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Bowen E. Gillespie, 70, of Bellefontaine, passed away Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, in Mary Rutan Hospital, Bellefontaine.
He was born in Bellefontaine on April 16, 1946, the son of the late W. Edward and Evelyn Bersinger Gillespie.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Blake Andrews Gillespie, whom he married April 20, 2013, after being together for 21 years. He is also survived by his son, Roger (Maria) Gillespie of North Palm Beach, Fla.; daughter, Jennifer (John) Shannon of Austin, Texas; two grandchildren, Bryce and Brooke Gillespie of North Palm Beach, Fla.; and a godson, Ric Kerns of Cape Coral, Fla.
Bo was a 1964 graduate of Bellefontaine High School and attended Kentucky Military Institute in Lydon, Ky. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Vietnam War.
He worked for his father at Ed Gillespie Inc. in the 1970s before moving to south Florida. In Florida, he operated a Mobile Instrument franchise for a number of years. In 1998, after a series of events, he returned to his hometown, Bellefontaine, where he began Ponderosa Auto Sales before retiring in 2012.
He was an avid car enthusiast, especially vintage Buicks, including the 1971 Buick Gran Sport. He loved drag racing and won many races. Through drag racing, he formed many valuable relationships that lasted his lifetime. Those relationships included Joe Magin and Greg and Steve Kerns, and many more. He was a member of the Moose Lodge, American Legion and V.F.W., all in Bellefontaine.
Pastor Bryan Meadows and the Logan County Veteran Honor Guard officiate a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 321 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, where visitation is two hours prior to the service. Burial will be in Bellefontaine Cemetery at a later date.
Condolences may be expressed at www.edsfh.com.