James Gordon Gillispie

Jim Gillispie passed through the veil on March 28, 2024 into the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. “From the constant smiles on his face, you could never tell that he’d been battling late-stage cancer for many years. He was a great example of love and service to all of us.” Jim was born in Alameda, CA on April 8, 1947 to Geraldine and Leonard Gillispie and big brother David, who all predeceased him. He was a bachelor until age 65 when he married the love of his life, Susan (Sue) Heiser Bendixen on July 4, 2013. Jim is survived by Sue and her 10 children from her previous marriage: Karen (Dale) Peckinpaugh, Elise (Jason) Swart, Ericalynn (Justin) Roberts, Leilani (Jared) Perkins, Nani Bendixen, Glenn Bendixen, Cheryl (Stephen) Staus, Julia (Mosiah) Olvera, Dallen (Ruth) Bendixen Haven, and Kini Kawasaki, as well as 35 grandchildren. He was a devoted husband and treated Sue’s children as though they were his own. For many years, he was also the father figure to his niece and nephews, Patrick (Lisa) Gillispie, Lucinda Gillispie, and Brian Gillispie. He is loved, respected, and honored by all who knew him. Jim graduated from Brigham Young University in 1972 with a degree in computer engineering. He worked for Chevron and EDS for many years, but after a massive Chevron layoff, Jim decided to retire and stay home to take care of his mother. After three years, the computer industry passed him by, and Jim started working for Kaiser Permanente as a senior staff assistant (about 2009). Among other responsibilities, Jim signed all the birth certificates for babies born in Walnut Creek Kaiser. In 2018, Jim was promoted into the Kaiser Coding Program and became a medical coder. He retired for good in 2022. Jim loved to travel, and he also had many hobbies, which included playing the organ. He first started organ lessons in his mid-twenties and took an “organ tour” through a BYU master’s class that afforded him not only travel adventures but also the opportunity to play the Tabernacle Organ at Temple Square and the Assembly Hall organ in Salt Lake City. The tour, continued on to France where Jim was able to play in several cathedrals, including Notre Dame. Jim later took up the piano as well. During those many years of “batching it,” Jim learned professional cake decorating, took French cooking classes, earned his private pilot’s license, worked with model railroading, sewed a suit for himself, did needlepoint, took painting classes, and took ice-skating lessons. He also played in the Temple Hill Bell Choir for several years. Jim studied many languages, becoming fluent in French and having at least one semester each in ASL, Spanish, Danish, German, and most recently Japanese. He loved learning. Most importantly to Jim, he spent hundreds of hours ministering to others, researching his genealogy, and serving in the temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends and family are invited to a viewing at 10:00 am and services at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 555 Boyd Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Interment at Oakmont Cemetery, Lafayette, CA. If you are unable to attend the service in person, please join us on our Facebook Live stream of Jim's service on April 13th at 11:00 am.