Funeral Services for Joseph Oliver Gilmore, Jr. will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, December 19, 2011 at the Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel with Richard Hetzel officiating. Private family burial will follow at Eastlawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 18, 2011.
Joseph was born December 01, 1930 to Joseph Oliver Gilmore, Sr. and Eula Lee Wallace in Gay Hill, Texas. A graduate of Brenham High School, he went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad as a clerk in 1947. He retired from the railroad in 1990 after 43 years of service.
On October 17, 1948, he married Mary Gearldine Crawford in Coleman, Texas. They celebrated 63 years of marriage. Joe was a lifetime member of the Coleman Masonic Lodge. He was active in Little League, Junior Teenage and Senior Teenage baseball as a coach and league official. He was instrumental in organizing the Brownwood Girls’ Softball Association serving as their first president. With the help of W.V. Ray and Harry Miller, he oversaw and orchestrated the building of the first girls’ softball field in 1976. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church and a charter member of the Lake Brownwood First United Methodist Church. Joe was always supportive of his children serving as sponsor, coach, PTA president and friend. His children and grandchildren were the main focus of his life.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Gilmore of Brownwood; two daughters and son-in-laws, Carol and Randall Thompson of Reston, Va.; Carla and Monty Edwards of Brownwood, and one son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Karen Gilmore of Oak Hill Va. Also, surviving are four granddaughters, Tami and Eric Denslinger of Lutz, Fl; Jennifer Edwards of Brownwood; Susan and Ian Kent of Sterling, Va.; and Cary Gilmore of Oak Hill, Va; one sister and brother-in-law, Gloria and Hubert Janner of Brenham, one sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Bettie and Roland Duus of Rockwood, two nieces and four nephews also survive.
Joseph was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Eula Gilmore; a son, Larry Wayne Gilmore; a daughter, Sherry Lynn Gilmore; and two sisters Eileen Boeker and Wayne Campbell.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers that memorials be made to The Alzheimer’s Association 301 S. Pioneer Suite 105 Abilene, Texas 79605 or a charity of choice.
