Kenneth Wayne Willis, 69, of Brookfield died Thursday, August 11, 2011, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 14, 2011, at Brookfield Baptist Church. Rev. John Cone and Rev. Gary Cadwell will officiate with entombment to follow in Tift Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. Ronald Hand, Randy Blalock, Sonny Johnson, Rodney Bennett, Jose Cervantes and Johnny Rutland will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Gary Crawford, Bo Lowry, Lindsey Evans, Perry Taylor, Wayne Driskell and Hilton Burgess. The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 13, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Willis was born on May 21, 1942 in Tift County and was the son of Ralph Davis Willis and Leila Belle Woods Willis, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Clyde Willis and John Allen Willis; and one sister, Gwendolyn Louise Willis. He was retired from Willis Farm Supply in Brookfield as a millwright and also farmed. He was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. He worked with boys in Royal Ambassadors for the Georgia Baptist Convention for 49 years. He was former RA Associational and Regional Director and was actively involved in church work and helping others. He was a devoted Tift County High School cross-country, track and swim team booster and was a member of the Tifton Genealogical Society. He loved planting his garden, making syrup and was helping plan a new syrup plant for the future Tift County High School Canning Plant. He was also a volunteer firefighter for 13 years in Brookfield. His laughter and love for people will be greatly missed by his friends and family.
Mr. Willis is survived by his wife of 48 years, Evie Jean Plemmons Willis of Brookfield; one daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Terry King of Brookfield; one brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Sarah Willis of Brookfield; one sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and Tommy Payne of Knoxville, Tennessee; one sister-in-law, Nema Willis of Nova Scotia, Canada; and one beloved granddaughter, Kendal King of Brookfield.