TIFTON —
The late Donna Tillman’s daughter and mother accepted a resolution from State Rep. Penny Houston during Tuesday’s County Commission workshop session honoring the beloved woman who died unexpectedly Feb. 22.
“To know Donna was to love her,” Houston said after reading the resolution. Houston said she had become friends with Tillman before she died.
“It was sad to hear of her passing during the session last year,” Houston said.
Houston said she approached representatives Jay Roberts and Tony McBrayer with the idea to pass a resolution in the Georgia House honoring Tillman.
The resolution, honoring the life and memory of Tillman, stated that Tillman received many honors during her life, including the James E. Casey Community Service Award from UPS in 2006 and 2007; the Becky Mann Volunteer of the Year in 2006 from the City of Tifton; the Tifton Gazette’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Award; and the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2010.
Tillman was a P.O.S.T. certified police officer, a certified firefighter and first responder and a volunteer with the Harding Fire Department. She also created the “Santa’s Bags” charity and was a founding member of the Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association. Chet Powell, Tillman’s friend and executive director of the rescue association, was on hand at Tuesday’s meeting to support Tillman’s mother, Shirley Tillman, and her daughter, Brooke Hester.
The resolution states that Tillman was also a volunteer for Relay for Life and was “the proud mother of a remarkable daughter, Brooke, with whom she enjoyed hunting, camping and traveling.”
The resolution states that Tillman “gave inspiration to many through her high ideals, morals and deep concern for her fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience and understanding she demonstrated to her family and friends were admired by others.” The resolution also lauded Tillman as “a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness and kindness and, by the example she made of her life, she made this world a better place in which to live.”
“Whereas, a compassionate and generous woman, Ms. Tillman will long be remembered for her love of family and friendship, and this loyal daughter, mother and friend will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing her.”
Houston said that Tillman left behind more than she took from this world and that her survivors were in the thoughts and prayers of all of those Tillman touched.
To contact reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.
Local News
Related Photos
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Donna Tillman is pictured after being honored by UPS with the James E. Casey Community Service Award several years ago.
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Brooke Hester (center), daughter of the late Donna Tillman, is pictured accepting House Resolution 2078 from Rep. Penny Houston (far left) as Tillman’s mother, Shirley Tillman (far right) and friend Chet Powell (seated, right) look on. Houston presented Hester with the resolution during a Tift County Board of Commissioners’ workshop session Tuesday night. Angie Thompson
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