John Gillespie died Friday morning, March 12, of respiratory failure at Piedmont Hospital. Though he fought cancer for five years, he faced it daily with courage, strength, and faith. He lived every minute. He was 77.
He and his twin brother Jim were born in the old Piedmont Hospital downtown on June 6th, 1943 to James Iler Gillespie, Jr. and Adelaide Turner Gillespie. They enjoyed an idyllic boyhood rafting down the Chattahoochee, climbing trees and trellises, and getting stuck on roofs and into mischief. As a Boy Scout, member of the Order of the Arrow, and an Eagle Scout, he was inspired by and lived the Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
John graduated from North Fulton High School in 1961 and from the University of Georgia in 1968 with a Master’s in Landscape Architecture. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. It was in Athens in 1963 that he met Victoria James from Atlanta; they married in July 1965 while both were in graduate school. They moved to Nashville where he began his career as a landscape architect designing state parks for the Tennessee Department of State Parks (1968-1972).
In 1972, they returned to Atlanta where John joined Cousins Properties as a project manager until 1976 when he joined John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods. He was the Senior Executive Vice President in charge of land development for three decades (1976-2006), turning large tracts of land into neighborhood communities.
Throughout his life, personally and professionally, he used every opportunity to share his experiences and depth of knowledge and to mentor with truth, honesty and integrity. He encouraged the same high standards in others that he set for himself. John always educated himself when facing a decision and was thoughtful in analyzing any issue for multiple outcomes. He gave good advice and was a straight-shooter -- you always knew where you stood.
The family enjoyed Lake Burton where John bought an old house that, given his creativity, was rebuilt and rebuilt and rebuilt. He bought a 1930 20-foot Triple Cockpit Model 100 wooden Chris-Craft that was also completely restored as well as old bass boats which he redesigned into boats for duck hunting.
Always an avid fisherman and hunter, when John retired he took up sporting clays at Burge Plantation, a sport shared by his wife, Vicki, his son, Baxter, and his three grandsons. Eventually, he sold the lake house and built a farm in Madison to be closer to the shooting community of friends at Burge.
John never did anything half-way. He took a class in grilling steaks at Chops restaurant and became a certified barbecue judge in Memphis. He was known to give smoked ribs or a big pork roast for Christmas. It was the same with his clothes; he loved English clothes and custom-made shoes, whether outfitting for formal dress, bird hunting in Scotland or South America, or bass fishing all over the Southeast.
He was a director of the Lake Burton Civic Association, the Peachtree Racquet Club, Burge Plantation, and member of the Green Jacket Club, a shooting club at The Homestead in Virginia. John was a devoted member of The Church of the Apostles. In everything, his steadfast faith was deeply held and manifested in his actions.
John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Catharine Victoria James Gillespie, and their children: son John Baxter Gillespie, Jr. (Meral Pixley) of Bryson City, North Carolina; and daughter Anne Marie Palmieri (Gregory John) of Haines, Alaska. Three grandsons—Dylan Gregory Palmieri (Polly Bryant), Frank Keegan Palmieri, and Brennan John Palmieri will miss their “Granddaddy John” who instructed them in so many ways and had shotguns fitted specifically for each. They will carry his love, lessons and legacy moving forward. His twin, James Iler Gillespie III of St. Simons Island, Georgia, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and great nephews will treasure their memories of good times together, as will his faithful Scottie, Finn. He was predeceased by his parents.
A funeral will be held at The Church of the Apostles on Thursday, March 25 at 11 a.m., followed by burial at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. H.M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel will handle the funeral arrangements: (404) 851-9900.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The SHARE Military Initiative at the Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 or www.shepherd.org; and The Church of the Apostles, 3585 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, GA 30327 or www.apostles.org.
