Warren Pierce Gilmore

August 28, 2024

Warren Pierce Gilmore was born in Milton, Florida on December 6, 1947 to his loving and devoted parents, the late Deacon James Franklin Gilmore, Sr. and Pollie Marie Walker Gilmore. Warren was a highly respected man of great character, strength, courage, dignity, and wisdom. On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Warren moved from labor to reward when our Heavenly Father called him home to be with Him.
Warren joined Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church at an early age and subsequently accepted Jesus Chris as his personal Lord and Savior. During his teen years, his older sister, and “second Mom”, Marie Gilmore Dickerson, taught him to play the piano. He and Marie had a very special bond which extended throughout their adult lives and lasted until her death.

He was educated in the Santa Rosa County Public School System. He attended and graduated from T.R. Jackson School and was a proud member of the Class of 1965. It was at T.R. Jackson where he learned to play the percussions and became the percussion section leader during his senior year of high school. He was also on the track team and ran in long distance track events.

Warren enlisted in the United States Air Force June 1965 and was honorably discharged December 1968 from active duty. During his tenure, he was a Heating System Specialist. He continued to serve his country in the Air Force Reserve until June 1971 in Niagara Falls, New York. During his stay there, he married and from that union two children were born and three children were adopted – Warren Jr., Keisha, Anthony, Kim and Renee. He later moved back to Milton, Florida and found the job that he truly enjoyed at Whiting Field Naval Base where he worked as an Aircraft Mechanic until his retirement in 2003.

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After his return to Milton, he re-joined his home church, Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church. There he became a deacon and later accepted God’s Calling and truly became “A Man after God’s Own Heart”. Warren was licensed in the ministry in June 1988 and later ordained in September 1988. While at Mt. Pilgrim, Rev. Gilmore baptized an abundance of youth in the Milton community and most of them referred to him as “Pops”, “Uncle Warren” or “Unk”. Rev. Gilmore faithfully served Mt. Pilgrim until God called him to pastor James Street Baptist Church (JSBC), where he was installed in July 1993. Rev. Warren Gilmore (lovingly referred to as “Rev.”), cared deeply for all of his JSBC members. He made it his priority to check on them regularly to just make sure that they were “good”. He was an amazing pastor who loved teaching and preaching God’s Word to JSBC and surrounding churches. Rev. Gilmore also served the Milton Community as Vice President then President of the Fellowship Churches of Santa Rosa County. After serving God and God’s JSBC flock as Pastor, Rev. retired in October 2014. He subsequently received the honor and title of Pastor Emeritus.

Warren met Annie “Vinia” Dortch during a visit at Greater Union Baptist Church in Century, Florida. A couple years later, on March 30, 1996, they were married and to this union three children were born – Pierce, Jerard and Jermaine (the twins). He absolutely loved and adored his family. He and Annie were the best of friends and did everything together and still “courted” each other going on dates every Friday until he became too ill to do so.
Warren was the “coolest” and “most down to earth” Man of God one could ever meet. He loved to laugh as well as make others laugh. His jovial personality and hearty laugh were contagious. He was a jokester and if he knew anything funny about you, you would be reminded of it at almost every encounter with him, followed by the heartiest laugh ever. He loved different genres of music, but Gospel was his favorite. He loved to see the band “12Eleven” perform. His son, Pierce, is the drummer and he considered Pierce’s band mates (Daniel, Denver and Eric) his sons and they affectionately called him “Dad”.

In addition to his family, Rev. had a group of friends, called “The David’s Catfish Crew”. They would eat lunch weekly at David’s Catfish House in Milton. They would have the best time joking around with each other and were well known by the staff.

Warren was preceded in death by his parents, Deacon James Sr. and Pollie Gilmore; and all of his siblings: Carolyn, Willie, Mary, Erskin, Martha, Marie, Nellie and James, and best friends: Esic Rhodes, Murray Hamilton, Alfred Brewton and Donald Brown.

Warren left an exceptionally unique signature on life. He leaves to share pleasant memories and carry out his legacy – his wife, Annie (Milton, FL); five children: Warren Jr. (Tracey) and Keisha (Niagara Falls, NY), Pierce (Gulf Shores, AL), twins – Jerard and Jermaine (Milton, FL); three adopted children: Anthony and Kim (Niagara Falls, NY) and Renee (Illinois); fifteen grandchildren; sixteen great-grands and one great-great grand; one goddaughter: Juandalynn-aka Tamiko-Leverette (Atlanta, GA); five sisters-in-law; Dorothy M. Newton and Shelia Dortch (Century, FL), Clarissa (Buddy) Burt (Flomaton, AL), Karen (Minister Steve) Evans (Cincinnati, OH), and Linda Dortch (Atmore, AL); six aunts: Margaret Robinson (Marianna, FL), Lois White (Century, FL), Katherine Hastings (Marlboro, NY), Barbara White (Poughkeepsie, NY), Melinda Harris and Debra Edwards (Pensacola, FL); several nieces and nephews of which special bonds were formed with: Margo (Damian) Phillips (Concord, NC), Marlon Dickerson-aka-Bubba, (Little Rock, AR), Marque-aka-Keke (Benjamin) Lee (Chicago, IL), Keith (Francisca) Gilmore (Pensacola, FL), Krystal Gilmore (Milton,FL), Karen Gilmore (Douglasville, GA), Kim (Greg) Gibson (Chesapeake, VA), Krystal Gilmore and Lisa Johnson (Milton, FL), Pastor Vincent Dortch (Mableton, GA), Shana Barton (Milton, FL), Nerissa McKinney (Pensacola, FL), Rhonda Newton-King (Century, FL), Constance Madison (Flomaton, AL) and Brittney Dortch (Flomaton, AL – who greeted him by saying “Hey My Perfect Uncle” and he would respond “Hey My Perfect Niece”); best friends: Rev. Clifford Harris (Milton, FL) and Rev. Lonnie Bennett (Milton, FL); and a plethora of cousins, great nieces, nephews and friends whom he was very close with and ALL shared a very special place in his heart. Rev. Warren Pierce Gilmore was one in a million!

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries