William L. Gillaspy Jr.

William (Billy) Lester Gillaspy, 56, of Ankeny, passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 after a long courageous battle to pancreatic cancer.
Billy was born on March 18, 1965, to William and Donna (Millard) Gillaspy of Altoona, Iowa. He graduated from Southeast Polk High School with the class of 1983. Billy began working at Firestone in 1988, building tires and running the forklift in the warehouse. He spent 32 years there, allowing him to build life-long friendships and many hands-on skills. It was there that he met his fiancé, Tamera Shinn.
Outside of work, Billy had many hobbies he was passionate about. He spent many years bowling with his family and would always be sure to tell you which lanes were best. He made many bowling friends over the years and took the time to teach the game to his children. He had great taste in music and loved going to concerts and shows. He loved spending time at ballparks and arenas to watch his kids and grandkids play their sports. In recent years, he spent time traveling the world to watch para-athletics. One of his most memorable trips was to Athlone, Ireland to watch the Junior World Paralympic competition. As an avid Vikings fan, you could find him coaching them from the couch or even at the US Bank Stadium cheering them on for a win. Fishing and hunting were the two hobbies that Billy was up for on any given day. "Just call me" he'd say. He loved being out on the water, but also in a shack on the ice or high up in a tree stand. He always seemed to know the best spots to 'catch a big one'.
Billy loved his family and all he knew. He had a great sense of humor and was overly generous. He was always willing to help anyone who needed a hand no matter how big the job, and never asked for anything in return. He was a hard worker and never left anything unfinished.
William (Billy) Gillaspy is preceded in death by grandparents Leroy and Evelyn Millard, and grandparents Argyle and Berniece Gillaspy. He is survived by his fiancé, Tamera Shinn of Ankeny, Iowa; parents, William Sr and Donna Gillaspy of Altoona, Iowa; siblings, Ricky Gillaspy of Altoona, Iowa, Mark (Angela) Gillaspy of Bondurant, Iowa and Curtis (Heather) Gillaspy of Ankeny, Iowa; Children, Jordan (Nicole) Gillaspy of Altoona, Iowa, Devan (Vincent) Jeffries of Bondurant, Iowa, Jessica Tran of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, Lori Tran of Ankeny, Iowa, Melissa (Alex) Grett of Cummings, Iowa, Tiffany Gillaspy of Kansas City, KS, Justin (Bethany) Phongsavanh of Des Moines, Iowa, Delanee Stuve of Des Moines, Iowa; Grandchildren Joe, Jaxson, Maddix, Jamison, Bishop, Vinny, Chevelle, Brynn, and Easton; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Memorial services will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at Iles (Grandview) Funeral Home in Des Moines. He will be laid to rest at the Altoona cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 pm - 7 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.
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