GILLEY, JAMES E.

HAMPTON ” James Edward Gilley, 84, died Saturday, March 29, 2008.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Creed Flanary Gilley Sr. and Nancy Sword Gilley; two brothers, Creed Flanary Gilley Jr., and Paul Douglas Gilley; and his beloved wife of 57 years, Virginia Legg Gilley.

Surviving to cherish his memory are his daughter, Paula James Gilley; and his feline companion, Cuddles, the golden-eyed cornpone.

Jim Ed was born on Aug. 11, 1923, at East Stone Gap, Va. He graduated in 1942 from Appomattox High School in Virginia, and then joined the Marine Corps. He was a member of the Marine Raiders (an elite commando unit) in the Pacific in 1942-1943, with a landing in the Solomon Islands. He was with the 6th Marine Division on Okinawa in 1945. Jim Ed joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent in 1951 and conducted investigations in Missouri, Ohio and Virginia, retiring in 1978.

His talents as an author were shown in his book “Nobody Can Become Perfect by Merely Ceasing to Act,” written in 1998, about his experiences in the Marines and FBI. He was a member of the Phoebus United Methodist Church, Society of Former Agents of the FBI, the Marine Corps League and The Cat Corner.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. April 2, 2008, in the chapel at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Ave., Hampton, VA 23666. The interment service will be at 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Phoebus United Methodist Church, 300 E. Mellen Street, Hampton, VA 23663, or The Cat Corner, Inc., 85 Fulton Street, Hampton, VA 23663