James S. Tiller, a native of Hartselle, Ala and a resident of Baldwin County since 1985, died Jan. 4, 2013 at West Minister Village, Spanish Fort after contending with esophageal cancer for 10 months.
He was born on June 17, 1927 in Montgomery and graduated from City High School in Chattanooga, Tenn in 1943 and received a B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in 1948 after serving in the U.S. Navy 1945-1946. At the university he was a member of Kappa Alpha Social fraternity, serving as treasurer and house manager; and was elected to Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honorary scholastic society and later to Tau Beta Pi, the engineering scholastic organization. After working for the then Humble Oil Company at its Baytown, Texas refinery he enrolled in the Perkins School of Theology, S.M.U &., and earned a master of Divinity degree with highest honors in 1954. He was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church and while taking graduate courses at Union Theological Seminary in New York, he was appointed pastor of a N.J. Church. His 33 years in the ministry was completed at the Madison United Methodist Church. During his eleven years of pastorate in Madison, he was president of the Rotary Club and a member of the Drew University Board of Trustees. In retirement in Bon Secour, he served as president of the Baldwin County habitat for Humanity, the Gulf Shores tennis club, and the board of directors of the Hugger Landing/Bon Secour Volunteer Fire Dept. He received 5,000 hours pin as a volunteer at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, and he regarded his highest achievement the teaching of the 852-member Questors Sunday School class at the Foley United Methodist Church for 25 years. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nellie Howard Tiller; three children, Susan (David) Dreyer of Ridgefield, Ct, James (Nancy)Tiller Jr. of Sodus Mich. and Stephen Mark (Barbara) Tiller of Wrentham, Maine and ten grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in the Foley United Methodist Church on Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Foley United Methodist Church or to Odyssey.
