James David "Jim" "Jamie" Gillespie

James David Gillespie, "Jamie", "Jim" was born to the late James and June (Steen) Gillespie on September 9th, 1950, in London Ontario. Jim passed away peacefully on January 2nd, 2023, with his family gathered near. Jamie’s story begins in Ottawa where he spent a beautiful childhood with his fun-loving family and many close friends and neighbours. His time was filled with darting down to the corner store for candy, walking to school and church, watching the trains roll into the station, and many other adventures. Jamie was a mischievous boy that built meaningful relationships, maintaining many of them for the rest of his life. At age twelve Jamie’s life was changed forever by spending two years with his family in Kenya. This instilled in him a lifelong sense of adventure, a love for Africa, a realization of the blessings he had, and an interest in people from diverse walks of life. He fully embraced the culture of Kenya and had little interest in returning home. As a restless, seeking, young adult, the next chapter of his life took him on many of the adventures that shaped him into the man we knew, and provided many of the stories he told throughout his life. At age eighteen Jim left home to join his brother Ron in the nickel mines of Thompson, MB. From there he headed West to ski the slopes of the Canadian Rockies, working in the kitchen at Chateau Lake Louise and later as a ski patroller which laid the foundation for his future occupation in Paramedicine. He told tales of a winter spent in a frigid old ranch house with friends, of building a timber framed home in Alaska, of getting caught in an avalanche, and of spending time at the Caravan Farm Theatre in Armstrong BC, with his eldest son. It was never so much about the things he was doing, as it was that he was doing it with his friends. Jim felt blessed by these lifelong friendships, yet he was seeking something deeper in life. Through this time, he found his church home, and felt deeply that this was where he belonged. Shortly after, he met Lee Hansen; it was love at first sight. Jim and Lee were married on February 7th 1986, in a simple service in Mara, BC. They continued to attend church together with Jim finding what he was seeking when he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. In May of 1990, Jim was baptized into the Church of God in Christ Mennonite in Enderby, BC by Minister Edmund Justus. Jim’s faith was deep and unwavering, a guiding light throughout his life. As newly weds, Jim and Lee moved into a big log home on the edge of the Shuswap River near Springbend, BC. Thus began another chapter, one of family life and fatherhood. Eight children joined them over the next eleven years, filling up the big house in no time. In December of 1996 their fifteen-month-old son, Gavin Ezra, passed away suddenly, beginning the family circle in heaven. Jim was working part time as a paramedic, part time as a carpenter and full time as a dad. He taught us by example about a healthy work-life balance and that people were more important than work. He showed us that money is a tool to use and a gift to share; not something to stock pile or hoard. He taught us that "many hands make light work" and that you’ve got to "roll with the punches". He taught us how to swim and ski, to skate and play baseball, most importantly he taught the value of good sportsmanship. We learned in a hands-on way that "if you cut your own firewood it warms you twice"; and about the joys of making maple syrup. As a father, he led with love and encouragement. He was thrilled to see us children pursue our individual interests, and was our biggest fan. In 2001, Jim and Lee packed up their children in the big red van and headed across the country to find a new home in Nova Scotia. This had been their dream for years and was a huge leap of faith, but faith was something Jim had a lot of. Nova Scotia was Jim’s "promised land", he loved the land, the people, and their culture. With Jim’s ability to see potential in everything, they purchased an old farmhouse in need of repair. Through the years he worked at fixing it up room by room. He held a full-time position as a paramedic with EHS and made many lasting friendships. Jim was keenly interested in people’s life story, always able to connect with them in some way. A small apple orchard was Jim’s first experience in farming, he enjoyed working in the orchard with his family but also loved to spend time there alone with God. Jim was in his element every Saturday at the Wolfville Farmers Market, where they sold apples, offered love, hugs and friendship. He found fulfilment in seeking out those in need of a friend. One of Jim’s favourite places to relax was at "the cottage". He loved to share this special place with friends. In 2016, after being diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Jim retired from his profession as a medic. Though he had always loved his job, he fully embraced this new chapter. These years brought many treasured moments with Lee, his constant companion and love of his life. In sickness and health, they were a team; their contrasting personalities fitting together like a puzzle. As his eighteen grandchildren blessed his life, each held a special place in his heart. Jim loved to stop in for a chat with his children or friends, to see how their projects were coming along, to drop off coffee or snacks, and to retain his connections. As Jim’s story here has come to a close, we trust the Divine author with the next chapter of our lives as we go forward without him. Left with cherished memories are his wife, Lee Gillespie; Children: Niall McNeil, Vancouver, BC; Caleb (Mandy) Gillespie, Mission, BC; Ella (Ryan) Isaac, Aylesford, NS; Fen (Brad) Toews, Somerset, NS; Ida (Ben) Koehn, Dardanelle, AR; Matthias (Renae) Gillespie, Grafton, NS; Amos (Jaci) Gillespie, Harbourville, NS; Jonathan Gillespie, (Brooklyn Malcolm), Wolfville/Canning, NS; 18 grandchildren; one brother, Ron Gillespie, Toronto, ON; sisters: Clare Gillespie (Ian McLeod); Brenda (Tom) Mulvihill, both of Ottawa, ON; special family members; Albert Kingma, Ashley Cottier, Chelsea Jackson; nieces, nephews and extended family. Acknowledgments: The family would like to thank Jim’s medical team: Dr Peter Segato, Mud Creek Clinic; Dr Christina Fraga, Haematology, QEII; The staff at Ambulatory Care, Emergency Department and Medical Floor of Soldiers Memorial Hospital; The staff at the Lab, Emergency Department, and Oncology Clinic of Valley Regional Hospital for your excellent care. We are so thankful for the love and support of our Church family, community, past co-workers, friends and family that have carried us throughout this very difficult time. Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at the Church of God in Christ, 2639 Black Rock Road, Grafton, where the funeral service will also be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 8, 2023. Pastor Les Goossen officiating. The service will be audio streamed at the following link https://listentochurch.com/listen/annapolis. Interment will take place in Berwick Cemetery, Berwick, followed by a reception and time for memories, to be held at the Church of God in Christ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Soldier’s Memorial Hospital https://middletonsmhf.ca or Canadian Blood Services. https://www.blood.ca/en Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. To share a memory or leave a message of condolence please visit: www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.