Samuel Robert Gillespie

Gillespie, Samuel Robert , age 74, of Mt. Juliet, TN died June 25, 2019. Mr. Gillespie was born January 3, 1945 in Birmingham, AL. He was a 1964 graduate of West High School and was a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburg. Mr. Gillespie attended First Baptist Church of Mt. Juliet and Cookeville Freewill Baptist Church. He retired with 38 years of service from Tennessee Farmer’s Co-op as an art director. Mr. Gillespie also worked for the Methodist Publishing House. He had a very active social life and enjoyed coaching youth softball and baseball. Mr. Gillespie was a longtime member of Ducks Unlimited and was a member of the National Audubon Society. He also trained dogs for the AKC and UKC events and especially loved labs and poodles. In his free time, Mr. Gillespie enjoyed body building, hunting, fishing, wildlife and painting. He was an Alabama football fanatic. Throughout his life he earned the following achievements and awards: 1988 Tennessee Artist of the Year, 1963 winner of the Mr. Teenage Tennessee contest and winner of the 1964 Mr. Tennessee contest, finalist for Mr. USA, Tennessee’s first Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year Award, commissioned by Georgia Sportsman Magazine, commissioned by the Tennessee Conservation League, commissioned by Nashville Ducks Unlimited, commissioned by Tennessee Ducks Unlimited, won Tennessee Waterfowl Stamp Contest, and commissioned to paint Tennessee’s first Ducks Unlimited Sponsor print. Mr. Gillespie was preceded in death by his mother, Julia Dennie Pruitt Gillespie and half-brother, Billy Merritt.

He is survived by:

Loving wife – Gail Gillespie

Daughter – Elecia Gillespie (Ray) Adcock

Son – Kendall (Amanda) Gillespie

Grandchildren – Morgan Adcock, age 22, Mason Adcock, age 18,

Braden Gillespie, age 11 and Ridge Gillespie, age 8

A Celebration of Life service will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday, June 29, 2019 at Cookeville Freewill Baptist Church, 833 S. Willow Avenue, Cookeville, TN with visitation from 10-11 a.m. Entombment will follow at Crest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Cookeville, TN.

Flowers welcome, or memorials may be made to Nashville Rescue Mission, 639 Lafayette Street, Nashville, TN 37203.

Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Friday at Bond Memorial Chapel, N. Mt. Juliet Road and Weston Drive, Mt. Juliet, TN. (615)773-2663.