George D. Gillespie

George Dobson Gillespie (March 20, 1933-August 12 2026) A native of Bowling Green, KY and son of Vivian Jepsen Gillespie and Merry Dobson Gillespie, George graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1955. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master's degree in Music Education from Indiana University, where he also met Ruthmary Jones, who would become his wife of almost 65 years. They spent the first year of their marriage at Fort Bragg, NC, where George served in the US Army and where their first child, David, was born. They moved to Michigan, eventually settling in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit and welcoming their daughter, Carolyn. George became a well-known band director and contributed immensely to the musical culture of the area, serving as instrumental music coordinator for the Royal Oak Public School system and, later on, as a community college professor and Director of Music for the South Oakland Concert Band. Both George and Ruthmary volunteered at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, and they touched innumerable lives through involvement in their church ministries. Our dad was one of a kind, from his distinctive laugh to his uncanny ability to design and create furniture, carved wood, and stained glass pieces. He was an avid golfer who enjoyed the company of his buddies more than the game. His faith,along with our mom's, prompted them to open their home to many who needed help and care, and also moved them to travel to Russia three times to support mission efforts there. They traveled the world-we were fortunate enough to spend summers taking old-fashioned road trips with maps to almost every state-their retirement RV continued the journey, along with trips to Europe and the Holy Land and multiple cruises. He was mostly a storyteller, a man who was not a "people person" in the political sense, but someone who lived best when he could share his experiences with those around him; ultimately, for those who knew him, it was these shared experiences that made him unforgettable. He was preceded in death by his parents, an older brother, James, who died as an infant, and wife, Ruthmary; he was also the last of the generation of Ruthmary's siblings and their spouses. He is survived by David and wife Deborah Gillespie, their sons and families: Charles and Jenny Maldonado (daughters Adeline and Estelle),Andrew and Maddi Gillespie-Reeves (sons Elliot and Luca George), and his daughter, Carolyn Gillespie. George and Ruthmary spent many summers volunteering at Camp Barakel, a Christian youth retreat in central Michigan. He has requested that donations be made to their continued efforts in lieu of flowers; checks can be made and sent to Camp Barakel, P.O. Box 159, Fairview, MI 48621...you may also contact Katelyn Leach at email accounting@campbarakel.org and use subject "Donation for George Gillespie"

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George D. Gillespie

March 20, 1933 - August 12, 2026