Mr. Joseph Thomas Gillis, 75, of  Southern Pines, North Carolina entered into eternal rest on Friday, January 31, 2025, at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  

Mr. Joseph Thomas Gillis was born to the late Ester Gillis on December 28, 1949. He departed this life on January 31, 2025, in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Born and raised in Southern Pines, NC, Joseph attended East Southern Pines High School, where he played football and was an avid tennis player. After high school, Joseph became a sailor in the United States Navy. After completing his military service, Joseph worked for the Department of Immigration at the World Trade Center in NY. He later returned to Southern Pines, where he  worked at NC Department of Corrections and Pinehurst Country Club and Resort before retiring..

Joseph was preceded in death by his mother, his brother Carl, his sister Denise, his grandparents John and Hattie Pearl, his aunts, Annie Pearl Heard, Louise Bowman, Hazel and Emma Gillis,  and his uncles, James, Wilbert and Archie.

Those left to cherish his memories are, his brother, Steven Gillis (Tina); his aunt, Earlene Gillis of Sumter, SC; his cousins and loving caregivers, Edward Gillis and Katrice Heard; nieces;  nephews; his best friend, Lucy (his dog); and a host of other cousins, family members, and friends.

Please keep the family and friends of Mr. Joseph Thomas Gillis in your thoughts and prayers. 

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Southern Pines, North Carolina.