Thomas Roger Gillman
Obituary

Tom was born June 13th, 1946 in Ohio to Esther and Sidney Gillman. Due to Sid's coaching career they moved to Southern California in the mid 1950s.  After graduating from high school in San Diego, Tom moved on to UC Berkeley where he graduated in 1968. He then earned his Master's Degree at University College, London in Latin American Studies. He returned to Cal for a teaching degree, and subsequently taught high school Spanish in the Bay Area.

After moving to Los Angeles in the late-1970's, he and his then partner Ronnie Romoff co-owned a high-end menswear and accessories shop Hardware in West Hollywood on Melrose and a seasonal shop at New York's Fire Island Pines, and then Studio in Santa Monica.

He met his life partner, Bill Akell, on January 31, 1997, in San Francisco through AOL. Three months later on the day of Tom’s first of many back surgeries, Bill moved in with Tom and they built a business reselling high-end jewelry, art, antiques on-line for clients globally. They got their marriage license during the pandemic on November 2, 2020, and as was their way, waited until the last possible moment to use it, which just happened to also be January 31, 2021. They went to a Justice of the Peace in Long Beach, who happened to be the one who married the first gay couple when it was legalized in California.

Tom Gillman passed away at UCLA Hospital on July 4, 2026 at 12:37 a.m. at the age of 80.

Tom is survived by his husband and partner of 28.5 years, Bill Akell, their Siamese cats Cyrus and Sophia, as well as three older sisters, Lyle Gillman, Bobbe Korbin, and Terry Hill. They, in addition to multiple nieces and nephews, cousins and huge numbers of friends and clients, will miss him dearly.

Many thanks to all of UCLA's staff as well as UCLA's Care Center (Dr. Artis Moe) for their compassionate care throughout the many, many years of service.

Especially to Dr. Ron Mitsuyasu of The Care Center who had been his doctor since his HIV diagnosis in 1984.

Without Dr. Ron this obit would have been written in 1984.

A memorial is planned for Oct. 25th. Further details will be forthcoming.

Go in peace Tom. You are free of all these earthly troubles and pain. It's alright. It's alright.