Born: May 28, 1926

Died: June 24, 2013

Lorraine C. Gillespie, 87, of Niles, Mich., died at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24, 2013 at Woodland Terrace of Longmeadow in Niles following an extended illness.

She was born on May 28, 1926 in Saint Paul, Minn., to Michael Joseph and Mary (Ridge) Kelly.  She was graduated from Central High School in Saint Paul, and has lived in Niles since 1948, coming from Chicago.

Lorraine was a member of Saint Mark Catholic Church in Niles.  She was also a member of Saint Mark’s Choir and the Christian Mother’s Club, and of the Niles Chapter of Toastmasters International.  Her greatest joy was caring for her family and home, supporting the activities of her young children, cooking special requests, and baking a wide variety of pies whose crusts were always perfect.

On May 29, 1948 at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles she married William D. Gillespie with whom she celebrated the forty-sixth anniversary of their wedding prior to his death on May 24, 1995.  She was also preceded in death by ten siblings, including her sister, Margaret “Peg” Dowling who died on March 24, 2013.

Surviving family includes her children, Kathleen M. Churchill of Mishawaka, Indiana, William A. (and Nancy) Gillespie of Niles, Thomas M. Gillespie of South Bend, and Julie A. Moon of Saint Louis, Missouri; grandchildren Erin Stafford, Kathryn Gillespie, Brian Churchill, Joseph (and Sara) Gillespie, Matthew (and Jamie) Gillespie, Tyler Moon, and Justin Moon; great-grandchildren Ryan, Riley, Dylan, Allie, Jackson, and Keagan; and many nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Lorraine Gillespie will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday, June 28, 2013 at Saint Mark Catholic Church in Niles by The Rev. Thomas King, C.S.C. of the parish.  Committal Rites will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Niles,

The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.  Contributions in memory of Lorraine may be made to Saint Mark Catholic Church, or to the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation, or to Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

www.halbritterfunerals.com