Obituary of Sarah Thompson Gilman

Sarah Thompson Gilman, 99, of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee died May 26, 2017. She was the daughter of the late Sarah Cooper Holtzclaw and T.C. Thompson Jr. Both of her grandfathers, the late T.C. Thompson and the late Dr. Cooper Holtzclaw were prominent Chattanooga citizens and greatly beloved. Mrs. Gilman was preceded in death by her husband William Douglas Gilman III and her sisters Stella Thompson Ragland and Maybelle Thompson Easley and her grandson's wife, Leigh Robertson Gilman. Mrs. Gilman is survived by her three children, Sally Gilman Dove of Bellingham, WA, Douglas Thompson Gilman (Sharon) of LaGrange, Ky, and Thomas William Gilman (Geniese) of Nashville, Tn,. her 16 grandchildren: Jackson, Sarah (John), William, Graham, Robyn, David, Christa, Annaliese (Chad), Johannah (Luke), Cassandra (Ron), James, Philip (Stephanie), Julianna (Trey), Savannah, William, and Rosemary, and her 10 great grandchildren: Zachary, Chase, Amber, Triton, John Thomas, Benjamin, Lucy, Lyla, Teller, and Worth. Mrs. Gilman was born March 29, 1918 in Chattanooga. She attended Girls' Preparatory School and graduated from Randolph Macon College in Lynchburg, Virginia where she was president of Chi Omega Sorority her senior year. During WWII she served with the Red Cross and was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland and also helped with the Red Cross Railroad Canteen in Chattanooga. Mrs. Gilman's persistent optimism and exuberance for living overflowed into the lives of all of those around her. In gratitude for all the Lord had done for her, she demonstrated His love in serving others. She has been an active civic, church, charity, and cultural leader in the community. As a member of the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church for almost 70 years, she taught Sunday School to all ages and served on the pulpit committee and world missions committee which she chaired. She was given the Life Award by the WIC. Young life and Child Evangelism were extremely important to her in teaching the next generation about Jesus Christ. Following in her mother's footsteps, Mrs. Gilman was elected president of the Junior League in 1951. She has also served as president of the Miss Mag Day Nursery, the Childrens' Home, Child Evangelism, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bright School and Girls' Preparatory School, Family Service Agency Board, the Salvation Army Board, the Cancer Society, the Chickamauga Chapter of the D.A.R., the Art Study Club, Colonial Dames, Garden Club of Lookout Mountain, and co-founder of the Chattanooga Symphony Guild. Well into her eighties, she was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army every Christmas and headed their Christmas toy shop for over 20 years. She was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnae Award at Girls' Preparatory School. In 1991, she received the Pilot Club's Community Service Award. She was a Director of the Gilman Paint and Varnish Company and of the Mobile Manufacturing Company. The family of Mrs. Gilman wishes to thank her loving caregivers over the last year: Gwen Chandler, Lauren Fletcher, Marisa Newman, Kim Bowen, Twila Palmiter, Tonya Maxwell, Taylor Coppock, Cristina Piccolo, and most especially Willie Jones who has been an invaluable, dedicated, and extraordinary helper and good friend for over ten years. Those wishing to do so may make memorial contributions to the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army, the Chambliss Center for Children, the Little Brown Church, Child Evangelism, or a charity of their choice. A celebration of her life will be held at 12 noon on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church with Rev. Joe Novenson officiating. Interment will follow in Forest Hills Cemetery. The family will receive friends two hours prior to the service in the fellowship hall of the church. Arrangements are by Wann Funeral Home & Cremation Center, at the foot of historic Lookout Mountain, St. Elmo. (423) 821-7551 Please share your memories, stories and photos at www.wannfuneralhome.com.