[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18419-18420]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO WILBUR PILLMAN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2010

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of a 
beloved citizen of Mobile, Alabama and denizen of the arts who passed 
away October 15, 2010.
  Wilbur Pillman was a graduate of McGill Institute and served with the 
U.S. Navy, Pacific Theatre, during World War II. He was a talented 
artist, dancer and director, appearing in many musical productions of 
the Mobile Catholic Theatre Guild later the Mobile Theatre Guild. He 
was president of the First Theatre of the Deep South in Prichard, took 
part in Mobile Optimist Club's annual minstrel, and served in many 
church, civic and social organizations as performer and director.
  Wilbur formed and directed the Phi Gamma Chi High School Sorority 
annual ``Follies'' for many years, and directed and performed in the 
Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority's annual ``Minstrel''. He directed and 
performed in the American Business Women's yearly ``Riverboat Follies'' 
as well as the Insurance Women's annual show for ``Boss Wright'' He co-
directed and performed in the annual Epsilon Chapter, and the Phi Delta 
Kappa Business Men's Fraternity show for the March of Dimes.
  Wilbur also served as guest artist, director and performer for many 
local conventions, the Convent of Mercy's annual ``Soiree'', as well as 
the Shriner's annual charity benefit shows. Mr. Pillman had the lead in 
three local productions of ``The Music Man'' as well as starring as 
``George M''.
  He also lent his talents to many of Mobile's Mardi Gras Mystic 
Societies where he designed costumes, wrote tableaus, narrated the 
balls, choreographed the skits, and often performed to open some of the 
balls. Through the University of South Alabama he spoke for many years 
to the visiting ``Snowbirds'' on the history and background of Mardi 
Gras and its activities, often appearing in a colorful costume. He was 
a regular volunteer at the Mobile Carnival Museum as a docent from its 
beginning.
  As a member of his beloved Mystic Stripers Society since 1955, he was 
knighted into the Royal Order of Stripers in 2000, being the third 
recipient of this honor. In 2008, upon the celebration of his 50th year 
as the society's official Court Jester, Wilbur was honored by the 
Stripers when the theme of their annual parade and ball was based 
around the Court Jester, and he also served as Grand Marshall for two 
of Mobile's women's Mystic Organizations parades.
  Wilbur was an icon of the Mobile area performing arts and especially 
Mardi Gras, and his absence will be deeply felt across our community.
  On behalf of the people of Mobile, I offer my condolences to his 
sister, Miss Alilee Pillman; his grandchildren, Elizabeth, Michael, 
Joseph, Mary Grace, Sarah and Emma Rose Kennedy, Christina, Jennifer, 
and Theresa Cranford, Claire, Sophie, and Dane Arden, and Aubrey River 
Gewehr and his many many friends. You are all in our thoughts and 
prayers.

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