Ottilia Davis Laird

Ottilia Davis Laird (Tillie) passed from this life on April 25th, 2020 at the age of 93. She was born to Frank and Lillie Davis on April 4, 1927 in Walton County, Florida. She was a child of the depression and knew hard times during her childhood. She used to joke that her’s was the poorest family in poorest county in Florida, but her parents always found a way to put food the table for them and their extended family. These formative years produced a strong independent woman. She will be remembered for her humble spirit that made her an ideal preacher’s wife. She was always a cheerleader for her husband, children, and grandchildren. She believed in them even when they stopped believing in themselves.

She met her husband of 54 years, Byron C. Laird, in Walton County, Florida. He was the son of a farmer who had experienced the same type of poverty she had known. This handsome young man had served as a Merchant Marine in World War II. He caught Tillie’s eye. She was determined that he was going to saddle up next to her in spite of others who had made their intentions known. After getting married, they attended Montgomery Bible College (now Faulkner University.) Byron would become well-known as a minister in the churches of Christ, which happened largely because of Tillie’s faith and encouragement. Byron owed much of his success as an evangelist to Tillie, a woman who loved to lead from the shadows.

Byron and Tillie moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 1961. Their two children, Joseph Glen and Pamela Elise, were now six and four respectively. The job offer from the elders of the West Huntsville Church of Christ was especially attractive because of the presence of a Christian school in Huntsville. They had seen the value of Christian education in Montgomery. Tillie worked for the Red Cross before becoming a kindergarten teacher at Madison Academy, but her greatest vocation was that of wife and mother.

Tillie had a sharp wit and a gregarious laugh. She was a master of self deprecating humor. There is a phone camera story that we will not tell, but it illustrates how her character remained constant in every phase of life. In a world dominated by selfies and self promotion, Tillie always wanted someone else in the picture, and she was always willing to toot the horn of others.

Her children, Glen and Pam, treasure the example set by their parents. Both married spouses who shared similar values of faith and family. The first great grandchild would become her namesake and dub her with the perfect title, Great Tillie.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Flavil Davis, her parents, Frank and Lillie, her husband, Byron, and her son-in-law, Donald Gross.

She is survived by her children, Glen and Linda (Richardson) Laird, and Pam Laird Gross, three grandchildren, Jonathan and Shelley (Lawson) Laird, Melissa (Gross) and Patrick Flanagan, Brian and Rachel (Geddie) Gross, and four great grandchildren, Tillie and Molly Flanagan, Jack Gross, and Sara Laird.

She fought the good fight, ran the race, and won the prize in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Please join us via Facebook Live Stream on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 3:00pm on Valhalla's Facebook page, Valhalla Funeral Home and Valhalla Memory Gardens. Please leave kind words of encouragement during the streaming for the entire family.