John Frederick "Johnny" Gilliam

John Frederick "Johnny" Gilliam (1945–2025) passed away peacefully on June 18, 2025, surrounded by his family in Holly Springs, NC. He was lovingly cared for in the very end by his wife and best friend Mary Gilliam, with whom he shared 61 beautiful years of marriage.

John was proud of his faithful service in the United States Navy from 1965-1968 and remained in contact with several of his USS Salamonie (AO-26) shipmates throughout the remainder of his life. It was in the Navy when John discovered a passion for playing guitar and singing, traits that would define him until his very last year. From countless family events to quiet times at home, John and his 1965 Gibson Southern Jumbo were rarely separated and could be counted on to produce melodies from ‘Grandma’s Feather Bed’ to anything by Gentleman Jim Reeves.

John was known to say that he could fix anything except a broken heart, and most of his friends and family can attest to his willingness to drop everything and come repair an HVAC unit, a car engine or a faulty appliance. Weeks before his passing, John remarked how it was ‘killing him’ not to be able to get out of bed, crawl under his bathroom sink and repair a leaky faucet. We hope that Heaven has things that need fixing, or Dad might be terribly bored.

After his love for Mary and his family, his gift of entertaining with his guitar and his remarkable ability to repair anything broken, John was most known for the pride he had in his 1972 Monte Carlo, which he painstakingly restored to its original glory and with which he collected an entire garage full of car show trophies. He was beyond grateful that his ‘baby’ found an excellent home with a beloved family member who will cherish it like he did.

John is survived by his wife Mary, by his children John Jr, Angie, and Dave and their spouses, and by his dearly beloved grandchildren Rainey, Sierra, Forrest, Scott and Anna. He was fortunate to know the love of his older sisters Linda Zeller and Rose Marie Morgan, both of which were able to visit him in his final weeks, and of so many nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. In his final days, John shared that he hoped the first person he saw in Heaven would be his mother, Mary Edna, whom he loved deeply. Theirs will be a blessed reunion.

John and Mary Gilliam had a marriage so beautiful that it shone like a lighthouse for anyone who witnessed it. We who survive him, and those marriages who have been influenced by theirs, can only hope to imitate that which we cannot duplicate. Go in peace, Dad, and know that you left this world far better than how you found it.

The family will celebrate John’s life with a service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Lowe Funeral Home Chapel with the burial to follow at Union Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 9:30 - 10:45 prior to the service.

To watch the service and sign the online condolences, please visit www.lowefuneralhome.com.