Joseph (J.W.) William Pulliam

Joseph William Pulliam (J.W.) went home to be with his Lord and Savior at 2:00 a.m. Sunday the 7th of June, 2026 at his home in Galatia, IL with his wife, Barbara, his son, Alan, and his daughter-in-law Angie by his side.

He was born July 6th, 1930 in Christopher, IL to Charles and Osha “Ryan” Pulliam. He spent his elementary school years in Princeton, IN. He moved back to Galatia where he spent his high school years and graduated in 1949.

After graduating high school in 1949 he volunteered for the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and served 3 of the 4 years in Freising, Germany as a Staff Sergeant over the Radar Facility. He finished his fourth year at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

He was united in marriage on September 5th, 1954 to the love of his life Barbara J. Bordon. They settled and raised their two boys in Galatia, IL and were happily married for 71 years.

J.W. graduated from SIU with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Arts and Drafting. After graduation he taught Shop at Galatia High School from 1956-1991. During his tenure he did many things including coaching Galatia High School boys basketball from 1960-1963.

J.W. had many hobbies and passions throughout his life. One of the things he enjoyed most was coaching Khoury League baseball, something he loved from his younger years and remained passionate about throughout his life. He was also an avid ping pong player and took the game very seriously. But perhaps his greatest passion was clay target shooting. He traveled all across the country with his son, Alan, competing in tournaments and achieving great success along the way. Another activity he loved was quail hunting. It was a tradition he enjoyed for many years and continued until he was 78 years old. This tradition has since been passed down through the years and continues to be a family tradition to this day. Later in life he enjoyed wood working, making custom made wooden bowls which fill the shelves of his wood working shop. Whether he was coaching, competing, hunting, or spending time with family, J.W. approached everything he did with enthusiasm, dedication, and genuine love for life.

J.W. is survived by his wife of 71 years, Barbara J. (Bordon) Pulliam of Galatia; Son, Alan (Angie) Pulliam of Galatia; And his Grandchildren, Austyn (Jerret) Holland of Galatia, Shea (Cody) Mitchell of Eldorado, and William (Sydney) Pulliam of Galatia. He was the proud great grandfather of Carly, Peyton, Rian, Clay, Waylan and another on the way due in August. He is also survived by his sister, Brenda Tate, and her 5 children.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Ohsa Pulliam; his infant brother Evan Pulliam; his son, Joseph Rian Pulliam; and brother in law, Dale Tate. 

Visitation will be held Monday, June 15th, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Galatia First Baptist Church. A second visitation will be held, Tuesday June 16th, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., with funeral services immediately following. Officiating funeral services will be Pastor Greg Hughes and Pastor Jeff Rush. Graveside service and burial will be held at Tates Chapel Cemetery along with Military Rights performed by the U.S. Air Force.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois in his memory. The family would also like to thank Sloan Funeral Home for their dedication and services during this difficult time.

His last wishes were to thank all of his closest friends and family, “ I lived a wonderful life.”