Lois Katie Tillman Ghent, 93, of Marshall, Texas, went to be with her Lord on April 20, 2026, surrounded by the love that defined her life.

Lois was born on September 14, 1932, in Clinton, South Carolina, to Prince Albert and Ethel Lois Hollis Tillman. She was named after her mother and her great-grandmother, Katie Pye Tillman, a name she carried with quiet pride throughout her life.

On December 18, 1948, Lois "Katie" married the love of her life, Roy Brown Ghent, at White Springs Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina. Their marriage was a true partnership and an adventure, as Brown's work carried them across West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia. With every move, Lois would meet the neighbors, find a church, and leave behind lasting friendships when the next chapter began. She truly never met a stranger.

In 1977, Lois and Brown settled in Marshall, Texas, where they built a successful business, helped raise their grandchildren, and surrounded themselves with a wide circle of dear friends. Brown passed away in November 2009 following a long illness, and Lois remained a devoted wife to him until her own passing.

Lois's love for the Lord was lived out in action far more often than in words. She was forever seeking out those who needed help, comfort, or simply a good friend. She visited the hospitals and nursing homes, brought food to neighbors who were ill or homebound, and offered the less fortunate a meal, a few dollars, or a smile that could carry someone through a hard day. She passed that quiet faith on to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, not by what she said, but by what she did, and they are carrying it forward in their own lives.

She was a longtime member of Belaire Baptist Church and a member of the Marietta, Ohio Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star since 1960.

Brown loved a good road trip with Lois as his copilot. They took their children and grandchildren on countless trips, back home to South Carolina for family visits and reunions, across Texas and the Southwest to New Mexico, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon, through the mountains of North Carolin. Lois made two trips to Disney World with her children and grandchildren where memories were made that last a lifetime. And rumor has it, Lois loved to jump on a trampoline with her great-grandchildren until well into her eighties.

She is survived by her children Judy Kay and Joe B. Kennedy of Marshall; Brenda Lee and Roger Pierce of Bullard; and Mark Leroy Ghent of Euless, Texas. Her grandchildren Julie Kay Roberts of Southlake; Amanda Michelle and Donny R. Seals of Marshall; Laura Lee and Wesley Stremmel of Bullard; and Matthew Brown Pierce of Whitehouse, Texas. And her great-grandchildren Ethan Ross and Emma Katie Seals of Marshall, and Bentley Brown Pierce of Whitehouse, Texas. Her sister-in-law, Sara Tillman; her nieces, Vivian Hudson Whitaker, Nancy Tillman Davidson, Suzanne Tillman, Kelly Tillman Sexton, and Tracey Tillman Maschenik; her nephews, Charles Tillman, David Tillman, Donald Tillman, Al Tillman, and Thomas Tillman; and many beloved grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She is also missed by the friends, neighbors, and her devoted caregivers.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Roy Brown Ghent, her six siblings and their spouses: Truman Tillman (Ruth), Dozier Tillman (Esther), Birdie Tillman Hudson (Henry), T.W. Tillman, Prince Albert "Pat" Tillman (Catherine), and Hollis Tillman, her nephews Gerald Tillman and Kenneth Paul Hudson, and nieces Renee Tillman and Patty Tillman Simpson.

A celebration of Lois's life will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Downs Funeral Home in Marshall, Texas.

Her family takes comfort in knowing that the love and kindness she showed so freely across nine decades will keep finding its way into the world through everyone whose life she touched.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial gifts to any of the following organizations that reflect the causes and people Lois held dear:

Trinity Episcopal School,  2905 Rosborough Springs Road, Marshall, TX 75670

The Private Sector Emergency Management Association Foundation, founded by her granddaughter Julie Roberts:  502 Country Club Drive, Marshall, TX 75672

Mission Marshall: P.O. Box 1601, Marshall, TX 75671

A memorial service f will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, May 3, 2026, in the Chapel of Downs Funeral Home. A visitation will be held after the service beginning at 3:00 p.m., in the Chapel.