Debbie Gillespie

Debbie Gillespie went to her reward after a short battle with renal failure/kidney cancer on Thursday, September 2, 2021. A celebration of life service will be held at 6 pm on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the service, from 4-6 pm, also at the funeral home. Private inurnment will take place in City Cemetery, St. Joseph. Memorial contributions in Debbie’s name may be made to the Soup Kitchen, 233 Michigan St., Benton Harbor, MI 49022 or Seven Star Sanctuary and Rescue, 5019 North Watervliet Rd., Watervliet, MI 49098. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. She was born Deborah Lynn Gillespie in Philadelphia, PA to Richard and Agnes (Reschke) Gillespie on November 19, 1953. She is survived by brothers and sisters, Teri Gillespie, CC Gillespie, Rick (Claire) Gillespie, Kelly Karsten, Amy Gillespie, Nancy Gillespie (Bill) Smith, Jackie (Scott) Nelson, Mary Sila, Herbie Ross, Patti (Bubba) LaBaumbard, Cathy (Steve Rudnick) Ross, Becky (Mark West) Ross, and Billy (Kim) Ross. Her nieces and nephews include Joey Whitacre, Bailey (Jared) Gruss, Taylor Zimmerman, Alec (Jenny) Karsten, Maddie (Matt Garcia) Zimmerman, Ellery Karsten, Sydney Nelson, Max Gillespie, Nigel Nelson, Matt Gillespie and Logan Casper. She is also survived by many wonderful relatives on the Gillespie, Reschke and Ross sides of the family and 2 longtime companions, Beatrice and Butterscotch. Debbie was beyond blessed when it came to having friends. Her friends are loving, kind, gracious and generous, accumulated over the years living in SW Michigan and working in hospitality and workforce development industries. Debbie would like to remind you to always vote, be nice to one another and that “she hath done what she could.”