Stephen (Steve) Robert Gilliland, born March 21, 1947, in Springfield, Missouri, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2022, in Huntsville, Texas at the age of 75.
Steve enlisted into the United States Army Reserves in January of 1966 as a Basic Corpsman and attended basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In 1967 after obtaining the rank of Sergeant E-5, he applied and was accepted into the Army Officer Candidate School (OCS). Steve graduated from OCS and became a Second Lieutenant in 1968. He held numerous positions and garnered rank that would eventually lead him to becoming a Lieutenant Colonel, the rank he would retire as on June 27, 1996.
Steve obtained both bachelor and master’s degrees in psychology from Fort Hays Kansas State College in Hays, Kansas in 1975. He and his wife, Kathryn (Kathy), moved to Huntsville, Texas in his pursuit of a career as a psychologist with both the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC) and eventually the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Steve would retire from both TDC and UTMB respectively and would go on to enjoy his retirement with family and friends.
Steve is preceded in death by both his parents and his brother Michael A. Gilliland. He is survived by his: wife Kathy of 52 years; daughter Kendra Collins and husband David of Huntsville, son Kevin Gilliland and wife Jessie of Willis, daughter Kristi Stewart and husband James of Huntsville; grandchildren Leslie Sanchez and husband Edgar, Savannah Stewart, Stephen Gilliland, Alexander Stewart; great grandchildren, Emelia Sanchez and Theodore Sanchez.
Steve’s final resting place will be at Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas.