Robert Read Gillespie

Robert (Bob) Gillespie, 93, of The Villages, FL, passed away on December 5, 2025, peacefully in his home. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio on March 19, 1932 to Mildred and J.Read Gillespie. He and his wife, June, moved to The Villages from Dallas, Texas in 2002.

After high school, Bob enlisted in the Navy and served proudly on the USS Roanoke, a Worchester-class light cruiser ship servicing the Mediterranean during the Korean War.

Leveraging his interest and skills in electronics from supporting radar systems in the Navy, Bob established a rewarding and well traveled 42-year career in computer field engineering. This included stints with General Electric, Honeywell, and Nortel. Most notable was his time spent with GE at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, working with the NASA Space Flight Program.

As an adult, Bob really enjoyed bowling, golfing, celebrating holidays with family and taking family vacations to the Florida beaches.

He is survived by his wife of 73 years, June Gillespie; sisters Eleanor Wilchins and Janet Lincks of Las Vegas, NV; son Jim Gillespie (Kathy) of Overland Park, KS; daughter Karen Barr (Pat) of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren Stephanie Meschke (David) of Colorado, Kristen Andrews of Kansas, Scott Gillespie (Hilary) of Kansas, Evan Barr (Erin) of North Carolina, Eric Barr (Carey) of North Carolina; and ten great-grandchildren.

A memorial gathering service honoring Bob's life will be held on December 11, 2025 at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services in The Villages, 3975 Wedgewood Ln. Visitation will be at 10:00am with burial at 1:30pm at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to North Lake Presbyterian Church, 975 Rolling Acres Rd, Lady Lake, FL 32159.