Adrian Lee Royal Kilgore

AdriAn Lee royAL KiLgore

Adrian

Lee Royal Kilgore, affectionately known as “Killa” by many, was born at 9:46 am on June 10, 1947, to Hettie Ruthena and Ulysses S. Kilgore II. Adrian was the fifth child of ten children born to the couple. He was preceded in death by both parents, brother John Micheal and sister Erie Christine.

Adrian attended Memphis City Public Schools and graduated class of 1965 from the Booker T. Washington High School, making him a proud member of the BTW Tribe ’65. He served in the U.S. Army and received an Honorable Discharge after two years of service. After returning home from military duty, he attended Shelby State Community College.

Adrian was baptized by Reverend O.C. Collins at Progressive Baptist Church. He later united with the Olivet Baptist Church under the leadership of Senior Pastor, Reverend K.T. Whalum after he married Brenda Foxx in 1973. Adrian and Brenda were married for 49 years, and the Lord blessed them with two daughters –Adrienne Latrice and Allyson LaNelle.

Adrian retired in 2011 from the U.S. Post Office after having been employed as a letter carrier for 41 years, serving in the capacity of delivering mail and in collections. He established lifelong relationships with many customers on his route because he certainly was not your “regular” mailman. Our family was “adopted” by several families who lived on his route, which was bordered by South Fourth, East McLemore, Walker, and Lauderdale Streets. He served as a union steward for the National Association of Letter Carriers for several years and as a delegate to some of the National Conventions.

Anyone who spent any time talking to Adrian knows he was a well-informed, opinionated, outspoken, animated “political analyst.” If you dared to become engaged in a discussion about current events, historical data, or Bible-related topics, you’d better have done your research and prepared yourself for a most spirited and impassioned conversation.

In Adrian’s words, music was his “thang.” He loved music of all genres and amassed an extensive collection which includes albums, cassettes, CD’s, and playlists. He also enjoyed playing golf, bicycling, and bowling. He was a member of several bowling leagues for many years, and he had the trophies to prove he was more than pretty good at it.

To describe Adrian as a “people person” is a gross understatement. He absolutely loved people! He was everybody’s “person.” He was that person who tried to stay connected with family and friends who are like family through regular, sometimes daily, phone calls and “shout-outs” on social media. He was an active participant in family reunion planning and family affairs and the unofficial family historian and record keeper. He attracted people like a magnet, perhaps, because of his huge personality, jovial spirit, thunderous voice, or all of the above. And it seems that nobody ever forgot who he was! If the phrase “he never met a stranger” was a person, it would have been Adrian Lee Royal Kilgore!

Memories of him will be cherished forever by his wife, Brenda; daughters, Adrienne Kilgore Walton, MD and Allyson LaNelle Smith; sons-in-law Ryan A. Walton, Esq., and Sean Brett Smith; grandchildren Adelyn, Abigail, Anderson, Sinclair; sisters, Ritta Owens and Sally Francine Henderson; brothers Ulysses S. Kilgore, III, James A. Kilgore, Lanny K. Kilgore, Larry K. Kilgore, Joseph K. Kilgore; sisters-in-law Alma Kilgore, Joyce Kilgore, Jennifer Kilgore, Arlene Kilgore; brothers-in-law, Roosevelt Foxx, Jr. and Jerry Henderson; beloved nieces and nephews and a host of other family members and friends.