John William Gillespie

John William Gillespie, 81, of West Chester, PA, formerly of Grand Junction, Tennessee, passed away December 13, 2023.

He was born March 28, 1942 in Pikeville, KY, son of the late Robert Columbus and Anna Margaret Call Gillespie. He went to school at Pikeville High School and married his beloved wife Gloria Doepel in 1961. They spent most of their life in Memphis and retired to Grand Junction. John moved to West Chester PA to live with his daughter in 2019. He served honorably in the U.S. Army as a medic in Germany and was recognized for his sharpshooting skills. John was an active church member throughout his life. John had a notable love of antique cars. He was a proud member of the Memphis Street Rods and loved attending car shows and restoring cars. John loved his wife, family and spending time with his many friends. He always had a joke ready to share and was known for his generous, helpful nature.

John is survived by his daughter Anna Nichols and her husband David; his grandchildren Katherine Nichols and her husband Zac Raouf, Daniel Nichols and Molly Nichols; his sister Patricia Branham and her husband David. He was preceded in death by wife, parents and sister Wilana Hansen.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Graveside services for John Gillespie will be conducted at 2:00p.m. Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at Hopkins Cemetery, Hopkins Cemetery Road, KY 40740.