Joseph Ester Tillirson, Jr.

Joseph Ester Tillirson Jr, “Mr. T.”, 75, died late Sunday, February 17, from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. He was preceded in death by his mother, Inez Humphries Tillirson, his brother Ed Tillirson, and his father Joe Tillirson Sr; he is survived by his wife of almost 21 years, Judith Hawkins-Tillirson, and his brother, Daniel Tillirson. Per his request, there will be no service.

Joseph was born in Atlanta, GA on October 4, 1943; graduated from Fulton High School; received his BS and MA from Georgia State University in 1965 and 1972. He taught in several high schools in the Atlanta area, including Campbell and Creekside.

Joseph loved and mastered many things—square dancing, photography, fishing, tall-tale-telling—but his overriding passion was Teaching. He taught upper division mathematics—calculus, trigonometry, algebra–for most of his 32-year teaching history and became the only teacher nominated for five Star Teacher awards at his school. He loved his students but also enjoyed the captive audience the classroom provided and was not above resorting to mischief when the occasion presented. One class some restive young men begged him for a hall pass which, to their shock, he provided. Their glee was short-lived, however, when the students were ushered back into the classroom by the Assistant Principal. “Mr. Tillirson, did you give these boys a hall pass?” “I don’t know,” Tillirson replied, “whose signature is on it?” “Captain Kangaroo,” the Assistant Principal read off the pass. ’Mr. T’ shook his head and the boys headed to detention.

Many of his students related to him, years later, that he had inspired them to go into teaching, some even of mathemathics.