Vandalia, Illinois. From 1964 to 1970, she lived in various locations around the world with her husband as he served in the United States Army Security Agency. They returned to central Illinois in 1970 where they lived until their retirement to Florida in 2006. Mrs. Lilly was retired from the Cincinnati Insurance Company and was previously employed as the Chief Deputy Supervisor of Assessments in Shelby County, Illinois. To their union in marriage were born two children, Michelle Lynn in 1966 and Jefferson Davis II in 1976. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Crestview, Florida. Her current and past member ships and activities include Order of the Eastern Star, the American Business Women's Association, Shelby Country Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, AMVETS Auxiliary and Christian County Home Extension. She was also a Girl Scout troop leader, 4-H club leader, Sunday school superintendent and Democratic Party Precinct Election Judge. A great lover of nature, she was also an annual supporter of the Arbor Day Foundation, Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund. She was an avid reader of murder mysteries, easily reading thousand of books over her lifetime. Mom was always humble about her abilities, but she was a master seamstress, superb quilter, talented artist, possessed a green thumb that would make any gardener jealous and was able to cook or bake anything she put her inventive mind to accomplishing. She is survived by her loving husband William (Bill) Lilly of Crestview, Florida; her daughter Michelle Smith and husband Jake of Grafton, Illinois and grandson Briar; her son Jeff Lilly and his wife Jeanne and their daughter Hannah Elizabeth of Greenfield, Indiana; her sister Sue Ellen Mills Lowry and her husband Wayne of Moweaqua, Illinois; also by many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and people who were touched by her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, in-laws, grandparents and infant sister Barbara Jo. The family would like to sincerely thank the physicians, nurses, and staff of Sacred Heart and M. D. Anderson Hospitals, especially Drs. Sunnenberg, Neill, Wolff and Levin, who truly cared for Mom and treated her with the latest science and utmost respect. They gave us 447 days more with Mom than had they not come into our lives. Thank you. Mom was a wonderful and gentle soul who was taken from us many years too early. We will miss her smile, her touch, and gentle sound of her voice. Most of all, we will miss the ability to hear from her how she ended every phone call or visit, "I love you". Dearest wife, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother and friend, we will love you for eternity and will cherish all our memories with you. You fought the good fight with strength and dignity and now you are entitled to your just reward with the angels. Pursuant to her wishes, Mrs. Lilly will be cremated and will be interred in a private family service at Spring Hill Cemetery, Loudon Township, Fayette County, Illinois at a later date. A public celebration of her life will take place at the First United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, Illinois at 1:00 p.m. Friday July 25, 2008. Lockart-Green Funeral Home Ltd. in Shelbyville is in charge of arrangements. Memorials in her memory may be made to Michael T. Glass Gliobastoma Research Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to the cure of malignant brain cancer. They may be reached at 610-744-3580; Post Office Box 37, Wayne, New Jersey 07470 or via their website, www.mtgfoundation.org. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lockartgreenfuneralhome.com.