Sunset Memorial Gardens And Funeral Home
http://www.oaoa.com
Helen Irene Gillespie
We said goodbye to our mother and grandmother, Helen "Irene" Gillespie, on June 11, 2021, at the age of 84. Irene was born in Lynn County, Texas, on March 3, 1937, to Louis McKay and Martha Cook McKay. She attended schools in O'Donnell, Texas, and after graduation, Irene worked in Tahoka, Texas, and lived with her beloved Grandmother Cook.
On June 22, 1958, Irene married Raymond "Leon" Gillespie, and they were married fifty-six years. During their life together, they developed a love for camping and shared summer vacations, long weekends and later, winter months with close friends in Durango, Colorado, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ft. Davis, Texas, Big Bend, Texas, Cloudcroft, New Mexico, Arkansas, and South Texas. They also travelled the southern states of the U.S. and the Rocky Mountain states to Canada. If not travelling with friends, they enjoyed meeting new friends.
Irene and Leon lived in Kermit, Midland and El Paso, Texas. Irene retired from the El Paso Independent School District when they moved back to Midland, Texas. She was a treasured member of the Westside Church of Christ in Midland, where she worshipped until September 2015. After having a stroke, she moved to Houston, Texas, to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.
Irene is survived by her daughter, Cindy Caldwell; her grandson, Chase Caldwell; her granddaughter, Chelsey and husband, James Dunn; her great-grandson, Clark Dunn and her sister-in-law, Patsy McKay Tacker.
Preceding her in death are her parents, Louis and Martha McKay; her twin sister, Maurine Burchell; her brother, Daniel McKay and her husband, Leon Gillespie.
A graveside service is scheduled at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, 6801 East Hwy. 80, on July 17, 2021, at 11:30 AM with Mike Vestal officiating. Please join us in celebrating her life.
LINKS
Midland Reporter-Telegram
http://www.mywesttexas.com
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