Ofelia Lita Gillespie

Ofelia “Lita” Gillespie was born the only daughter to Carmen and Ma de Jesus Gutierrez the day after Christmas in the year 1934 in Wells, Nevada. She was raised with her two older brothers Samuel and Robert. Lita’s father Carmen worked for the local railroads and her mother “Jesse” was a homemaker. Her family was strong in the Catholic faith and although Lita attended public school, she spent much of her free time studying traditional Catholicism and playing softball with the other neighborhood children. Their family remained in Wells until Lita was a teenager, at which time she and her family moved to Ogden, Utah.

Lita graduated from Ogden High School in 1951 and continued on to the local community college where she began classes focused on business. In 1952, she met and married Otonial “Tony” Jose Romero. They remained in Ogden for the next 6 years while they raised their only child, Robert, and Lita continued classes at Ogden Business School.

In 1960, Tony and Lita divorced and she left Ogden to set up residence in the Los Angeles area. She worked and raised her son in Santa Monica and later in Van Nuys. It was during this time that her father Carmen passed away. Her mother, needing to be close to family, came to live with Lita and Robert. This also provided an assisting hand in raising Robert. They became a very close knit family during this time. Lita’s main focus was on providing a loving home for her son, attending mass at her local Catholic church and joining in activities with her neighbors. While living in the Los Angeles area she worked in finance as a banker, accountant, and loan officer.

In 1973, she married James Gillespie and they moved into their home in Santa Ana. Robert was grown and living on his own at this point, but Lita was blessed with taking on the role of stepmother to Jim’s young daughters Madelyn and Maria. Lita continued working in the role of office manager for her husband’s company. She attended a local Episcopalian church where her husband was a member of the clergy. Jim and Lita later separated but remained lifelong friends. Although Lita and Jim were separated for over 20 years, they reunited to live in Bend, Oregon where Lita became Jim’s caretaker during the last years of his life while he was battling cancer. They were both members of the Trinity Episcopalian Church of Bend while living in Oregon.

During her life, Lita enjoyed taking classes at the local college, attending church and work-related social events, plays and musicals with friends and family, camping, cake-decorating and her love for her dogs. She had a deeply rooted love for her family. After retirement, she became an avid student of photography and enjoyed local travel with her friends in search of scenic photographic opportunities.

In 2010, Lita began her battle with renal failure and she moved to Colton, California to live closer to her family and friends. While living in Colton, she began attending Calvary Chapel of San Bernardino “The Red Barn” with her family. She was introduced to the love and grace of Our Lord and gained a new relationship in faith with God through the study of his Word.

Lita passed on to be with Our Lord surrounded by family while in the hospital on the 27th of February, 2015.

Ofelia Lita Gillespie is survived by her brother Samuel and Maria Gutierrez of Texas, her brother Robert and Gloria Gutierrez of Ogden Utah, her son Robert and Sheryl Romero of Moreno Valley, step-daughter Madelyn Driver, step-daughter Maria Gillespie and Ben Mayorga, grandson Robert Jr. and Michelle Romero, granddaughter Diana Romero-Ibanez and Gus Ibanez of Riverside, step-granddaughter Keeli Sorensen and David Wolkin of Silver Spring Maryland, step-grandson Dane Sorensen of Moreno Valley, step-grandchildren Tristan Driver, Everley and Marcel Mayorga, great-grandsons Eric Romero and Roland Romero, step-great-grandson Luke Sorensen and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary in the Cypress Chapel at 24145 Barton Road in Loma Linda California at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday March 19th 2015.