SANFORD - A scholarship has been established in memory of Jill Gillette at Central Carolina Community College. She worked at the college as an administrative assistant from February 2011 through March 2019.
Jill Gillette was known for her kindness, great conversations, and being a friend for life. She passed away in July 2021 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Her survivors include husband Frank, son Joseph and daughter Julie.
Jill's husband and son recently visited CCCC to visit with President Lisa M. Chapman and to tour the CCCC Veterinary Medical Technology facilities.
"I have so many fond memories of Jill. We were married 44 years," said Frank Gillette. "Some of my favorite memories was her love of her family and animals. We seemed to always have a cat, or dog, or both all the time. Jill always kept herself busy. She raised a family while going to school and working. We moved about 13 times for my job and Jill would turn our new house into a home each time. She was so excited when I retired and we moved to North Carolina to be closer to our kids and grandkid. That's when she got the job at CCCC and met Joni Pavlik (who was CCCC Dean of Business & Media Technologies and Public Services).
"Jill enjoyed working at CCCC and would talk about all the great people she would meet and work with. Her love of animals led her to visit the VMT program. She would spend some of her lunch and break time visiting the VMT school and animals," said Mr. Gillette.
"I had to have surgery several years back and Jill surprised me with a beagle she got from the VMT program. She said that she got it to help motivate me to walk after the surgery. The dog's name was Shadow. He was a blessing and did accomplish her goal of getting me walking after the surgery."
Mr. Gillette said his wife never met a stranger. "She made friends wherever we lived or wherever she worked. Once Jill was your friend, you had a friend for life. She was the same way with animals; she loved them."
He noted that after his wife passed away, he and his children talked about ways to remember Jill and her love of people and animals. "We thought it would be great to remember her for what she loved and enjoyed. We decided the best way, and we think Jill would agree, would be to help someone with their education. We established her scholarship for those in the VMT program at the school she felt so attached to," he said.
CCCC President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman says she was honored to be a coworker of Jill's during much of her tenure with the college. "Mr. Gillette is so right. Jill never met a stranger and made all of us, colleagues, students, and college visitors feel valued and welcomed," said Dr. Chapman. "She modeled everyday how people should be treated. This scholarship will not only help many students financially, but it will also afford us the opportunity to continue to share Jill's positive influence on all of us."
Dr. Emily C. Hare, Executive Director of the CCCC Foundation, said she is grateful for the generosity of the Gillette family. "Jill Gillette was one of the most incredible, amazing and kind ladies that I knew. She always had a smile on her face and pair that with her loving spirit, she was dynamic. Jill loved with all her heart, especially her animals and all the animals of this world. It is only fitting to have a scholarship in Jill's memory to help students who have this same type of heart for our animals. We will forever remember Jill in this way and the lives she will continue to change through her legacy," said Dr. Hare.
The CCCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with, but independent of, the college. It receives donations of money and equipment on behalf of CCCC and uses them to promote the educational mission of the college and assist students through scholarships and grants.
"I would recommend and suggest to anyone with the means, wants to help others, as well as remember a loved one, to check out the opportunities CCCC and the Foundation can provide," said Mr. Gillette.
For information on giving to the CCCC Foundation, contact Dr. Emily C. Hare, Executive Director of the CCCC Foundation, 919-718-7230, or ehare@cccc.edu.
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