Obituary of Anne Revell Gilliam

Anne Marie Revell Gilliam passed away peacefully at home where she requested to be with her son, Aaron, on Monday, February 17, 2025. 

Anne, affectionately known as “AnnieRee” to her family, was born on May 5, 1931 in Edenton, NC to the late Manison and Mozelle Boyce Revell.  She was pre-ceded in death by her four brothers, three sisters and her husband, William Gilliam, also known as “The Godfather of the Blues”.    

AnnieRee graduated from E.F. Walker High School in Edenton, NC when she was 18 years old and left North Carolina to move to Virginia Beach, VA.  She married her first husband in the mid 1950’s, and they became the proprietors of a hotel and a lounge called “Rock’s Lounge” on Virginia Beach Blvd not far from the ocean front.     

When AnnieRee was in her 30’s, she went back to school and attended Claftin University in Orangeburg, SC.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1970.  After leaving South Carolina, she taught school in Henrico County Public Schools (Richmond, VA) for a while. 

A few years later, AnnieRee met her husband, William Gilliam, and once again she and he became the owners/proprietors of the same property located on Virginia Beach Blvd.  They changed the name of the lounge to the “Yum Yum Lounge”, before it ultimately became a store front church.  She sold the property to the City of Virginia Beach after decades of being a business owner in 2012 and purchased a home for herself and her son, Aaron.      

Anne was a member of Rehoboth Baptist Church for 35 years.  She was a deaconess for 20 plus years and served as the Treasurer of the Deaconess Board.  She also sang in the choir. 

Anne leaves to cherish her precious memories, a loving son, Aaron Gilliam (Virginia Beach, VA); one sister, Daisy Riddick (Derry, New Hampshire) by way of Connecticut; a niece/sister, JoAnne Hainesworth (Hampton, VA), with whom she talked to on a daily basis; three sisters-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.