Obituary for Jean Penny Tillman
Graveside services for Jean Tillman of LaRue are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 7, 2020 at the New York Cemetery in LaRue with Robert Dodson officiating.
Mrs. Tillman passed away on August 3, 2020 in LaRue.
Jean Penny Tillman was born February 16, 1934 in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Thomas Wilson Penny and Anna Bell Wallace. Jean attended Adamson High School in Oak Cliff, Texas. She dropped out of High School after the 10th Grade so she could go to work and help support the family. After receiving her Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED) she went to work for Southwestern Bell in Dallas as a telephone operator, where she was introduced to her husband, Tony Lavern Tillman on a blind date. They married on January 9, 1953 in Rockwall, Texas. After Tony completed a stint in the US Air Force, Jean and Tony moved to Irving, Texas, where she became the family matriarch and homemaker, selflessly raising two sons, Michael and Jeffery. Years later, when the boys were older, she worked for a Doctor’s Office Answering Service as a switchboard operator in Irving and later worked for the Murray Companies in Dallas where she retired as a PBX Operator. In the early 1980’s Jean and Tony relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina due to Tony’s employment with the airlines where she remained a devoted homemaker until their retirement in the mid 1990’s. At that time, Jean and Tony relocated to LaRue Texas where they attended New York Baptist Church. Jean loved music, loved to sing and over the years had been a member of the church choir. She was full of energy, always cleaning house, very meticulous with everything having its proper place. She loved to read; especially the Bible, the holidays and being with family. She was very funny, had a great sense of humor and never met a stranger. Jean was steadfastly dedicated to her family, a loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother who will be dearly missed by all she knew and loved.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; twin sister, JoAnn Penny McCallum and brother Ronnie Penny.
Jean is survived by two children, Michael Dewayne Tillman and wife Joy of Irving, Jeffery Lane Tillman and wife Lisa of LaRue; four siblings, Patsy Rodgers of Red Oak, Barbara Matthews of North Richland Hills, Donnie Penny and wife Bonnie of Rowlett, Linda Penny Gollot and husband Barry of Ocean Springs, Mississippi and three grandchildren, Samantha Joy Tillman of Lewisville, Amanda Hope Ragan and husband Anthony of Irving and Rachel Jean Nicole Tillman of LaRue.
Serving as pallbearers will be Anthony Ragan, Paul De La Cruz, Terry Harmon, Craig Simpkins, Kent Welch and Bryan Dodson.
Visitation will be held prior to the service on Friday at the New York Baptist Church in LaRue from 1-2:00 p.m.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.
You may light a candle or write condolences to the family at www.hannigansmith.com
Mrs. Tillman passed away on August 3, 2020 in LaRue.
Jean Penny Tillman was born February 16, 1934 in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Thomas Wilson Penny and Anna Bell Wallace. Jean attended Adamson High School in Oak Cliff, Texas. She dropped out of High School after the 10th Grade so she could go to work and help support the family. After receiving her Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED) she went to work for Southwestern Bell in Dallas as a telephone operator, where she was introduced to her husband, Tony Lavern Tillman on a blind date. They married on January 9, 1953 in Rockwall, Texas. After Tony completed a stint in the US Air Force, Jean and Tony moved to Irving, Texas, where she became the family matriarch and homemaker, selflessly raising two sons, Michael and Jeffery. Years later, when the boys were older, she worked for a Doctor’s Office Answering Service as a switchboard operator in Irving and later worked for the Murray Companies in Dallas where she retired as a PBX Operator. In the early 1980’s Jean and Tony relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina due to Tony’s employment with the airlines where she remained a devoted homemaker until their retirement in the mid 1990’s. At that time, Jean and Tony relocated to LaRue Texas where they attended New York Baptist Church. Jean loved music, loved to sing and over the years had been a member of the church choir. She was full of energy, always cleaning house, very meticulous with everything having its proper place. She loved to read; especially the Bible, the holidays and being with family. She was very funny, had a great sense of humor and never met a stranger. Jean was steadfastly dedicated to her family, a loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother who will be dearly missed by all she knew and loved.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; twin sister, JoAnn Penny McCallum and brother Ronnie Penny.
Jean is survived by two children, Michael Dewayne Tillman and wife Joy of Irving, Jeffery Lane Tillman and wife Lisa of LaRue; four siblings, Patsy Rodgers of Red Oak, Barbara Matthews of North Richland Hills, Donnie Penny and wife Bonnie of Rowlett, Linda Penny Gollot and husband Barry of Ocean Springs, Mississippi and three grandchildren, Samantha Joy Tillman of Lewisville, Amanda Hope Ragan and husband Anthony of Irving and Rachel Jean Nicole Tillman of LaRue.
Serving as pallbearers will be Anthony Ragan, Paul De La Cruz, Terry Harmon, Craig Simpkins, Kent Welch and Bryan Dodson.
Visitation will be held prior to the service on Friday at the New York Baptist Church in LaRue from 1-2:00 p.m.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.
You may light a candle or write condolences to the family at www.hannigansmith.com