Jeffrey Gill

Jeffrey Rox Gill, 80, of Round Rock, Texas, passed away on May 11, 2024. Jeffrey was born in Austin, Texas on August 19, 1943. He grew up in Houston, Texas and graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Industrial Design. He enjoyed a decades-long career with the Texas Department of Transportation and retired in 2015. Jeffrey was a member of First United Methodist Church of Round Rock, Texas.

He is preceded in death by his wife Leilani Gill, father JR Gill, mother Rose Gill, and brother-in-law Al Foltz.

Although he grew up in Houston, his fondest memories were summers in Round Rock with his grandmother, Bessie Lee Fulkes, where he would spend his days exploring the woods with his cousins. He was a lifeguard at the Round Rock swimming pool. Back in Houston, he graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School and was a member of the ROTC for three years. After high school at the University of Houston, Jeffrey was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and took care of the university’s cougar.

Jeffrey and the love of his life, Leilani, were married at Epworth Methodist Church in Houston, Texas on August 1, 1970. Before having children, they spent the early years of their marriage breeding and showing German Shepherds in Stafford, Texas. They moved their family to Round Rock in 1984.

Jeffrey is remembered as a proud father with a great sense of humor. He loved American History, Native American History, and Military History. He spent countless hours camping, fishing, and hunting. Jeffrey’s free time was always spent outside in nature, painting, or building items like landscape models, ships, board games, and weapon replicas. He was an avid reader and enjoyed watching movies. Jeffrey loved animals of all kinds and taught his children to care for and love dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses and deer.

In his own words, Jeffrey’s philosophy on life was “I think that one should try to better himself and his fellow man whenever possible. I believe that there is nothing purer than the truth. If a person always believes and expresses the truth, he need not fear anyone or anything.” One of his favorite verses from the Bible was “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” 1 Samuel 16: 7.

Jeffrey is survived by his children Jason Gill and his fiancé Carmen Rodriguez of Leander, Texas, Dyann Blanchard and her husband Sean Blanchard of Longmont, Colorado, and Garret Gill of Round Rock, Texas; his grandchildren Aubrie Merrell and her husband Caleb-Joseph Merrell of Eagle Pass, Texas, Kendra Garcia and her husband Anthony Garcia of Austin, Texas, Leilanie Gill of Kyle, Texas, Heaven Hughes and her husband Alex Hughes of Littleton, Colorado, and Bleu Gamble and her husband Sylvan Gamble of Portland, Oregon; and great-grandchildren Oliver, Aria, and Anastasia Merrell, and Colt Hughes. He is also survived by his sister Karen Foltz of Round Rock, Texas; niece Lee Fuerst and her husband Alexander Fuerst of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and great-nieces Megan Barkdull and Allison Fuerst, and great-nephew Matthew Fuerst.

The Gill Family would like to express deep gratitude to the staff of Methodist Speciality and Transplant Hospital, Beatrice Hover Assisted Living, New Hope Manor Skilled Nursing, and New Century Hospice of Austin for taking care of Jeffrey.

Memorial donations in Jeffrey’s honor can be made to the following wolf sanctuary: W.O.L.F. Wolves Offered Life and Friendship near Red Feather Lake. https://wolfsanctuary.co