GILLESPIE, Mary Long

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend, age 90, passed away Wednesday morning, January 14, 2010. Mary was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio on October 3, 1919, daughter of the Reverend James A. Long and Bess Nye Long. She was the third of seven children, and is survived by her youngest sister, Margaret (Maggie) Osgood. Mary married Walter M. Gillespie on September 1, 1940 after being childhood sweethearts. They were married for 69 years and were together for close to 80 years. Walter passed away in October, 2009, following a brief illness. Mary?s cause of death was loss of Walter. Mary and Walter had three children, Bonnie Jo (Gillespie) Goldner (husband Russell), Elizabeth Ann (Gillespie) Hartnagel (deceased 1981) and David Arthur Gillespie (wife Camille O?Hara Gillespie). She is also survived by six grandchildren, Christopher (wife Jennifer) Bobbitt, Mark (wife Jennifer) Bobbitt, Timothy (wife Jodi) Bobbitt, Aimee (Hartnagel) Martin (husband Terry), Elizabeth Gillespie and John Gillespie, and 9 great-grandchildren, Paige, Matthew, Andrew, Megan, Katie, Joshua, Nathan, Christian and Zachary. Mary moved from Indianapolis to Dayton in the fall of 1929, where her father was called to lead a church, the church where she was to meet Walter. Along with Walter, she graduated from T. R. Roosevelt High School in 1936. In 1941, following fives years of study at The Ohio State University, she he earned the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education, with certifications in both health and nursing education. Following her graduation from OSU, she became a Registered Nurse on September 22, 1941. She always took particular pride in her nursing qualifications. In 1942, her father was called to a parish in Sidney, Ohio, where Mary also spent some time during the War, when Walter was posted in the South Pacific. Prior to that she lived in Brooklyn, NY, when Walter was posted to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. While living in Sydney with her parents and young daughter, Bonnie, Mary had a full-time job working as a nurse for terminally and seriously ill patients and performed other volunteer nursing duties. Following Walter?s return from the War, her nursing activities were on a volunteer basis for various causes over the years. In addition to being a wife, daughter and mother, Mary was devoted to a host of charitable organizations, including the Campfire Girls, Church Women United, Northwest FISH Pantry, The Boarding House Ministry, The Jail Chaplaincy Ministry of Dayton, Greater Dayton Christian Connections, The Disciples Peace Fellowship, the United Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and its Dayton predecessors, where she was a long-time member. In 2009, Church Women United presented Mary with the Valiant Woman Award, for a lifetime of charitable work. On an individual basis, Mary performed countless good deeds for a diverse array of people and organizations. Calling hours will be Sunday, January 17, from 4 to 6 PM at GILBERT-FELLERS FUNERAL HOME, 950 ALBERT RD., BROOKVILLE, OH 45309, and a Funeral Service will be held 12:00 Noon on Monday, January 18 at United Christian Church, 8611 Hoke Road, Clayton, OH 45315, the Rev. Janet Long (Mary?s niece) and the Rev. Timothy Bobbitt (Mary?s grandson), presiding. Interment at Glen Haven Cemetery will follow the service. Contributions may be made in memory of Mary to support relief efforts in Haiti through, among other organizations, Week of Compassion--Haiti Relief, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206 or the American Red Cross?Haiti Relief.