Dorothy Reynolds Gilligan went to be with the Lord on Aug. 13, 2023, just two days shy of her eightyseventh birthday. Dot was born Aug. 15, 1936, in Athens. She was the third daughter of Gordon Allen Reynolds and Muriel Mann Reynolds. She was notably the first baby born in the newly erected Wolfe and Duphorne Hospital. Dot accepted Christ as her Savior at the age of 9.
Dorothy graduated from Athens public schools and attended Henderson County Junior College and the University of Corpus Christi. In 1955, she married John Bruce Gilligan of Uvalde. They resided in Taylor for over fifty years, where they were loyal members of the First Baptist Church. Dot routinely attended Community Bible Study. She loved traveling, having visited all 50 states and 20 foreign countries.
In her spare time, Dot enjoyed reading and playing cards and dominoes with her friends. Most importantly, Dorothy loved spending time with her grandchildren. Dot retired from Taylor Independent School District after serving as a Teacher’s Aide for many years. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her sisters Martha Sue Reynolds Dyer and Johnnie Reynolds Williams, and her son-in-law Dr. Charles Bradford Thomas.
She is survived by her daughter, Gina Gilligan Thomas; her granddaughter, Catherine Alia Thomas; her grandson, Philip Bradford Thomas; her nieces, Laura Gilligan Banks, Cynthia Williams Hartman, Nancy Dombrowski Losinno and Anita Dombrowski McKenna; and her nephews, Stephen Williams, Randolph Williams and Daniel Williams.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Liberty Cemetery, near Athens on FM 2339 (half a mile east of FM 1861).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to First Baptist Church Taylor, Pathway to Victory or the charity of your choice.
