Obituary for Paul Eugene Gillespie
Paul Eugene Gillespie, 90, of Salem, went to be with the Lord, on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.
It was no secret to anyone that his faith in the Lord was everything to him. If you were asked how to describe Paul chances are you would hear that he was a humble loving father, hard worker, writer, musician, as well as a devout Christian. Throughout his life he achieved many amazing things and was blessed with many extraordinary talents. He wrote poetry, as well as his own songs, was a talented gardener, and avid outdoorsman. In his younger years he served in the United States Air Force where he served for four years. He then went on to work for General Electric, from where he retired after thirty plus years of dedication. When he was not working chances are you would find him at the church teaching Sunday School, out hunting or fishing, or taking mission trips. Paul made several mission trips throughout his life to places such as Peru, Jamaica, as well as Japan. During one of his trips to Japan, he had the privilege of ministering to and teaching Japanese children the game called the “Gospel Box” using his favorite verse I Corinthians 15: 1-4. His brother Curtis Gillespie who is a Master Gardener, named a tomato after him called “Paul’s Big Yellow”. A person such as Paul is a rarity, all who had the privilege of knowing him will admit that he made a lasting impression on their lives. He will be deeply missed, however his legacy lives on.
Paul is preceded in death by his son, Timothy Gillespie.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Imogene Gillespie; daughters, Debbie Kokufuda (Sakae), Cindy Gillespie, and Shari Wyrick (Jamie); grandchildren, Hannah Kokufuda Hoffman (Ben), as well as Andrew and Ricky Wyrick; great-grandchildren, Arwen and Emberly Hoffman, and Ivy Rose Johnson; brothers, Earl and Curtis Gillespie; as well as his sister, Beulah Powell.
The family will receive friends on Friday October 9, 2020 from 4 to 6:00 p.m. at New Grace Baptist Church, 1527 Gilford Ave. NW, Roanoke, VA 24017. His funeral service will also be held at the church on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., with interment to follow at East Hill Cemetery in Salem.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Gideons International at www.gideons.org.
It was no secret to anyone that his faith in the Lord was everything to him. If you were asked how to describe Paul chances are you would hear that he was a humble loving father, hard worker, writer, musician, as well as a devout Christian. Throughout his life he achieved many amazing things and was blessed with many extraordinary talents. He wrote poetry, as well as his own songs, was a talented gardener, and avid outdoorsman. In his younger years he served in the United States Air Force where he served for four years. He then went on to work for General Electric, from where he retired after thirty plus years of dedication. When he was not working chances are you would find him at the church teaching Sunday School, out hunting or fishing, or taking mission trips. Paul made several mission trips throughout his life to places such as Peru, Jamaica, as well as Japan. During one of his trips to Japan, he had the privilege of ministering to and teaching Japanese children the game called the “Gospel Box” using his favorite verse I Corinthians 15: 1-4. His brother Curtis Gillespie who is a Master Gardener, named a tomato after him called “Paul’s Big Yellow”. A person such as Paul is a rarity, all who had the privilege of knowing him will admit that he made a lasting impression on their lives. He will be deeply missed, however his legacy lives on.
Paul is preceded in death by his son, Timothy Gillespie.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Imogene Gillespie; daughters, Debbie Kokufuda (Sakae), Cindy Gillespie, and Shari Wyrick (Jamie); grandchildren, Hannah Kokufuda Hoffman (Ben), as well as Andrew and Ricky Wyrick; great-grandchildren, Arwen and Emberly Hoffman, and Ivy Rose Johnson; brothers, Earl and Curtis Gillespie; as well as his sister, Beulah Powell.
The family will receive friends on Friday October 9, 2020 from 4 to 6:00 p.m. at New Grace Baptist Church, 1527 Gilford Ave. NW, Roanoke, VA 24017. His funeral service will also be held at the church on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., with interment to follow at East Hill Cemetery in Salem.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Gideons International at www.gideons.org.