Janice Marie Dennis

Janice Marie (Gilliam) Dennis of Lubbock, TX passed away on October 1st, 2013 at the age of 37 at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD due to complications from a long and heroic battle with cancer. Janice was born to Barney J. Gilliam and Huei-Jen Gilliam on April 29th, 1976 in Little Rock, AR. She was the first child of three children who are as follows: Jennifer Elaine Gilliam & John Douglas Gilliam. Janice spent time growing up in the Philippines through age 8 until her father was stationed at Dyess AFB in Abilene. She graduated from Abilene Cooper High School in 1994. In the fall of 1994, Janice went to Hardin Simmons University, until transferring to Texas Tech University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology in 2002. She obtained her Master's degree at Texas Tech in Public Health Care Administration graduating in 2004. She met her future husband, Bruce Dennis, in the summer of 1999 in Abilene. Janice married Bruce in Abilene, on August 19th, 2000. They celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary this year. Their special and wonderful child, Jackson Brian Dennis was born on December 30th, 2008. They made their home in Lubbock. Janice worked full time for the Texas Department of Health Services Region 1 in Lubbock as an Epidemiologist (public health disease investigator). She previously worked professionally for the South Plains Association of Governments in Lubbock as an Emergency Operations Coordinator for Bioterrorism. In Abilene, she worked for Sitel Corporation and Oxford Street Restaurant. While living in Abilene, she attended Southwest Park Baptist Church. The family especially wants to thank all of the dedicated medical professionals at Covenant Medical in Lubbock including Dr. Bill Atkinson and staff, Dr. Joseph Killeen and staff, Dr. Kelly Kensing and staff, and Dr. Ibrahim Shalaby and staff at Joe Arrington Cancer Center as well as the doctors and nurses at UT Southwestern in Dallas and Dr. Nancy Kemeny and team at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, NY for their astonishing effort and full force practice of medicine that went extraordinarily beyond the extra mile in caring for Janice. She fiercely forged ahead, endured many medical treatments, chemo, and surgeries, and persevered many years beyond any prognosis she had been given. Janice used this time to live a near lifetime of rich and extraordinary experiences that has created an incredible force of legacy and faith in God that will never cease in anyone who came to know her or of her journey, and especially in her precious 4 year-old son, Jackson. She is survived by her husband Bruce Mark Dennis of Lubbock; son, Jackson Brian Dennis of Lubbock; her parents Barney J. and Huei-Jen Gilliam of Abilene TX; her sister, Jennifer E. (Gilliam) Gallagher and her husband Brian Gallagher of New York, NY; brother, John D. Gilliam of Irving, TX and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws. Preceding her in death are her grandfather Jay Gilliam; father-in-law Erick A. Dennis; mother-in-law Sally R. Dennis and her so very special dogs Charlie and Henry. The visitation and viewing will be at Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road from 6pm - 8pm, Saturday, October 5th. The funeral service will be at Highland Church of Christ, 425 Highland Avenue at 2pm, Sunday, October 6th with Kevin Dennis officiating assisted by Joe Placencia. The burial will follow in Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories 5701 Hwy 277 South in Abilene. Additional fellowship at Highland Church of Christ will follow until 7pm. Flowers will be accepted at Hamil Family Funeral Home. Donations to assist with medical expenses can be made at Prosperity Bank in Abilene and Lubbock at the Janice Dennis Medical Recovery Fund #10215635.