John W. Gilliam

Since 1956, the Gilliam family has been a part of Berea’s small town character. Johnny Gilliam’s father first moved his family to Berea in order to be closer to his job at the Blue Grass Army Depot. Since then, Johnny has spent his life working, playing and raising his family in Berea.

Johnny’s work experience started like many other young boys; he served Berea as a Currier Journal paper delivery boy. He remembers his routes around town, and the people he served very vividly. Later he graduated from the old Berea Community High School, and went to school in Louisville to become a barber. In 1962, he returned to Berea and set up a barbershop. His shop was located where the main branch of Berea National Banks’ drive through is now located. In 1967, he bought a building to use for a real-estate business. He attended courses at the University of Kentucky’s vocational school, and soon received his Real-estate license. After working as a barber for fifteen years, he finally gave up the business and focused his attention on real estate.

Gilliam is a familiar face to many around town. He jokes that when he use to take breaks at the barber shop, he couldn’t even sit out on the porch because there was so many people he knew passing by, “They would wear your arm out waving!” he explains. He even recalls a time before then, when Berea consisted of only 3,000 people and subdivisions weren’t yet thought of. He says he use to know almost everyone, and he was so familiar with them he could tell you about their families and what time of day they got up and went to bed. He shares that it’s not “bad” to not know everyone; however, he enjoys walking from his office to the bank and seeing at least five familiar faces on the way. That is his favorite feature of a small town like Berea.

Gilliam also believes that the reason Berea is composed of such wonderful people is because of the history Berea has. “Berea’s only had four mayors. That in itself says a lot about our town,” Gilliam notes. He also has a strong admiration for Berea College and is proud to be a supporter of such an establishment. He also feels that another significantly unique feature of Berea is the fact that it is a dry town. “This makes us different than almost anywhere else you visit” Gilliam informs. These are all contributing reasons why he feels Berea is such an excellent place to raise a family, something very important in Gilliam’s life.

Gilliam has two sons, John and David. As well as four grandchildren, two boys and two girls, who play a very prominent and special part of his life. He sees his grandchildren on a daily basis and is very involved in helping raise them and spending time with them. The children spend a lot of time at Gilliam’s house and it is obvious how passionate he is about them in his life. The joy they give him is written all over his face.

Johnny has also done his share to serve his community including; 16 years on the Madison County Board of Education and long time Deacon at Fairview Baptist Church. He is humble about his accomplishments and explains that the positions are not important because of power or recognition; but instead they were another opportunity to meet new people. Gilliam feels that some of the finest people in Berea are those working in our school systems, and he was blessed to work with them.

He explains that helping people in his line of work is truly rewarding. He does realize that there are some out there who give a bad name to the real-estate industry. However, Gilliam treasures getting to meet new people and act as the educator and communicator between people who need help buying or selling a home. He says that he closed on a house just last week that reminded him why he stays in the business, “Both, the buyer and the seller, were in such need.” One couple was aging and needed to move, however they had lived there for many years and hated to give it up. Then a couple came along looking for just what the other couple had to give. “The match was great. They were so happy to see who was getting their home. They walked them through it, and the man kept explaining how things in the house worked. While the couple buying the house was happy to know more about the house, and know that it was taken care of so well.” Gilliam smiles as he talks about his work and it is clear that it is not simply a job to him; instead it is a career he is passionate about.

Gilliam can be found today, within a block of where he first delivered papers or even cut hair. Yet, he has definitely gone places and made a name for himself. He is a knowledgeable and personable man, passionate about his work and family. However, don’t think he doesn’t find time for his favorite hobby. He’s been playing golf for 44 years now and plans to add many more circles to his countless times around Berea’s Country Club.

Written by Hannah Billings