Kathleen "Kay" Mary Gillespie

August 8, 1930-July 22, 2024

Kathleen Gillespie, affectionately known as Kay by family and friends, passed away July 22, 2024 after a long, fulfilling 93 plus years of vibrant living. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Kay immigrated to the United States, where she met her Naval Officer husband, Jim. They began a courtship, marriage and Navy way of life together in 1954. Their career took them to Virginia Beach, Memphis, TN, Panama, Patuxant River, MD, Monterey, CA, Mechanicsburg, PA, Newport, RI, San Diego, Columbus, OH and finally to Pensacola, FL. Upon retirement they made Pensacola their forever home. Her faith, sense of humor, dedication to family and commitment as a career Navy wife brought her joy and happiness. Kay offered long years of service to the Mother of Teresa Mission and Food Pantry at Little Flower Catholic Church and at Naval Hospital, Pensacola as a Red Cross Volunteer. All who knew her regarded her as a woman of strength, never complaining, but always “going with the flow” of life’s unexpected challenges and beautiful rewards.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Christine (MacQuarrie) and John Patrick Kingscote, her older sister Jesse Zeen Kingscote Allen and her loving husband, James Alvin Gillespie. Reunited again, they will witness their 70th Wedding Anniversary in Heaven. She leaves behind her beloved four children and their families, Gwen Gillespie of Canon City, CO, Mark and Jennifer Gillespie of Hockley, TX, Mary (Gillespie) and Dale Tharp and Sara (Gillespie) and Mickey Daum of Pensacola, FL; nine grandchildren Season Hendricks, Ben Hendricks, Dawn Gillespie, Brian Gillespie, Alex (Allison) Gillespie, Madeline (Edwin) Vasquez, Megan (Dylan) Wheeler, Cassandra Daum and Cody Daum. She was the proud great-grandmother of AJ, Brody, Kade and Jett. Her younger sister Phyllis Cox of Port Hardy, Vancouver, Canada and younger brother Jack Kingscote of Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada and sister in law, Patricia (Pat) Gillespie of Memphis, TN and numerous nieces and nephews also survive her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM on Thursday, August 8 at Little Flower Catholic Church, Myrtle Grove, in honor of her 94th birthday. Interment will follow at 11:30 AM at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola. Oak Lawn Funeral Home, 619 N. New Warrington Rd is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kay’s honor may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, a charity close to her heart.

The family wishes to extend their immense gratitude to all of Mom’s caregivers at The Verandas of Pensacola and the caring nurses and staff of Emerald Coast Hospice.