Florris Wildes Willis

Florris Emily Wildes Willis, age 90, of Waycross, passed peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

She was born in Waycross, August 6, 1935, to Spencer Martin Wildes and Essie Ruth Barber Wildes. She was a 1953 graduate of Waycross High School and studied piano at the Ware Conservatory of Music. She also sang in many choirs throughout her life, including the Bluebird Chorus as a child and various church choirs. Florris was often asked to play or sing for weddings, funerals, and other occasions. She became a Christian at the early age of 11 and joined Kettle Creek Congregational Methodist Church where her family were members. She taught Sunday School to toddlers and young children for most of her life and was active in missions groups in the churches where she was a member. She was church pianist and organist at the First Advent Christian Church after marrying the love of her life, Billy Willis. As their children grew older, they joined Central Baptist Church where they remained active until joining First Baptist Church, where she remained a member until her death. Florris worked as a secretary at the US Naval Mine Depot in Yorktown, Virginia and at Fort Eustis, Virginia when her husband was stationed there after they married. She also worked for a number of years as an administrative assistant at Gaston Photofinishing in Waycross, and later at the Okefenokee Regional Library and Central Baptist Church. Her greatest joy in life came from loving and serving God, her family, and others. Following her beloved husband's death in 2004, she enjoyed living with her children at various times.

Florris loved sending notes of encouragement, support, and celebration to family and friends. Her annual Christmas letter kept everyone updated on her family. After retiring, and with encouragement from her sister-in-law, Maxie Brown of Homerville, she took up quilting. Over the years she made over 100 quilts for family and friends. She hand pieced many and spent numerous hours hand quilting each one, being sure to include hand stitched hearts on each one. Florris hadn't flown on a plane until she was 77 and went to Scotland with her son. She loved flying and loved Scotland, almost as much as she loved the North Georgia mountains. She was always agreeable to a ride to Laura S. Walker State Park to reminisce about all the fun times she had there during her life, and few trips were complete without a trip to Dairy Queen for a small ice cream cone. She enjoyed playing the piano, leisure reading, and watching Wheel of Fortune, and anything made with chocolate completed a meal.

Florris is preceded in death by her grandparents, James Leonard Wildes and Martha Malissa Dixon Wildes, step-grandmother, Maggie Tatum Wildes, Mose Barber and Amanda Jane Stanfield Barber, her parents, Spencer Martin Wildes and Essie Ruth Barber Wildes, her step-mother, Jessie James Murray Wildes, two sisters, Dorothy Jane Wildes Roland (Jimmy), Martha Ruth Wildes Taylor, one brother, Leonard Martin Wildes (Pinky), one step-brother, Billy Martin Murray (Nora), one son-in-law, Gerald Wayne Wilson, and one great-grandchild, Evie Mac Bowman.

Florris is survived by two daughters, Harriet Emily Willis Bowman (Clint) and Nora Marie Willis Wilson, and a son, William Spencer Willis. She has three grandchildren, Jeremy Wade Bowman, Jessica Ruth Bowman Peters (Matt), and James Clinton Bowman (Sarah), and ten great-grandchildren, Jackson Emily Bowman, Everett Hugh Bowman, Lucas James Bowman, Clint Griffin Bowman, Lily Grace Peters, William James Peters, Ella Kate Peters, Judah Clinton Peters, Emeri Ann Bowman, and Gabriel Mac Bowman. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, and many other relatives in the area.

Visitation will be held at Music Funeral Home in Waycross on Saturday (March 21, 2026) from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., with a graveside service to follow at Kettle Creek Congregational Methodist Church Cemetery at 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given to Southeast Cancer Unit Inc. or First Baptist Church in Waycross.