Tawana Gaillard, 79, of McAlester, Oklahoma, passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2026, in McAlester.  Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home Chapel in McAlester.

Tawana was born September 10, 1946, in Danville, Virginia, to Palmer and Syble (Tindel) Adams. She loved her family deeply, enjoyed playing bingo, and rarely passed up an opportunity to visit the casino because you never know when your lucky day might be waiting! Tawana never met a stranger. She had a way of making people feel welcome, loved, and like they had always been a part of her life. Although her immediate family is listed here, anyone who knew Tawana knows that her family extended far beyond those connected to her by blood. She was constantly welcoming people into her life and, in her own special way, making them family. She loved people deeply and left a lasting impression on nearly everyone she met.

Tawana is survived by her children, Irene Williams of McAlester, OK; John Ross and wife Susan of Holdenville, OK; Tawana Sinclair and husband Rick of Calvin, OK; Wayne Gallimore and Mistie Warren of Gowen, OK; and Misti Lee of Ada, OK; as well as 22 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Ann Messick; her brother, Keith Adams; and one grandchild.

Tawana will be remembered not only for the family she was born into, but for the many people she chose to love along the way. She had a gift for making people feel like they belonged, and her presence was one that was difficult to forget. Her family and friends will carry her memory, her love, and the lasting impression she left on their lives with them always.