Obituary of Jack R. Gillespie

Jack Gillespie, 95, of Hammonton, NJ passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at his residence. Born in Woodbury, NJ he resided in Hammonton for 57 years. He volunteered for and served in United States Army from 1947-1961, both active duty and reserves, achieving the rank of Second Lieutenant. After leaving active duty service, Jack began his long and varied career with a job at the Texaco Refinery in South Jersey. In a move that was unusual for the time, he decided after several years at the refinery to pursue a college degree, and enrolled at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) at the age of 28. He recalled approaching this career change with some trepidation, but went on to become valedictorian of his class and then later a professor at the college. An avid reader from childhood, Jack credited his academic success on having read over one thousand books prior to his student days at Glassboro. After college, Jack taught English and journalism at Bridgeton Senior High School from 1963-1969, where he served as the high school newspaper advisor for four years and English Department chairman for three years. He also worked as both a full-time and part-time editor at three daily newspapers during the 1970s and early 1980s. Jack was professor emeritus at Rowan University, where he formerly directed the journalism program and taught undergraduate journalism and graduate writing courses. He also served in the College Senate for 15 years, and for three years as its president. While an active professor, he served for 11 years as executive director of the Educational Press Association of America. He retired from the college in 1992 after 20 years of service, but his connection to the college remained a central part of Jack's life. He served as associate editor of Rowan Magazine, the alumni publication for the University, from 2006 until shortly after his 94th birthday in 2023. Jack was an editor of and partner in Communication Briefings, a business communication newsletter with a worldwide circulation of about 50,000. He wrote special reports on writing, grammar and teamwork, and produced training videos on customer service, writing, teamwork, and persuasion. Additionally he was the founding editor of Managers Edge, a newsletter devoted solely to management topics, as well as executive producer of Newstrack, an audiotape of business topics, from 1992 through 1995. Later in his career Jack worked for The Word Among us in Ijamsville, MD as writer and editor. He produced several editions of Abide in My Word, the Mass readings for each day of the year, as well as several Lent and Easter editions of Still Small Voice, the Episcopalian version of The Word Among Us. Jack also produced and was particularly fond of a perpetual calendar made up of quotes from Pope John Paul II. He was a member of the Hammonton Lions Club and member and former vice president of the South Jersey Cancer Fund. Jack loved to travel and greatly enjoyed his time traveling all over the United States putting on communications workshops. He also enjoyed traveling around Europe with his wife Mary and going on fishing trips to Canada with his son Jack. Jack is survived by his loving wife, Mary A. Gillespie (nee Olive), his daughter, Elizabeth B. Good and her husband, Steve; his son Dr. Jack Gillespie and his wife, Michelle; his grandchildren, Jake Gillespie, Paige Gillespie, Max Medaglia and Daniel Medaglia, and many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, June 8, 2024, 11:00 am at the Carnesale Funeral Home, 202 S. Third St., Hammonton, where a visitation with the family will be held from 9:00am until 11:00 am. Burial will follow in Greenmount Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Hammonton Cancer Foundation, PO Box 1066, Hammonton, NJ 08037.