Gail Juanita Gillespie

Gail Juanita Gillespie was born June 13, 1956, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Cecil F. and Nancy Keen Gillespie. Gail left this earth for Beulah Land on Sunday, June 14, 2026. She was a resident of the Cumberland Mountain Group Home for Adults for nearly 30 years and enjoyed many great friendships there over the years. Upon her “retirement” from the Group Home, she moved to Heritage Hall Nursing Home in Tazewell, VA, where she continued to make friends and bring joy and smiles to the staff, residents, and visitors there. Gail was predeceased by both her parents and her brother, Rodney D. Gillespie, of Gainesville, GA, and his wife, Teresa C. Gillespie; her Maternal grandparents, TM (Milton) Keen and Beulah Keen; and her Paternal grandmother, Stella Jane Gillespie, all from Richlands. Also predeceasing her were several aunts and uncles, including her favorite uncle, Tom Keen, as well as several cousins. She is survived by her sister, Judy Gillespie Blevins (Anthony) of Matthews, NC, and her two nieces, Nancy Elizabeth (Liz) Blevins of Cameron, NC, and Emily Katherine Blevins of Cary, NC. Also surviving her are her aunts Ann Keen, Elsie Keen, and Peggy Gillespie, and her uncle Jack Keen, along with a host of cousins from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Those who knew Gail understood she was a tenderhearted and loving person with a friendly smile and childlike outlook on life. She shared her sweet nature freely and made friends everywhere she went. She loved Jesus, Westerns, and Gospel music unashamedly, and she could often be heard singing her favorite gospel song or telling someone that Jesus loved them and was their friend. She was also very fond of her friends in law enforcement and took great delight in getting random visits from them – always greeting them with a big grin and a twinkle in her eye. Her impact on the world was surely demonstrated by the love and companionship her special friends continued to show her long after diverging paths took them all in different directions. Gail never struggled to find the words to express her love for people. She was eager to please and never missed a chance to utter an unexpected truth of what she understood in the world, nor did she shy away from telling you that she loved you. One of her favorite songs was “You Are My Sunshine,” and truly, she brought a little more sunshine into a sometimes dark and dreary world. Funeral service for Gail Gillespie will be at 12:00 on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Hurst-Scott Funeral Chapel in Richlands, Virginia, with the Rev. Rick Blevins officiating. Interment will follow at the Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands, Virginia. Pallbearers will be family and friends. The family will receive friends on Thursday at the funeral home from 11:00 AM until the time of the service. Hurst-Scott Funeral Home in Richlands is in charge of arrangements, and those wishing to express sympathy online may do so at www.hurstscottfuneralhomes.com

Gail Juanita Gillespie

June 13, 1956 - June 14, 2026