Leoma G Gilley
Leoma was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, as an only child. Her father was a gifted storyteller, and she inherited that gift and continues to develop it. She obtained her B.S. in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee and worked for several years as a speech therapist. She then studied for her M.A. in the same field and worked in a speech and hearing clinic in Macon, GA. In 1988, she earned a PhD in Linguistics from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies.
Linguistics fascinated Leoma, and in 1979 she felt called to join Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International. This affiliation led her to more adventure than she had expected and she lived most of her adult life in Africa, about 20 years of that in the Sudan. She has traveled widely and enjoyed discovering the languages and cultures of the places she visited. After 37 years, she retired and settled in Knoxville, TN.
Retirement looks different for different people. Leoma’s retirement includes continuing to work on the Shilluk dictionary, writing linguistic papers, teaching in college courses in East Africa, and becoming an author. She has written and published one devotional book, three books of prayers. She is currently working a memoir series about her time in Africa that chronicles her global travels and cultural experiences.
Leoma loves to tell stories and is available to speak on a variety of topics.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRwJVousqUpPpk6iSUtrMQ
