Phyllis Gillespie

Longtime Downey resident Phyllis Gillespie died Saturday, July 8, after a lengthy illness. She was 92. Phyllis and her husband Jim, who died in 2000, moved to the “Island” in Downey in 1958. Phyllis was a homemaker who did the lion’s share of raising the couple’s five children: Mary and Maureen (twins), Teresa, Jim and Katie. Phyllis was born in 1930 in tiny Badus, South Dakota, and lived in the area until going off to the state university, where she earned her degree in sociology. After college, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a Senator’s secretary. She and Jim met in the nation’s Capital, married and moved to Jim’s home state of Ohio before deciding to head west more than 60 years ago. Phyllis was a longtime member of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church Woman’s Guild, even serving as president. Despite never having rolled a ball, she was instrumental in creating the OLPH bowling league at Del Rio Lanes in the mid ‘70s. She and Jim spent many Thursday nights at Del Rio, and Phyllis eventually became a good bowler, with a 120 average. Phyllis and Jim enjoyed traveling and had several European adventures as well as numerous trips throughout the US, where they especially enjoyed NYC. Besides her five children, Phyllis is survived by 10 grandchildren: Elizabeth, Dan, Bridget, Harley, Brian, Jack, James, Sean, Anne and Michael. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 26, at OLPH. She will be interred with her husband Jim at Riverside National Cemetery.