John Franklin Gilliam

John Franklin Gilliam of Cincinnati, OH, passed peacefully on October 2, 2024, surrounded by
family. He was born September 29, 1950, in Iowa City, IA, the son of the late James Frank
Gilliam and Elizabeth Holzworth Gilliam. A natural problem solver, he was a mathematics major
at the University of Virginia.
In earlier years, he lived in Iowa, Oregon, New Jersey, Virginia, NYC, New Orleans, and
Atlanta. He found his forever home on the Ohio River after working as a deckhand on the Delta
Queen steamboat. For the next 50 years, he lived in Newport, KY and Cincinnati, OH, with his
wife Rebecca where they raised their two children. He loved to renovate houses, collect and
trade bricks and architectural salvage, play chess competitively, travel, study Russian and
Spanish, and meet new people. He delighted in his friends, family, and the underdog. Bengals
fan. Union member. Lover of life. Beloved.
He leaves behind his son Jasper Gilliam of Cincinnati, OH, daughter Sarah Gilliam Tetrault,
son-in-law David Tetrault, grandchildren Simone and Isaac Tetrault of Beverly, MA, and sister
Betsy (Peter) Brown of Princeton, NJ. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Rebecca Merrill
Gilliam and his sister Anne Gilliam Jacobson.
His funeral will be held Saturday, November 2nd at 10:30 AM with a reception to follow at St.
Paul's Episcopal Church, 7 Court Place, Newport, KY.
In lieu of gifts, please donate to the International Brick Collectors Association
(internationalbrickcollectorsassociation.com) or the Lewy Body Dementia Association (lbda.org).