G C "Coach" Willis
Jul 23, 1941 - Jul 8, 2020
Posted by Martha Reddout

Marietta Monitor
17 Jul 2020 Page 4

G.C. was born to the late Willard O. and Lois L. McFadden Willis on July 23, 1941 at Enville. G.C. grew up at Enville, began school and may have even picked a little cotton there. He transferred to Marietta High School graduating with the Class of 1960. While attending Southeastern State College at Durant, he was an assistant coach at Marietta under Coach Bob McClain. In 1964 he graduated from Southeastern and began coaching and teaching at Marietta. G.C.’s first head coaching position was at Plainview High School in 1975. During his career he coached and taught at Wilson and Milburn in Oklahoma and at Tom Bean and Prosper in Texas. During his coaching years, there was never an ‘off season’. G.C. was always coaching, even during the times he farmed raising peanuts or cattle. He also worked for a time with Farmers and Shelter insurance companies. G.C. and the former Rebecca Jane “Becky” Estes were married October 6, 1966 at Tishomingo. The parents of two sons, Greg and Reggie, they would have celebrated their 54^th wedding anniversary later this year.

In addition to his wife, Becky, he is survived by his two sons and their wives, Greg and Tina Willis of Paradise, Texas and Reggie and Angel Willis of Ardmore; sisters and their husbands, Claudia and Jerry Vaughn, Barbara and James Blakley, and Brenda and Roscoe Hicks; grandchildren, Christi Juarez and husband Ricky of Weatherford, Texas, Shawna Willis of Paradise, and Garrett Willis, Rylee Willis, and Amber Smith and husband J.L., all of Ardmore; great-grandchildren, Ethan Juarez, Lilly Juarez, Chloe Juarez, Landon Willis, Scarlett Willis, Allen Smith, J.L. Smith and Shadow Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Roy Ed Vinson conducted funeral services at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 11 in the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ardmore.

Burial followed at Rose Hill Cemetery, Ardmore, with the assistance of Kenny Henley, Brad Bolles, Robert Manley, Brian Ford, Alan Rudd and Scott Skaggs serving as pallbearers.

Honorary bearers were Larry Roberts, Charlie Roberts, Harrell Kennedy, Marty Grisham, Kenneth Thacker, Ronnie Westfall, Paul Riley, Blake Smiley, Lavon Hicks, Samson Buck, Darren Rudd, Troy Cain and all the “Knotheads” he coached or taught over the years.

Online guest book: www.hdouglasfuneralhome.com