John R. Gillespie Jr.

John Richard Gillespie Jr. entered this world on March 24, 1951 and passed from it on May 19, 2016. During those 65 years he changed almost everyone he touched for the better. John was born in Franklin, Kentucky, and although he moved to Pompano Beach, Florida when he was just a toddler, he retained the charm and wit of a gentleman country lawyer to the end. John had a genuine love for people and cultivated lasting friendships beginning in first grade. John attended primary and high school in Pompano Beach and graduated in 1969. He remained so dedicated to the Pompano High School Golden Tornados, that as recently as last week, he challenged his emergency room nurse (a recent Pompano graduate) to sing the alma mater with him in the hospital.

John carried his deep rooted school pride to his beloved University of Florida where he initially attended on a music scholarship. Never being one to do anything half way, he was elected president of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity not once but twice and was selected to Florida Blue Key.

He eventually switched his major from music to advertising. Following his graduation from University of Florida, he enrolled in the University of Miami Law School to begin the second generation of Gillespie lawyers. While in law school John married his college sweetheart Charlene Holbrook Gillespie. They lived in Pompano Beach and with their three children. John loved being a trial lawyer and honed his considerable legal skills working for several local and national firms including: English, McCaughan & O'Bryan, Krupnick ,Campbell, Malone, Buser, and Dykema, Gossett. He founded his own firm Gillespie, Goldman, Kronengold & Farmer and finally The Gillespie Law Firm in Lighthouse Point. John was Legal Counsel for John Knox Village and was very proud of the work he did in service to them. As much as John loved lawyering, he loved being a dad even more. He was a constant fixture at his daughters’ tennis matches and softball games and his son’s football games. John Richard Gillespie Jr. entered this world on March 24, 1951 and passed from it on May 19, 2016. During those 65 years he changed almost everyone he touched for the better. John was born in Franklin, Kentucky, and although he moved to Pompano Beach, Florida when he was just a toddler, he retained the charm and wit of a gentleman country lawyer to the end. John had a genuine love for people and cultivated lasting friendships beginning in first grade. John attended primary and high school in Pompano Beach and graduated in 1969. He remained so dedicated to the Pompano High School Golden Tornados, that as recently as last week, he challenged his emergency room nurse (a recent Pompano graduate) to sing the alma mater with him in the hospital. John carried his deep rooted school pride to his beloved University of Florida where he initially attended on a music scholarship. Never being one to do anything half way, he was elected president of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity not once but twice and was selected to Florida Blue Key. He eventually switched his major from music to advertising. Following his graduation from University of Florida, he enrolled in the University of Miami Law School to begin the second generation of Gillespie lawyers. While in law school John married his college sweetheart Charlene Holbrook Gillespie. They lived in Pompano Beach and with their three children. John loved being a trial lawyer and honed his considerable legal skills working for several local and national firms including: English, McCaughan & O'Bryan, Krupnick ,Campbell, Malone, Buser, and Dykema, Gossett. He founded his own firm Gillespie, Goldman, Kronengold & Farmer and finally The Gillespie Law Firm in Lighthouse Point. John was Legal Counsel for John Knox Village and was very proud of the work he did in service to them. As much as John loved lawyering, he loved being a dad even more. He was a constant fixture at his daughters’ tennis matches and softball games and his son’s football games. John Richard Gillespie Jr. entered this world on March 24, 1951 and passed from it on May 19, 2016. During those 65 years he changed almost everyone he touched for the better. John was born in Franklin, Kentucky, and although he moved to Pompano Beach, Florida when he was just a toddler, he retained the charm and wit of a gentleman country lawyer to the end. John had a genuine love for people and cultivated lasting friendships beginning in first grade. John attended primary and high school in Pompano Beach and graduated in 1969. He remained so dedicated to the Pompano High School Golden Tornados, that as recently as last week, he challenged his emergency room nurse (a recent Pompano graduate) to sing the alma mater with him in the hospital. John carried his deep rooted school pride to his beloved University of Florida where he initially attended on a music scholarship. Never being one to do anything half way, he was elected president of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity not once but twice and was selected to Florida Blue Key. He eventually switched his major from music to advertising. Following his graduation from University of Florida, he enrolled in the University of Miami Law School to begin the second generation of Gillespie lawyers. While in law school John married his college sweetheart Charlene Holbrook Gillespie. They lived in Pompano Beach and with their three children. John loved being a trial lawyer and honed his considerable legal skills working for several local and national firms including: English, McCaughan & O'Bryan, Krupnick ,Campbell, Malone, Buser, and Dykema, Gossett. He founded his own firm Gillespie, Goldman, Kronengold & Farmer and finally The Gillespie Law Firm in Lighthouse Point. John was Legal Counsel for John Knox Village and was very proud of the work he did in service to them. As much as John loved lawyering, he loved being a dad even more. He was a constant fixture at his daughters’ tennis matches and softball games and his son’s football games. Being a successful lawyer and father might be enough for most men, but John also had a deep commitment to community service. A couple of his proudest achievements include being president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association and Chairman of the Lighthouse Point Planning and Zoning Board. John was also a past president of the Pompano Rotary Club, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. John and his longtime companion Theresa Fortnash delighted in frightening guests at the Pompano Rotary Haunted House annual fundraiser. John served for many years as director of the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and was their attorney for 13 years. In 2015 John received the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Stewart Kester lifetime achievement award for community service. He is survived by his brother Bruce Gillespie of Gainesville, FL, Companion Theresa Fortnash, Hollywood, FL, First Wife and mother of his 3 children Charlene Gillespie, Mount Dora, FL, daughters Whitney Gillespie and Elizabeth Gillespie Kent, son Jack Gillespie and four grandchildren, Riley Kaplan, Andrew Kaplan, Addison Kaplan and Bella Kent. John’s family has planned a memorial service and celebration for him on Sunday May 22nd at 3pm in the John Knox Village Auditorium (651 SW 6th St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060). In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that tax deductible donations be made in John's name to: ROTARY FUND, INC., c/o Pompano Rotary Club, P.O. Box 94, Pompano Beach, FL 33061 Being a successful lawyer and father might be enough for most men, but John also had a deep commitment to community service. A couple of his proudest achievements include being president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association and Chairman of the Lighthouse Point Planning and Zoning Board. John was also a past president of the Pompano Rotary Club, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. John and his longtime companion Theresa Fortnash delighted in frightening guests at the Pompano Rotary Haunted House annual fundraiser. John served for many years as director of the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and was their attorney for 13 years. In 2015 John received the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Stewart Kester lifetime achievement award for community service. He is survived by his brother Bruce Gillespie of Gainesville, FL, Companion Theresa Fortnash, Hollywood, FL, First Wife and mother of his 3 children Charlene Gillespie, Mount Dora, FL, daughters Whitney Gillespie and Elizabeth Gillespie Kent, son Jack Gillespie and four grandchildren, Riley Kaplan, Andrew Kaplan, Addison Kaplan and Bella Kent. John’s family has planned a memorial service and celebration for him on Sunday May 22nd at 3pm in the John Knox Village Auditorium (651 SW 6th St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060). In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that tax deductible donations be made in John's name to: ROTARY FUND, INC., c/o Pompano Rotary Club, P.O. Box 94, Pompano Beach, FL 33061 Being a successful lawyer and father might be enough for most men, but John also had a deep commitment to community service. A couple of his proudest achievements include being president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association and Chairman of the Lighthouse Point Planning and Zoning Board. John was also a past president of the Pompano Rotary Club, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. John and his longtime companion Theresa Fortnash delighted in frightening guests at the Pompano Rotary Haunted House annual fundraiser. John served for many years as director of the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and was their attorney for 13 years. In 2015 John received the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Stewart Kester lifetime achievement award for community service. He is survived by his brother Bruce Gillespie of Gainesville, FL, Companion Theresa Fortnash, Hollywood, FL, First Wife and mother of his 3 children Charlene Gillespie, Mount Dora, FL, daughters Whitney Gillespie and Elizabeth Gillespie Kent, son Jack Gillespie and four grandchildren, Riley Kaplan, Andrew Kaplan, Addison Kaplan and Bella Kent. John’s family has planned a memorial service and celebration for him on Sunday May 22nd at 3pm in the John Knox Village Auditorium (651 SW 6th St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060). In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that tax deductible donations be made in John's name to: ROTARY FUND, INC., c/o Pompano Rotary Club, P.O. Box 94, Pompano Beach, FL 33061