Master and Commander
Posts: 1555
Location: NE Florida | Subject: Wednesday Obits
https://www.facebook.com/ussvi.eternalpatrol/
https://ussvi.org/membership/eternal-patrol (USSVI members only)
The above link goes to the USSVI (United States Submarine Veterans, Inc.) Facebook page where their members who have gone on “Eternal Patrol” are noted.
I’ll keep my work here going, trying to get others who were not USSVI members. You’re encouraged to look there as well as here! Obviously, there’ll be some I miss and some I duplicate.
GILLEY .. .. .. Larry Dewitt Gilley, 73 of Pensacola, Florida passed away on October 17th, 2026. He was born on August 31, 1953 in Pensacola, Florida to Dewitt and Aurelia Gilley. Larry had run track in high school and also enjoyed swimming as a young man. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during Vietnam, stationed in the Mediterranean on a submarine. He served 6 years, 4 being on the USS Tullibee as an electronics technician. While serving in the Navy, he got to climb two-thirds the way up the Matterhorn, of which he was very proud! He spoke of the impression God's creation made on him that day even before he came to know the Lord Jesus as his Savior. After two total automobile crashes, he was saved out of alcoholism in 1981 and surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was called to the ministry to preach the Gospel soon after. He attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana, during which time he met and married "his beautiful bride" Joan. They met in 1983 and married in 1985. They enjoyed 41 years of marriage. Larry loved his Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ, with all his heart and loved the Word of God. He was passionate about preaching the Word and loved being in the pulpit! After serving full time churches in Florida and Alabama for many years, he became bi-vocational, continuing to pastor small churches while working full time at Olive Baptist Church on the maintenance/housekeeping staff to support his family. He still gave full-time service to the churches he pastored at the same time. Larry was known to many as a great encourager, always building up those around him. He was genuinely friendly to everyone and a kind-hearted person. He loved to read and learn continually and enthusiastically shared with others the latest things he had learned, whether about astronomy, geography, history or horses and especially the Bible. He loved spending time with his family, taking them walking on nature trails and visiting history museums throughout the years of raising his family. He loved studying the Bible and Bible maps with his wife, Joan, listening to Shirley play the piano, singing with Bethany and grilling and burning wood in the fire pit with Daniel. He enjoyed talking about the military with his son-in-law, Matt. He enjoyed just being at home with his family, playing "Bible Trivia" by making up questions and playing Rummy with cards around the supper table. Larry had studied art some in college and continued all his life to enjoy sketching superheroes, horses and airplanes. He was a comic book enthusiast and loved to study the artwork of their covers, passing his love of comic books to his son, Daniel. He loved watching old westerns, war films, and anything to do with the Lord. Larry was faithful in his daily prayer time and loved to memorize and
praise the Lord with hymns. He also loved memorizing God's Word. His favorite Scripture was John 15:15, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you." We rejoice that Larry is finally seeing his Savior and Friend face to face. Larry is preceded in death by his older sister, Carol Driggers, brothers-in-law Donnie Driggers and Jerry Tucker, and his father, Dewitt Gilley.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Joan Marie Lanzl Gilley; mother, Aurelia Knight Gilley who is 95 years old; children, Shirley Marie Gilley, Daniel Larry Gilley, Bethany
Joan Gilley Cox (Matthew); sister, Andrea Tucker; brother-in-law, Timothy Lanzl; aunt, Pat Perkins; nieces, Jennifer Hartsfield, Alice Davis (Ryan), Keisha Bowden (Jody);
cousin, Perry Doggrell (Melissa).
TERZIAN .. .. .. ALBANY - Harry David Terzian, 95, of Albany, NY, passed away on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Teresian House in Albany.
Born on October 21, 1930, in Troy, NY, he was the son of the late Jess and Yemine Terzian.
Harry graduated from Albany High School in 1949 and went on to serve in the United States Navy Submarine Force aboard the USS Amberjack (SS-522) from 1952 to 1954. Following his honorable discharge, Harry earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Siena College. He enjoyed a career with the New York State Department of Social Services before retiring in 2005.
Harry was a proud member of the Albany-Saratoga Base of the United States Submarine Veterans.
Harry was predeceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Patricia M. (Branagan) Terzian, who passed away on February 22, 2015.
He is survived by his four sons and daughter, David, Timothy, Christopher, John (Kim), and Kathleen (Gary). Harry is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Edited by Coyote 2026-10-21 3:38 PM
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Wednesday Obits
