Mary Ellen Gilliam went to be with her Lord and Savior on April 29, 2015 after a long illness. Mary was born on August 24, 1925 in Henderson, North Carolina. Her parents, Nora Medlin Fitts and John E. Fitts preceded her in death. Mary married Joseph Edward (Eddie) Gilliam and lived in Portsmouth, VA for many years. She and her husband were founding members of Faith Baptist Church on Joliffe Road, Suffolk, VA. Mary is the mother of Joseph E. Gilliam (deceased) and Evangelist John Thomas Gilliam. She has six grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren, one of which, Hayden Charles Gilliam preceded her in death. Mary was married for 64 years to Eddie Gilliam. They spent many years together serving the Lord as missionaries on the streets of Gatlinburg, TN and Brandon, FL under the auspices of Baptist World Missionary Outreach Ministries. Mary spoke of her faith in Christ and witnessed to everyone she met about the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving grace. Mary enjoyed baking, canning, making jams and jellies and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She is a member of Providence Baptist Church in Riverview, FL A Funeral service will be held on May 7, 2015 at 2 p.m. to celebrate her life with her family and friends at Serenity Meadows Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Riverview Florida. The family will receive guests from 1:30 pm to the start of the service.