Sandra R Gilliam

On March 7,2017 beloved wife, mother and grandmother Sandra Kay Runyan Gilliam went to be with her Heavenly Father after a brief illness. Sandra was born to the late Willliam “Bill” Runyan and Emma Kate Paris Runyan on October 24, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas. Sandra and her family moved to Birmingham in her junior year of high school. She began to attend West End High School in Birmingham where she graduated. After graduation she briefly attended UAB and later began work at South Central Bell as a service advisor. She gave her heart to her Lord at the age of eighteen at West End Baptist Church and later was married there on August 26, 1967 to W. Barry Gilliam. This year would have been their fiftieth year of marriage. Sandra was a homemaker and later in life became an Antique Dealer. She is survived by her husband W. Barry Gilliam; daughters Andrea Craig (David) of Birmingham and Melissa Wilson of Helena; three grandsons, Will Hamilton, Devin Wilson and Paris Craig. She became a member of Kingwood Church in 1980 and has served in numerous positions of ministry including teaching Sunday school, pre-marital counselling, prayer team and ladies ministry. She was a giver and an encourager and a mentor to many people. She loved to study the Word of God and especially enjoyed Bible study groups and her Sunday school class. She enjoyed playing bridge with her bridge group and growing flowers for the deer to eat. She was fond of genealogy and spent much time with distant family across the country tracing her family tree. Recently, she had retired after running her Antique business for the past seventeen years. She and her partner, Mrs. Linda Paisley, loved to travel and hunt for bargains to sell. Her life will be celebrated at Kingwood Church, Alabaster, Alabama on Monday, March 13, 2017. Visitation will be at the church from 12:00 to 2:00 with the service at 2:00 with Ridout’s Elmwood Chapel officiating. The service will be conducted by Pastors Ron Cox, Jay West and Mike Harden. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery in a private family only service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions could be made to Kingwood Church’s Mission program. The family greatly appreciates the many prayers and expressions of comfort and support we have received.