Kenneth L. Gillis "JR"

Kenneth Larry Gillis Jr. was born in Duren, West Germany, to a military family, Ken and Dee Gillis. He was the brother to Angela Gillis-Cronsell and Elizabeth Gillard. He was the uncle to 6 nephews, 7 great nieces, and 6 great nephews, all of whom he was very proud of and loved very much, and loved to brag about to anyone who would listen. Jr. was always the first to wish you a happy birthday, but also always the first to let you know he was thinking and praying for you on days he knew weren’t good. Every conversation ended with how proud he was of his family, all his nephews, and his nephews’ children. He never let the memory of loved ones fade.

They moved to Yuba City, California, in July 1979, then moved to Aurora, Colorado, in July 1981, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He considered this his hometown.

He attended Denver First Church of the Nazarene from that time until 2022. He accepted Christ into his heart at age 5 on Easter 1984. This was the best decision he ever made. Anyone who knew him knew that Christ and his faith were the top priority in his life.

He was an active participant in the True Vine and Rock youth groups at DFC. He thought of Rock Youth Pastor Randy Edwards as one of the men he looked up to most in his life. Randy had a saying he would use to remind the teens of what was really important. He always told them to “Remember who you belong to.” He participated in 4 DFC mission trips. In 1996, he went to Portland, Oregon. In 1997, he went to Toronto, Canada. In 1998, he went to Juarez, Mexico, and in 1999, he went to Chihuahua, Mexico. The first two were also choir tours with the Rock choir. He had a solo his senior year with the Rock choir, singing “My Tribute.” He made many lifelong friends in the Rock. He also sang in the DFC choir for several years under Michael Cork and Darwin Speicher. Darwin was another man he really looked up to in his life. He greeted and ushered at DFC for many years. Also, after his father passed away, he continued his father’s service to his church by making coffee for the Sunday School classes.

Beginning in 2022 and up until the time of his passing, he attended Tower Community Fellowship in Aurora, CO, where he was actively involved in the Praise Team and assisted with attendance and the donut ministry. He also really enjoyed the Men’s Group, Sunday School, and the chili cook-offs.

He competed in several sports through Colorado Special Olympics. They included swimming, powerlifting, bowling, golfing, and bicycling. He sang in the school choir at South Middle School and Gateway High School from 7th to 11th grades. One of the many highlights of his life was performing in the 8th-grade school musical performance of Aladdin. Also, in the 8th grade, he sang a solo in the school choir.

He worked for Taco Bell, Sears, Hugh M. Woods, and Wal-Mart. He really enjoyed working for Wal-Mart and celebrated his 25th anniversary on February 17th, an accomplishment he was very proud of.

Even with Kenneth’s lifelong health problems, he remained positive and focused on God, his family, and his love of Southern Gospel music, especially Legacy Five and the Down East Boys.

He leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, and devotion to family. Though our hearts feel the loss, we are grateful for the time we had with him and the example he set. Now he is at peace, reunited with loved ones, and in the presence of the Lord he faithfully served. He will never be forgotten.

In lieu of flowers please donate in Kenneth's name to Children's Ministries at Tower Community Fellowship by clicking HERE.