William C. Gillespie

William (Bill) Gillespie of San Antonio, Texas also known as Bud or Buddy by many friends passed December 6, 2019 at the age of 86. He was born at home near Aflex, Kentucky March 7, 1933 to Annis (Brown) and Charles David Gillespie.

He graduated from Belfry High School and soon after married his high school sweetheart Frances Ann Murphy then was drafted into the Army the next month. After serving, he attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia under a football scholarship where he was also introduced to the sport of wrestling. He later devoted many volunteer hours promoting High School wrestling and is considered by many as “The Father of Wrestling” for San Antonio. Some of his honors were: induction into the Belfry High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Texas Hall of Honor, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his service to the sport. In 1995 he was the South Texas Region Wrestling Coach of the Year.

Bill enjoyed entertaining and no group was too large. Once he fed over 100 cast members of “Up With People” in less than an hour in his front yard. Bill also loved building things. After retiring from Phillips 66 Petroleum Company, he devoted 15 months volunteering to help build a 6,000 square foot addition to his church. Retirement also granted him unlimited fishing which he enjoyed. You could tell which boat was his on the lake because it looked like a scared porcupine with all the fishing rods sticking out from the sides.

He was married 62 years to the late Frances Murphy. He is survived by his three children Sherry (Bruce) Fowler, Brent Gillespie, and Connie O’Brian; grandchildren: Blake (Shelby) and Kyle Gillespie, Cassy and Leia O’Brian, Reid (Kristin) Fowler; and great granddaughter Emma Fowler; brother Charles “Chuck” (Natalie) Gillespie, and preceded by his sister Elizabeth “Sis” (Eugene “Yog”) Marcum, and many relatives.

If Bill wanted you to remember one thing it is, “Attitude is Everything”.