  John Patrick Lillis 1967 - 2008 The Herald Democrat August 18 - 19, 2008 Sherman - Services for John Patrick Lillis, 40, were held Monday, August 18, at Dannel Funeral Home, Sherman. Burial took place at Akers Cemetery, Sherman. John passed away Friday, August 15, 2008. John was born November 24, 1967 in Sherman, to Jim and Jan Threadgill Lillis. He attended Sherman schools and graduated from Sherman High School in 1986. John worked at Beall's Department Store in Sherman while in high school. After high school, John worked his way through college doing lawn maintenance. Realizing his preference for digging in the dirt over digging in textbooks, he found a way to arrange his college classes. John would leave home in the wee hours on Tuesday mornings and head for Texas A&M College Station. He would attend classes from Tuesday to mid-day Thursday and then drive back home so he could take care of his customers. John's business cards read, "Mowing My Way Through College" - he was such a determined young man. John graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture in 1991 and started his own business, Lillis Landscaping. He had a unique talent when it came to landscaping. John traveled to Australia and New Zealand several times. He enjoyed hiking and backpacking within these areas. Lillis Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance was very successful and in 1998 he decided to sell out and travel for 365 days. His travels began in Scotland with friend, Richard Barber, of Sherman. John traveled throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Austrialia and South America before returning home exactly 365 days later. John was fascinated with the sites he was able to visit and his own personal adventures, such as sitting with the silver back gorillas in the Congo or having a roan elephant charge his jeep. Through e-mail and snail-mail, John would keep us "up" on his latest adventure. Wherever he was at the time, THAT was where "the best food he had ever eaten", was! He learned a lot about other countries, their culture and cuisine. John loved to cook all types of dishes and became quite good at putting together some unique meals. John developed friendships with people from all the areas he traveled and has maintained contact with many of them. He believed in taking care of our planet and always practiced recylcing. John also lived in an A-frame on the banks of Cottonwood Creek in Missoula, Montana. John loved the mountains, the "farm," his family and friends. John is survived by his parents; brothers, Jeff Lillis and wife, Keri, of Sherman; and Garrett Lillis and fiancee, Stacy Smalley, of Houston; grandmother, Kathleen Cole of Sherman; nephew, Hayden Lillie and niece, Kelsey Lillis, of Sherman; several aunts and uncles - Joe and Sheila Lillis of Wichita Falls; Judy and Francis Gajan of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Ray and Carolyn Threadgill of Sherman; and Janell and Joey Ulrich of Van Alstyne; as well as numerous cousins. John is preceded in death by his grandparents, Vernell and J.T. Threadgill and Joseph Edward Lillis. Pallbearers were Tito Menjivar, Wally Black, Dale Rodgers, Richard Hill, Dr. John Papaila, Richard Barber, Naif Risk, and Craig Porter. Honorary pallbearers were Cam Gillespie, Jerry Anderson, Larry Watkins, Gary Watkins, and Geer McKee. In lieu of flowers, a fund has been set up at American Bank of Texas, c/o Paul Bailey, 2011 Texoma Parkway, Sherman, Texas 75090. Akers Cemetery Copyright © 2024, TXGenWeb. If you find any of Grayson County, TXGenWeb links inoperable,
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