Carolyn Eason Hilliard

TIFTON — Carolyn Eason Hilliard, 62, of Tifton, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, at Tift Regional Medical Center.Funeral services wil be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church, Tifton, with the Rev. Sam Rogers and Dr. Glenn Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Visitation wil be from 7 to 9 tonight.Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Circle #2 United Methodist Women and her bridge group, “The Polyannas.”Born Aprill 8, 1945, in Milan, to the late Harry Hathaway Eason and Gertrude Eason, she was also preceded in death by a son, Harry Hathaway “Hal” Hilliard, who died July 13,1997, and one brother, Ray Eason.Carolyn was a loving wife, homemaker, mother and grandmother, and was an active member in the Tifton community.Her father was instrumental in constructing the I-75 bridges through Tift County and brought his family to Tifton when Carolyn was in the sixth grade. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS in education and taught 11th-grade English at Tift County High School. After retiring, she served as education coordinator at the Georgia Agrirama.Carolyn was an active member of Tifton’s First United Methodist Church, Searchers Sunday school class and Circle #2 of UMW. She also was an officer of The Azalea Garden Club and the Council of Garden Clubs. Carolyn was an avid bridge player and instructor who greatly enjoyed her group known as the “Polyannas.”Mrs. Hilliard is survived by her husband, F. Dean Hilliard Jr. of Tifton; one daughter, Diedre Vondell “Honey” Hilliard of Tallahassee, Fla.; one son, Fred Dean “Trip” Hilliard III and his fiancee’ Melanie Parham, both of Atlanta; one granddaughter, Autumn Vondell Hilliard-Knapp; her mother-in-law, Estelle Norman Hilliard of Tifton, and one sister, Mattie Ann Hobby of Tifton.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tifton-Tift County Animal Shelter, 278 Highway 125 S., Tifton, Ga., 31794, or the Fulwood Garden Center Endowment Fund in memory of Carolyn Hilliard, P.O. Box 1772, Tifton, Ga., 31793.You may sign the guest registry at www.albritton-beaumontfuneralhome.com. Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.