Linda Gillespie

1947 - 2019

Linda Gillespie PORT EWEN-Linda Gillespie, 71, of Port Ewen, N.Y., passed peacefully Friday morning, Jan. 11, 2019 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, with her family by her side. She was born in Kingston on Jan. 14, 1947 and was the daughter of the late Robert Racicot and Eva Lukasz Helfmann. She was the wife of the late John “Hap” E Gillespie. She was a graduate of Kingston High School, she had worked for Hercules, sales for Stanley and Copper Craft Guild, worked for J&A Roofing as office manager and then restaurant manager for Friendly’s Ice Cream, she had owned and operated the Trolley Diner and Crusin’ Creams. She also did sales for Mary Kay, San Francisco Music Box Company. She drove a bus for Mulligan Bus Company and then worked for the City of Kingston as a bus driver, retiring in 2018. Linda was a parishioner of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary R.C. Church and the Benedictine Chapel. She was the team “Gram” of KHS cheerleading for many years. She enjoyed ceramics, riding a motorcycle, fast cars and visiting the casinos. She is survived by her son Christopher Gillespie of Port Ewen, her grandchildren Megan Gillespie, Isabelle and David Stitt, her sisters Cathy Racicot Helmbold and her husband Lewis Helmbold, Jr., Sheryl Racicot Schindler and her husband Bob Schindler, Judi Racicot Miller and her husband Bill Ed Miller, Carol Ann Racicot and Grace Racicot Rodriguez. Many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and her beloved Yorkie Robbie Roscoe. Arrangements entrusted to Keyser Funeral & Cremation Service, 216 Broadway, Port Ewen. The family will receive their friends on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The procession will form on Wednesday at 9:15 at the funeral home. At 10 a.m. a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary R.C. Church. Burial will take place at Wiltwyck Rural Cemetery.For those who wish, contributions in Linda’s memory may be made to Mount Sinai Hospital, Heart program, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, PO Box 6049, N.Y., N.Y. 10025. A tribute for Linda may be found at www.KeyserFuneralService.com where you may leave memories and expressions of sympathy for her family