Tiny Willis turns 100 at Dominion of Athens
Eugene Willis, known to everyone as Tiny, is 100 years young. Not only is he the oldest resident at Dominion Senior Living of Athens, but he is also one of the first residents to move into the community when it opened!
“Those 72 years of marriage were the happiest years of my life.”
Tiny was born in Rome County, Georgia, but his family moved to Rhea County when he was young. He was raised by his parents, William and Victoria, who he says always made sure he and his two sisters and three brothers were well taken care of. Tiny states that he has always lived a ‘simple life’ as a child, which he upheld throughout his adulthood. As a teenager, they moved to McMinn County, where he’s lived ever since.
When Tiny turned 18 years old, he enlisted in the Army to serve in World War II. He fought for three years to the war’s end. Several years later, in 1950, Tiny met and married the love of his life, Glafrey. They were married in Rossville, Georgia, and honeymooned in Daytona Beach. Tiny states that those 72 years of marriage were the happiest of his life. They never had any children, but they always loved and cared for his nieces as if they were their own. Glafrey moved into Dominion with Tiny but sadly passed away two years ago.
As well as being the oldest resident at Dominion, Tiny is the oldest member at East Athens Baptist Church. He takes great pride in living for the Lord. For a living, Tiny worked as a Dental Tech for over 38 years making dentures.
Tiny says that living at Dominion of Athens feels like the next best thing to being at home. All the staff treat him like family, the residents are all his friends and he just has the sense of comfort.
