Funeral service for LTC (Retired) Stevie Jay Hilliard will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 2024 in First Baptist East with Rev. Doug Passmore, Pastor officiating.

Burial with full military honors will follow at a later date in Fort Sill National Cemetery.

The family will greet friends from 6-8 pm Wednesday at the funeral home.  Additionally, the family will greet friends at the church both before and after the funeral ceremony.

The service may also be viewed by following the livestream link at the First Baptist East Lawton Facebook page.

Lieutenant Colonel (R) Stevie Jay Hilliard, known to his loved ones as Jay, humbly passed away from this life to eternal life with Jesus Christ on April 15, 2024, at the age of 64 in Lawton, Oklahoma, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was born on November 23, 1959, in Rotan, Texas, near his childhood home in Roby.

The most important aspect of Jay's life was his commitment to Christ. He was passionate about teaching Bible classes and challenging students to read God's Word daily.  He desired to follow Jesus in everything he did, and he never hesitated to give generously to those in need.

Jay's heart overflowed with gratitude for the relationships God had graciously blessed him with. His soul found joy in his love for his family and friends. His zest for life, compassion for others, generous spirit, and sense of humor touched the lives of those around him, leaving an indelible mark on their hearts.  Loyalty was extremely important to Jay, and he was unreservedly loyal to family and friends, especially in the tough times of life.

Jay is survived by his beloved wife, Eileen Cooper Hilliard; his sons, Samuel Wiman Hilliard and Second Lieutenant Joseph Cooper Hilliard; his sister Joan Hilliard; his brother Mack Hilliard (Lisa); and his sisters-in-law Joy Hilliard, Alicyn (Randy) Mayes, and Sue (Skip) Cannon.  He was preceded in death by his father, Glen Hilliard; his mother, Zilla Faye Hilliard; his sister Wanda Godwin; and his brother Johnny Hilliard.

In addition to treasured family relationships, Jay had a long list of friends to whom he was recklessly committed. Beginning with childhood friends who have remained close to this day, he also developed friends throughout his life who stood by him through life's struggles and were integral in strengthening him through the cancer journey of recent years.

Eileen and Jay married April 20, 1996, in Roscoe, Texas, and enjoyed a blessed life together raising sons Sam and Joe.  Jay served 21 years in the Army and shortly thereafter opened Kingdom Medical Equipment in Lawton, Oklahoma.  Life was fun for the Hilliards, and Jay's favorite time was going on long road trips where the family was all together and the boys could not get out of the van.

In recognition of Jay's deep commitment to Jesus Christ, contributions can be made to Trinity Christian Academy of Lawton, Oklahoma http://www.tcalawton.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180018285&sec_id=180001609 .  Jay loved the endless school board meetings, the countless hours of trying to make money appear, and the seasons of coaching soccer.  He spent 20 years in volunteer service at TCA, loving every minute.