May 27, 1952 – Feb. 14, 2024
A Celebration of Life for Wheiles “Joe” Tillman, 71, was held at 12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at The Ridge at Strayhorn Marina on Lake Tenkiller in Gore.
Arrangements were under the direction of Forever Memories Funeral Services, Inc., of Sallisaw.
Mr. Tillman was born on May 27, 1952, in Tahlequah, to Joe M. Tillman and Laura Marie (Perry) Tillman. He died on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, in Gore.
He was a 1979 graduate of Tahlequah High School and entered the Air Force in 1972, specializing in law enforcement. While serving in the Vietnam War, he became a sergeant in 1974. He was released from active duty in 1976, and after serving in the reserves for almost two years, he ended his military career in 1978. He worked as a millwright at Sequoyah Fuels from 1986 to 1995, and at Whirlpool in Fort Smith from 1995 to 2008.
He was married to Brenda Johnson on May 27, 1994.
Survivors include his wife, Brenda; sister, Serena Geary and husband Jake of Ringwood; children, Kim Johnson of Muskogee, April Kennedy and sonin- law Brandon Kennedy of Vian, and Ashley Sloan and husband Cody of Gore; and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and inlaws, Jean and Claude Hall.
