Claude Raymond Gillespie
September 23, 1941 – February 9, 2024
Claude Raymond Gillespie (Ray) passed away on February 9, 2024, at the age of 82. Ray and his wife, Laraine, moved to Lake Port Square Independent Living in Leesburg, FL in 2019, after living in The Villages for 19 years.
Ray was born on September 23, 1941 in Manor, PA and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He entered the Marine Corps in 1959 and served our country for four years. Ray graduated from college with a business degree and worked as a Sales Manager for IBM. He took an early retirement from IBM and went to work for Cummins-Allison Corp., a banking company.
While living in The Villages, Ray was actively involved in golf and pickle ball and loved speeding around in his golf cart.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Veronica Cantrell, and survived by his wife, Laraine; son, John; grandchildren, John Raymond Gillespie and Bobby, Paige and Harrison Pedrero; and his nephews, Frankie, Scott and Jimmy Yachinich.
His wife would like to thank the CVICU at UF Health Hospital in Leesburg (especially Vanessa) for the compassionate and loving care they showed Ray in his final days.
Family and friends are invited to attend Ray’s Celebration of Life to be held at Village of Faith, 8653 County Road 127, Wildwood, FL 34785 on March 19, 2024, at 2pm. The service will be livestreamed on Facebook, U-tube and X (formerly Twitter) – by searching vofpeople.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation, in honor of Ray, to the Lake County Florida Animal Shelter, 12280 County Road 448, Tavares, FL 32778 or Humane Society of Lake County, 16435 McKinley Road, Umatilla, FL 32784.
