Phillip Wayne Gilliam passed away September 16, 2025 in Waco, Texas at the age of 80. Phillip was born July 13, 1945 in Dallas, Texas, to Clive and Avis Gilliam. As a country boy at the age of 13, he started working with his father at the sale barn in Buffalo. His love for cattle continued to be a part of his everyday life from then on. As a young man immediately after graduating high school, Phillip found his career in banking. That later led to his lifetime dream of being an auctioneer. He loved his days of traveling to various places auctioneering and later running his own auctioneer business with much help from his wife, Vickie. After retiring, they enjoyed traveling coast to coast in their motor coach. Going to the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming became a tradition. They also had the pleasure of enjoying a few cruises over the years. Some of the traits that made Phillip the person he was include the fact that he was very intelligent and a great problem-solver. Numbers were his passion, and he could solve any math problem in his head. His past times often seemed to involve analyzing and investigating; it was obvious his mind never stopped thinking. Phillip was very businessminded, even up to his final days here on earth. He lived his last days with the same mentality he had all his life. Being very set in his own ways, when he had a certain belief or something in mind, there was no changing or convincing him otherwise. Although Phillip enjoyed many things in life, what he enjoyed most was being a devoted husband to Vickie, as well as a dedicated father and Papa to his grandkids. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clive and Avis Gilliam, and wife, Vickie. Phillip is survived by his children, Gina Commander and husband, Walter, Courtney Gilliam, and Damian Hullum and wife, Sonja; grandchildren, Drew Ferguson and wife, Shellby, Draven Hullum, and Preston Patrick; greatgrandson Drayton Wayne Ferguson (March 2026). Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 20, 2025 in the Union Cemetery Chapel in Freestone County with Reverend Dennis Ivy officiating. Scott Holmes, Grant Holmes, Jerry Maggard, William Maggard, Mike Glick, and Val Mathis served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Drew Ferguson, Preston Patrick, Draven Hullum, Bill Rutherford, Herbert Gene Wilson, Bill Hughes, Darrell Moore, Victor Montemayor. Visitation with the family was held from 6-8 p.m., Friday, at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home. Please visit www.blairstubbs. com to leave the family a message of condolence or sign the guestbook.
