William Robert "Bob" Gilliam, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, aviator, craftsman, and friend, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept 19, 2026.

Bob was born on January 6, 1936, in Kerens, Texas, to William Robert Gilliam, Sr. and Jewel Beryl Speed Gilliam. When he was just a year old, the family moved to Marshall, Texas, where he spent his childhood and completed High School. Bob attended East Texas Baptist College. After college, he answered the call to serve his country by joining the United States Army, where he continued his aviation training and developed the exceptional flying skills that would shape the course of his career.

Upon completing his military service, Bob began what would become a distinguished and lifelong career in commercial aviation with Frontier Airlines. Flying was not merely his profession. It was his passion. During his years with Frontier, he accumulated thousands of hours in the air and earned the respect of colleagues and passengers alike for his professionalism, calm demeanor, and dedication to safety.

One of the most remarkable moments of his aviation career came on April 13, 1972, when he served as a member of the crew of Frontier Airlines Flight 91 during the Los Angeles hijacking. During the six-hour ordeal, the flight crew endured an intense standoff at gunpoint that ultimately concluded with the peaceful surrender of the hijacker. Bob’s role in that historic event reflected the calm judgment, steady character, and professionalism that defined him throughout his life.

Bob remained with Frontier Airlines for his entire flying career, eventually retiring when he reached the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots. Retirement, however, did not diminish his love of aviation. Instead, it opened a new chapter in which he shared his vast knowledge and expertise as a flight instructor, traveling throughout the South Pacific to train and mentor pilots. He took great pride in helping the next generation of aviators develop the skills and confidence necessary to succeed.

While aviation was central to Bob's life, his interests extended far beyond the cockpit. He was an accomplished boat builder, sailor, and navigator who felt at home on the water. Meticulous and methodical by nature, Bob approached every project with patience and precision. He documented each of his boat-building projects in carefully bound volumes filled with photographs and detailed notes.

Among his favorite accomplishments was the construction of a beautiful two-seat, Chris-Craft-style wooden boat, crafted almost entirely from reclaimed wood salvaged from high school gymnasium bleachers. He milled, shaped, and bent each piece by hand, transforming discarded lumber into a work of art. He also lovingly built a replica tugboat complete with sleeping, cooking quarters and a bathroom. He installed a BMW engine and loved taking it out each weekend. It was a project that brought him immense pride and satisfaction.

Bob possessed a gift for strategic planning, navigation, and organization. Whether charting a flight path, plotting a course across open water, or tackling one of his many building projects, he approached every endeavor with remarkable attention to detail.

In retirement, Bob and Lorrie enjoyed an active and fulfilling life together. They remained committed to their health and fitness through regular exercise at their local gym. Bob also treasured the friendships he cultivated over countless cups of coffee shared with friends at his favorite local coffee shop. He remained sharp-minded, curious, and youthful in spirit throughout his life, maintaining his characteristic sense of humor and love of conversation until his health began to decline in recent years.

Bob is survived by his loving wife, Loretta "Lorrie" Lee Hartman Gilliam; Lorrie's daughters, Rene Magnuson and her husband, Lee; Jeri Boyce and her husband, David; and Paula Schneider and her husband, Jim; and Lorrie's grandchildren, Justin Leonard, Michelle Leonard, Chris Dillon, Tracy Dillon, Nick Dillon, Greta Dillon, Alyssa Bostaph, Joey Bostaph, Colten Gibbons, and Cambree Gibbons.

He is also survived by his daughter, Laura Gilliam Bryant and her husband, Carl Bryant; his grandsons, James Conrad "J.C." Bryant and his wife, Kaylee Self Bryant, and their daughter, Cora Winter Bryant, his great-granddaughter; and Jacob Bryant and his wife, Jammie-Lyn Quinnes Bryant.

He is further survived by his daughter-in-law, Erin Soleto Gilliam, widow of his late son, William Robert “Bob” Gilliam III; and by his granddaughters, Kelsey Elise Gilliam and Kailey Alaina Gilliam, daughters of William Robert “Bob” Gilliam III and Erin Soleto Gilliam.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, William Robert Gilliam, Sr. and Jewel Beryl Speed Gilliam, and by his beloved son, William Robert "Bob" Gilliam III of Minden, Louisiana.

Bob’s legacy lives on in the family he loved, the friendships he nurtured, the pilots he trained, the boats he built, and the countless lives entrusted to his care as he safely carried passengers across the skies for more than four decades.

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always.