Adene Whidby Lillard

Adene Whidby Lillard, age 82 of the Bethesda Community in Williamson County, TN passed away July 14, 2026. Adene was a native of Williamson County and graduated from school at Hillsboro High School. She worked for Ben Franklin 5 & 10 Store in downtown Franklin. She opened her home and cared for many children of the Bethesda Community where she was fondly known as “Dene Dene”. She loved cooking and watching Vanderbilt Athletics. She adored her family and loved supporting her grandchildren in all of their sporting and school events. They all loved and cherished their “Nanny”.

Preceded in death by husband, William M. “Bill” Lillard; parents, Jordan & Willie Mae Pewitt Whidby; brothers, Arthur Whidby, J.D. “Junior” Whidby, Harry Whidby, William “Tiger” Whidby; sisters, Inez Kowalski, Ann Garrett and Nancy Ethridge.

Survived by: daughters, Sheila (Chris) Pitts of Rockvale, TN, Mai (Jayson Clemmer) Williams of Spring Hill, TN and Dot (Kenny) Scott of Estill Springs, TN; brother, Tom (Faye) Whidby of Nashville, TN; sister, Mary Jane Bruce of Franklin, TN; sister in law, Henrietta Whidby of Franklin, TN; grandchildren, Kaleb Pitts, Dylan Pitts, Chase (Olivia) Williams, Hayden Williams, Jordan (Sierra) Scott and Carly (Chris) Dixon; great grandchildren, Kynlee, Kade, Preslie, Nova, Tyler Grace, Urijah, Owen, Shepherd and soon to be baby Cora and many loving nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted 1:00 PM Saturday, July 18, 2026 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, Jim Taylor officiating. Interment Williamson Memorial Gardens. Active pallbearers will be Chase Williams, Hayden Williams, Jordan Scott, Dylan Pitts, Kaleb Pitts and Chris Dixon. Honorary pallbearers will be Chris Pitts, Jayson Clemmer and Kenny Scott. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Visitation will be 11:00 AM until service time at 1:00 PM Saturday at WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 615 794-2289 williamsonmemorial.com