Mr. Cleo Tillman became a popular radio personality at W.A.D.E. Radio in Wadesboro. Mr. Tillman's radio nickname was, "The Superstitious Black Cat"

Mr. Cleo Tillman was born in Wadesboro NC on April 7, 1950, one of 11 children born to Virginia Dare Bennett Tillman and Cleo Tillman. A resident of Lilesville, he attended Henry Grove School and graduated from Bowman High School in 1968, the first year it was integrated.

After high school, Tillman joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1969-1972 in Vietnam and Germany. After completing his service, he returned to Lilesville and married Linda Diggs in 1972. They had two sons, Cedric (born 1976) and Damien (born 1978). They were members of Centenary A.M.E. Zion Church in Lilesville.

Tillman worked at Wade Mills, Festival Mobile Homes, and Seaboard Coastline Railroad in Hamlet after marriage. He also attended Richmond Technical College in the mid 70s, receiving associate degrees in electronics and radio/TV broadcasting. He later became a popular radio personality at W.A.D.E. in Wadesboro. Known as "The Superstitious Black Cat," Tillman played discos throughout the surrounding area. He also worked at Westview Memorial Park and as a recruiter at Anson Technical College. Tillman eventually received an associate's degree in business from the school. He was also a member of the Anson County NAACP.

In the early 80s, Tillman rededicated himself to the Christian faith of his upbringing. He was ordained as a minister at Centenary A.M.E. Zion Church. He began hosting Sunday morning gospel sets at radio station W.A.D.E. and became a financial services advisor at A. L. Williams (now Primerica Financial Services) in 1982, specializing in insurance. In pursuit of a larger market in which to offer his services, he sold his Lilesville home and moved to Charlotte in 1983. He remained with Primerica until his passing. By the time of his passing, he had also worked for several years in downtown Charlotte as a much-beloved security guard for Allied-Barton Security Services in the main Wachovia Bank building.

Tillman was an elder at several churches, including Rod of God Ministries. At the time of his passing he was an associate minister at Nations Ford Baptist Church, serving in the CareGivers (nursing home/hospital) ministry and Children's Church. He passed away on July 12, 2010 & was buried at Westview Memorial Park on Highway 74 West, outside of Wadesboro. He was survived by his wife and children and has two grandchildren.

Source: Anson County Historical Society;

Mr. Cleo Tillman, Jr. during his days in basic training - Sgt. US Army, Vietnam

Mr. Cleo Tillman, Jr. in 2006 with his granddaughter, Charis Tillman (daughter of Cedric Tillman)