Gilman Finley “Sam” “Gil” Burris, 87, of Tuttle, Oklahoma, passed away quietly and comfortably in his home of 60 years on July 11, 2026. He was born September 9, 1938, at home in Tuttle, at 2 West Main Street, the home of his grandfather Finley Fryrear, to Lefes and Fannie Burris. As a child, he spent time living in Chickasha and Arizona before settling back in Tuttle, where he would go on to spend most of his life. He graduated from Tuttle High School in 1957, where he excelled in sports.

Gilman picked cotton as a child and hauled hay as a teenager, working whatever jobs he could find around area farms. In 1955, he met Beverly “Kay” Moore at the Minco movie theater, and the two were married June 1, 1957. They made their home in Tuttle, where they raised their family together. In 1960, Gilman hired on at the Western Electric plant, which later became AT&T and then Lucent Technologies, where he spent the majority of his career and built friendships that lasted the rest of his life.

When he retired, Gilman and Kay bought lake property at Texoma along with a boat, planning to spend his retirement fishing. He wouldn’t get to do it as much as he’d hoped, though, because he chose instead to spend those years on the ball fields, watching his grandkids play every sport they were in, and dragging Kay right along with him. He also loved catching OU football and basketball games with his close friends. Later in life, at 71 years old, Gilman took on raising his great-granddaughter, which brought him and Kay no shortage of both hard work and joy.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Kay; his sons, Sammy Lee and Nicky Joe; his parents, Lefes and Fannie Burris; and his sister, Marie Garrett.

He is survived by his daughter, Tammy Rene Burris-Ellis; his grandchildren Kory, Brittani, Jeremy Burris, Elizabeth Burris Elliott, Nathan Locke, and Trasi Locke; his great-grandchildren Faith Burris, Ivy Elliott, Shelby Elliott, Hunter Elliott, and Dayvin Locke; and his siblings Carroll Burris, Dolores Bobier, and Gayland Burris.

Gilman also loved to hunt, kept a garden he was proud of, and made sure everyone went home with a bag of his vegetables, planted crepe myrtles that still bloom around Tuttle today, and served as the resident handyman for his family. His door was never locked to anyone who came knocking. He was a kind man with a sly sense of humor, the kind of person people just wanted to be around.