Patricia Gladys Tillison-James

Patricia Gladys (Tillison) James was born on August 10, 1937 to parents, James Frederick and Gladys (Reynolds) Tillison. She passed from this life on Sunday, May 25, 2025 at her home in Park Hill with family by her side.

Patricia is preceded in death by her parents, James Fredrick and Gladys Tillison, her husband, Alfred James, one son, Theodore Otto Bitting, and her girls, Brenda and Glenda Bitting. She also joins her brothers, Robert “Son” Carr, Fredrick Tillison, Ralph Tillison, and John Tillison, as well as sisters, Hazel Gunderson, Mae Smith, Mary Shamel, Mattie Jane Shamel, Billie Turner, and Virginia Tillison.

She is survived by her brothers, Bobby Tillison and wife Shelly and Mitchell Tillison, her three children, Thurman Leo Bitting, Trisha Bitting, and Joseph. Her memory lives on through her grandchildren, Mathew and Misty Bitting, four great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and a host of family and friends.

For how she lived her life, she has always been one of those rare souls content with life's simple offerings. There wasn’t much better to her than a well-loved book, the warmth of family and friends, and the quiet ritual of a steaming cup of coffee paired with a plain glass of water-no ice, ever. Her purpose grew from lifting others up, finding joy in their joy and offering support wherever she could. Some might say she carried a restless spirit – a wanderlust that sent her chasing adventures in the most ordinary and mundane places. You'd rarely find her without a novel in hand, but when she set it down, she would wander to thrift stores, yard sales, or tucked-away shops, hunting for hidden stories in forgotten trinkets.

She was a self-proclaimed sociable introvert, and she thrived in small, meaningful connections in a handful of close friends, yet always curious about the world and its people. Her life revolved around those around her, whether it was the kids at Camarillo State Hospital, her own children at home, strangers in need of a listening ear, or friends seeking a ride or a shoulder to lean on. To just be there, to show up – that's how she measured her days. Adventure lived in both the grand and the ordinary, but it was always the people who gave it meaning to her life.

A time of visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 1:00pm until 5:00pm at Reed-Culver Funeral Home.

Funeral services for Patricia will be held on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 2:00pm at Reed-Culver Chapel with Speaker James Michael Young officiating. She will be laid to rest to join her husband James at Park Hill Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers are Mitch Tillison, April Parris-Young, Levi Paul Adair Sr., Levi Paul Adair Jr., Lena Adair, and James Young. Honorary pallbearers include Teddy Parris and William Walker.