Darlene Ann Gillenwater

It is with a heavy heart that my mother, Darlene Ann Gillenwater, passed away peacefully during the night of August 22, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Gillenwater. She leaves behind three children: Ian Michael Bisutti, Michelle Louise Bisutti (myself) and Julie Young, as well as one fur baby, Pepper, who is a very good boy. My mother faced many difficulties in her life, beginning with the loss of her mother to tuberculosis at age three. She was then placed into foster care, where she endured abuse. At age seven, she was adopted by her parents, Eval and Lefty Wright, and returned to a normal life, attending school at Gahanna Elementary and later Gahanna Lincoln High School. She was a cheerleader there and met her future husband, Michael Anthony Bisutti. They married young at 17 and had my brother Ian Michael Bisutti, followed by me two and a half years later.

As with many young couples, their marriage did not last. Mom took us on some big adventures, including a year in Las Vegas, where she would take us to Caesars Palace, and I once saw a woman turn into a gorilla before my eyes. My brother had a dirt bike but wasn't allowed to take me for rides-though he did anyway. We eventually returned to Columbus, where Mom began dating her old boyfriend, Jim Gillenwater. They soon married, and their union lasted almost 50 years until his passing on March 7, 2024. My mom faced many trials with her husband but always responded with forgiveness and grace. She did not attend college until late in life due to her children but recently earned a degree in theology with honors from Ohio Dominican College. She was an avid reader, especially of history, and there wasn't a book she didn't like. Her grandson, my son Camden Hart, has inherited that love for books, and I will be forever grateful to my mother for that.

Despite all the difficulties she faced, she was a beautiful person who treated others with kindness. She was very religious and active in her Lutheran Church, teaching Sunday school and volunteering for other positions. Her beautiful soul lives on in her children. I often find myself repeating her words: when I see an animal dead on the side of the road, I always say "God love it," or if I see someone less fortunate than I, I think "there but by the grace of God go I." Mom, I am going to miss you more than I can ever put in words and will see you again on the other side. Please watch over us.