SOUTH THOMASTON — John James Gilliland, Jr., 90, a man with a twinkle in his eye, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Sussman House in Rockport. John was born May 2, 1936, in Aurora, Nebraska, the son of John J. Gilliland, Sr. and Josephine A. Hansen Gilliland. He was educated in Nebraska and graduated from Grand Island High School. He went on to earn an Associate's degree in Electronics from…