Roland “Sonny” Gillis, 82, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2015 in the Adirondack Medical Center.
Born on November 17, 1932, he was the younger son of Edna Rule Gillis and step-father, Harry Bellows, both deceased. He is also pre-deceased by his brother, Robert Gillis.
He married Jeannette Madore on June 2, 1952 prior to his deployment to Korea. Upon his return , he was employed by Tom Brown Greenhouses which he later purchased and moved to his own property. There they raised 5 children: Deborah (John) Stubley, Michael (Lauren) Gillis, Patricia (Rodger) Willett, Mary (Greg) Corrow, and Lisa (Aaron)Moser. Sonny’s family now has grown to include 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
After retiring from the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, he enjoyed travelling , gardening, wood-working, cooking, and playing intense games of pinochle.
Calling hours are scheduled for Tuesday, June 16 between 4-7 pm at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 17 at 11am at St. Alphonsus Church.
Expressions of sympathy may be made with memorial contributions to the Tupper Lake Rescue Squad. Online condolences may be made at www.stuartfortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.