Jean Marie Gillespie

Jean Marie (nee Reichter) Gillespie was born on January 5, 1935 in Wright County, Iowa and passed away September 8, 2020 in Fayetteville, Georgia after a long, hard fought battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. She lived a full life, rich in travel and family. She was 85 years old.

Jean was the daughter of Marvyl (Harvey) and Verven Reichter who raised four children on their farm in Goldfield, Iowa. She graduated from Goldfield High School in 1952 and then attended Tobins Business College from which she graduated in 1954.

Jean was united in marriage to Kenneth Roy Gillespie on December 26, 1954. While she attended college, Kenneth was beginning a career in the Air Force. Their life together in the military would take them all over the world. They lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Clark Air Force Base, Philippines; San Antonio, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Camp Darby, Livorno, Italy; retiring from Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas in 1978.

Following military retirement, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Where Jean quickly became involved in the local community as she had done throughout her life. Jean played piano for church choirs and congregations in many of the places that they lived. While in Italy, the high school jazz assemble needed a saxophone player, so she stepped in. In Denver, Jean volunteered at a thrift shop for the needy. Her enduring passion, though, was church missions, in which she was active her entire life. And once her children were raised, she used her business college skills as a bookkeeper for the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, from which she retired in 1998.

As it is in life, in advanced age Ken and Jean moved to Fayetteville, Georgia in 2014 to be with their daughter’s family. And it is there, surrounded by her loving family, that she passed peacefully.

Survivors are her husband, Kenneth; son, Larry Gillespie and wife, Patricia of Oakland, California; daughter, Marla Macyszyn and husband, Mark of Fayetteville, Georgia; three grandchildren–Pearce Gillespie, Kelli Macyszyn, and Garrett Macyszyn; her siblings– Beryl and Arlo; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Marvin.

Because of the current situation, Jean’s life will be celebrated in Iowa at a date yet to be set.