Annie Mildred Gilliam

Obituary of Annie Mildred Gilliam
Annie Gilliam was born on February 3, 1954, to Walter and Annie Hill in Virginia. Most, if not all, of our family knew her lovingly as "Little Mildred." She spent the early part of her childhood in Clarksville, VA, with her grandparents. She loved being in the South and often shared stories of the adventures she had with her cousins-memories she held close to her heart.
As a teenager and adult, she lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where she graduated from Western High School. Our mom loved being a cheerleader and playing sports. She often talked about the joy of riding her skateboard-until the day she broke her ankle. That was a tough moment for her, especially when doctors said she'd never use that ankle the same way again. But in true "Little Mildred" fashion, she didn't accept that. She pushed through, exercised daily, and made a full recovery. She told us that story often, reminding us to never give up-because only God has the last word.
As a teenager, she met Arthur Jr., and that's where their love story began. Their connection was like a "moth to a flame." They built a life together on their own terms and went on to have three daughters: Keysha, Artrina, and Monique.
Mom wore many hats in her lifetime-working at the Social Security Administration, in retail, and at Comcast Cable. But she also had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. She and Dad started their first cleaning business together, bringing in family, friends, and of course, their daughters. We rolled up our sleeves and got to work-mop, bucket, and all. Our parents never shied away from hard work, and they passed that same work ethic down to us. Even through life's ups and downs, they never gave up.
Mom would always say, "We are helpers to one another-we are family." She later started her own nursing agency, which she continued to lead in her final days. She loved and deeply cared for her patients and employees.
As much as she loved her family-and she loved her family-she loved the Lord even more. She studied the Bible regularly and would fellowship over the phone with family, friends, coworkers, and pastors. No matter who needed prayer, she jumped into action. "Little Mildred" was our helper, our problem-solver, and our go-to for everything. She always encouraged us to stay close and stay in prayer.
When good news came, she called it a "victory report." In our family of five, every holiday and birthday was a true celebration. Even well into our 40s, she and Dad would cook our favorite meals, bake desserts, get balloons, and we'd sing to one another like it was our very first birthday. To her, every year of life was a gift.
Today, we celebrate her life. We celebrate the love she poured into her seven grandchildren-each of whom she gave a special nickname, just like she did for so many people she loved.
Let's not be weary in our grief, but rejoice knowing that our mother, your sister, aunt, cousin, and friend is no longer in pain. Let's remember her beauty, her amazing sense of humor, the twinkle in her eye, and the deep love she had for everyone. She always said, "God doesn't have respect of persons," and now, our beloved "Little Mildred" is resting peacefully-reunited with the love of her life, Arthur Jr., who preceded her in death just six months ago.
She is also reunited with her mother Annie, her sisters Amanda and Celeste, her nephew Frank Jr., and her brother-in-law Frank Sr.
She leaves behind her three daughters, one son-in-law Juma Sr., and her seven grandchildren: Telisha, Keaira, Brandon, Juma Jr., Ave', Dominic, and Ari'elle. She also leaves her sister Myra, brother Walter, two brothers-in-law Kevin and Floyd, one sister-in-law Wendy, six nephews (Barnette, Curtis, Jamal, Omar, Rodney, and Richard), two nieces (Ashley, Natasja and Felicia), her mother-in-law Julia, and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
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