Thomas Gillespie

Thomas CurranGillespieResident of Redwood City Thomas Curran Gillespie, aged 100 years, passed away peacefully on February 19th, 2011. A first generation son of Irish-born Thomas Gillespie and Bridget Curran, Thomas was born in San Francisco four years after the 1906 earthquake. The second of four sons, he served with distinction in World War II and was honorably discharged from the Army at the rank of Technical Sergeant. After the Army, he then obtained his college degree and became a mechanical engineer and worked in Southern California for Standard Oil and Pelton Oil Company for 35 years. After retirement, he returned to the Bay Area and settled in Menlo Park. He then developed his considerable artistic skills, and became well known in his community as an artist. A voracious reader, he was in the middle of "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand when he passed away. He also was very involved in his church and was well-loved there; he ushered for Sunday Mass for many years and was well-known to his fellow parishioners. Perhaps best appreciated were his first-hand stories of the past in California; always holding the rapt attention of his listeners.Thomas was the beloved uncle of Eileen and Thomas and the great-uncle of Christopher and Alexandra Gillespie, and leaves numerous cousins in Chicago IL, Dublin and Donegal, Ireland as well as in San Francisco CA and Reno NV.No funeral services will be held, but viewing is scheduled for 5 PM to 7 PM on February 23rd 2011 at the Chapel of Flowers at 900 South 2nd St., San Jose CA, followed by a Mass and reception at St Raymond's Catholic Church at 1100 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, CA on Thursday, February 24th at 2 PM. A private burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Please, no flowers, but donations can be made to the St. Raymond's Catholic Church Roof Fund.