Gail Turner Gilliam

Gail Turner Gilliam 84, of Chesterfield County, Virginia, passed away on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Born in West Virginia on September 8, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Johnnie Ervin Turner, Sr. and Oca Ola Snead Turner. She was also preceded in death by her loving husband of 61 years, Walter Sandor Gilliam; sister, Debbie Stacy; and brother, Johnnie Turner, Jr.

Gail retired as the Director of the Radiological School at Southside Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia. She then went to work for Matoaca High School as a secretary, where she was loved by the staff, teachers, and students. She was a longtime member of Matoaca Baptist Church, where she sung in the choir and played piano. Gail was especially known for her beautiful, award-winning quilts, her love for her grandchildren, and her positive, optimistic, and sweet personality. She was a kind person who loved doing good for others, and she will be missed immensely by all who knew her.

She is survived by her children, K. Matthew Gilliam and Sandra Gilliam Irby and husband Kirk; her beloved grandchildren, Hunter Gilliam and Helen Moore and husband, Blake; brother, Mark David Turner and wife, Heather; and numerous extended family members.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Southlawn Memorial Park, 1911 Birdsong Road S. Prince George, Virginia 23805. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 10, 2023, at the Colonial Heights Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes & Crematory, 2033 Boulevard Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834. Online condolences may be registered at www.ealvinsmall.com.