Mr. Gerald Gene Tillett Jr.

Gerald Gene Tillett, Jr., one month shy of his 70th birthday, passed away on August 3, 2020, at Huntsville Hospital Hospice of Redstone Village, after a brief but fierce battle with cancer. Gerald was preceded in death by his father, Gerald Gene Tillett, Sr., and mother, Betty Iris Adams Tillett, both of Shelbyville, TN. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Marikay Howard Tillett; daughters, Caroline Tillett Roeber (Dana), of Southaven, MS; and Julie Tillet Turner (John), of Meridianville, AL; step-daughter, Lauren Johnson; and step-son, Evan Johnson, of Huntsville, AL. Grandchildren include Ireland, Leyton, and Gavin Roeber; Katherine, Abigail, and Emma Grace Turner; and Weston, Marissa, and Vivienne Coffelt. Gerald is also survived by his sister, Barbara Tillett Cooke (Phil) of Shelbyville. Spending a good part of his life in his hometown of Shelbyville, Gerald graduated from Shelbyville Central High School. Later he went on to serve in the military as a helicopter pilot after training at Fort Rucker, AL. He then began his long career in road construction with Tillett Brothers Construction Company in Shelbyville, working with highway construction crews and rising through the ranks to management. He was fond of telling how his dad Gerald, Sr., and his Uncle Joe put him to work at age 14 planting kudzu along Mississippi and Alabama highways. Kudzu - the miracle plant that would help prevent erosion. He certainly did a grand job! Gerald ventured out to Huntsville and eventually went to work in heavy construction equipment sales for Joe Money Machinery Company. Almost no piece of heavy equipment was ever a challenge for him to operate, from small front-end loaders to highway pavers. He worked for Joe Money Machinery for close to 20 years, moving to sales manager after several years in sales. He retired in 2014. Gerald was a member of Weatherly Heights Baptist Church in Huntsville. He loved flying the Tillett Bros. company plane, traveling, riding his motorcycle with his buddies, and flower gardening. His reputation as a smooth dancer endured for decades, following him from Shelbyville to Huntsville. He simply would have never missed a dance. Of course, he loved his grandchildren too, and enjoyed being their Papa as much as they loved being his grandchildren. A graveside service for family and close friends will be Thursday afternoon, August 6, 2020, at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, in Shelbyville, TN, with Reverend Ron DeWitt officiating. The family requests use of masks and social distancing. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org/donate/pm or 1-800-478-5833 where his son-in-law is a research lab operations manager or https://ddx3x.org/the-ddx3x-foundation (granddaughter Vivi's genetic disorder). Please state in memory of Vivienne Coffelt's grandfather, Gerald Tillett. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is assisting the family.

Mr. Gerald Gene Tillett Jr.

September 4, 1950 - August 3, 2020