Obituary of Elliott Gillman

Elliott Gillman passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home on Saturday, January 8th, 2022 after a very long, and extremely courageous battle with cancer.  He was surrounded by his loving family.  Elliott shared 68 years of unconditional love, infectious laughter, priceless wisdom, and unforgettable memories with family and friends.

Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Canada to Shirlee Axler and the late Bernard “Bernie” Gillman, that is where he received his schooling and met the love of his life, Linda Ponak. They were married in 1977 and had three beautiful children together, Erin, Lucas and Allie. Elliott was an extremely intelligent man. Since the age of 18, he had been educating himself on event technologies, working for and then becoming a partial owner of AVD Canada. A hard and dedicated worker, after nearly 30 years working in Canada, he relocated with his family to Budd Lake, NJ where he continued his career for over 20 years as Executive Vice President at AVD USA.

Elliott adored above anything else, spending quality time with his family. He was an amazing provider, doting husband, generous father, amazing grandfather, and a reliable friend. His kids and grandkids most cherished memories include Saturday mornings at McDonald’s, country music and being driven fast by Zaide in one of his cars.  He had a heart of gold and made friends with anyone and everyone.  When he wasn’t hard at work, you could find him in one of his sports cars, roof top down, no matter the weather.   His passions included collecting watches and listening to music, especially Frank Sinatra, Country and Jazz.  He leaves a legacy that will continue on for generations to come.

He leaves only joyful memories to his beloved wife of 44 years, Linda; his adored mother, Shirlee Axler; his cherished children, Erin (Sean) Dawe, Lucas (Vanessa) Gillman, and Allie (Matthew) DeMartino; his treasured grandchildren, Cameren, Hayden, Brooklyn, Vienna, and Theodore; his loving siblings, Bryna (David) Katz, Gary (Libby) Gillman, Gloria (the late Sheldon) Moses, Ian Gillman, and Bruce (Leigh) Gillman; his caring brother-in-law, Irwin (Celyne) Ponak; and many dear nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his father, Bernie Gillman; his step-mother, Rita Gillman; his step-father, Carl Pomerlian; and his step-father, Harold Axler.

Graveside Service will take place on Monday, January 10th at 1:30 pm at Mt. Freedom Hebrew Cemetery, 101 South Road, Mendham, NJ 07945. The family will sit shiva at their home in Budd Lake from 7 - 9 pm on Monday, and again on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 - 4 pm and 7 - 9 pm. **If you intend to visit with the family for shiva, we kindly ask that masks are mandatory and worn at all times** In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to one of his two favorite charities, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Please leave a condolence, light a candle, and share your favorite memory of Elliott here to continue to celebrate the incredible life he bestowed to us.