John Thomas Gilleland, 80, longtime Manassa resident, passed away January 8th at his home, surrounded by his family. He was born in Manassa in 1935, the son of Vernell and Leona Gilleland, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Eunice, sons John T. Jr (Shelly) of Draper, UT, Greg (Sheilah) of San Jose, CA, and Paul of Thornton, CO, and daughters Julie of Centerton, AR, and Tammy Bangs (Jeremy) of Parker, CO. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, both of blood and of the heart, with one due in August.

Tom, as he was known to friends and family in the Valley, spent his early life on his parents’ ranch between Manassa and Romeo and spent summers in the mountains with his Uncle Con Gilleland and Aunt Dora. He married his first wife in 1956 and they had one son, John T. Jr, before divorcing in 1958. He enlisted in the Army in 1959 and was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC, where he met a young WAC named Eunice Chandler. They were both honorably discharged in 1961 and were married at his parents’ home on February 9, 1962.

He was a Teamster and truck driver all his professional life – at Johns-Manville in Antonito, Santa Fe Trails in Albuquerque and Denver, and NorthWest Transport in Denver. He retired in 1998 and joined his wife at their home in Manassa until his passing. He was a Professor Emeritus at the College of Knowledge, holding classes at the Conoco service station in La Jara. He was a frequent reader of these obituaries, searching for his own name among the dead. Sadly, this publication is not available at his current residence.

He was a beloved son, brother, husband, uncle and father and was known as Papa to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was affable, kind and generous to all and was always ready to help friends and family whenever it was needed. He leaves an example of hard work and honesty for his family and will cast a shadow for generations to come.