In the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on January 26, 2023, Katherine Ferris Gilliam, 40, sadly passed away. She is survived by her children Sophia Charlotte Nicholson (father, Chad Nicholson) of Meridian, Mississippi, Rémy Joseph Lewis and Irene Ruth Lewis (father, Bennett Lewis) of Ridgeland, Mississippi; her parents, Ken and Vicki Gilliam of Clinton, Mississippi, brother Grant Gilliam (Jada) and nephews Eldridge Gray Gilliam and August Banks Gilliam, all of Columbus, Georgia.  She was predeceased in death by her grandparents Gus and Mildred Lachney and Mark and Betty Gilliam.

Ferris was born on October 18, 1982 in West Monroe, Louisiana on the first cold day of the year and her birthdays throughout her life found that fact in common. She was very petite in stature her entire life, with gorgeous, big, gray eyes and long, dark beautiful hair. She was a delightful "Fairy" and had a quick, intelligent wit. She was so funny!

Her artistic talents included a powerful singing voice, a unique and haunting painting style, and an imagination that created incredibly complex worlds of colorful characters with plots that laid layers of time and space which perplexed us all. She was brilliant and everyone who met her knew that.

She earned a degree in History and English with a minor in French from the University of Louisiana, Monroe. She completed the majority of her work toward a Master's Degree in English and taught Freshman English and Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans. She also took multiple classes in Art and Graphic Design later in life and worked with her mother as a legal assistant.

She made us laugh, think more deeply than perhaps we wanted, and always made us aware of her passionately held political and social views. We will miss her daily and will love her forever. We look forward to her children's personalities reminding us of the very best of her.

Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by her Memorial Service at 2:00 pm at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Clinton, Mississippi on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.