Colin Thomas Gillespie

Colin Thomas Gillespie, age 18, of Grants Pass, died Monday, November 3, 2008 as the result of an automobile accident.

A memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, November 9, 2008 at Hidden Valley High School.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Colin Gillespie''s name, c/o Key Bank, 1646 Williams Highway, Grants Pass, Oregon 97527.

Colin was born May 28, 1990 in Medford, Oregon. He attended Jerome Prairie Elementary School and Lincoln Savage Middle School and was currently a senior at Hidden Valley High School. At Hidden Valley he was an Honor Society member, a member of the Link Crew Mentor Program to help freshman adjust to high school, and a member of College Dreams where he went to Lincoln Savage Middle School and worked with at-risk students to help keep them in school, out of trouble and focused on attending college. Colin was a “Big Brother” to two handicapped boys assisting with behavior issues and providing friendship and guidance. Throughout his school years, Colin was involved in athletics. At Hidden Valley he played an offensive and defensive lineman on the football team and participated in track and field. As a sophomore he was on the swim team, as a freshman played basketball, and was also involved in Drama Club and Spirit Club. Colin was employed at the YMCA as a certified lifeguard. He obtained his Intermediate Scuba Diving Certification with Search & Recovery Certification and was working toward his Search & Rescue Certification. Colin enlisted in the United States Army September 2008 and was to begin his service in the military on June 23, 2009. He had already obtained his Private 2nd Class rank (PV2) since enlisting.

Colin had many hobbies including hunting, fishing, surfing, hiking, scuba, snowboarding, wakeboarding, swimming, playing drums and the piano.

Survivors include his parents, Thomas Bradley Gillespie & Karla Elizabeth Gillespie both of Grants Pass; a brother, Staff Sergeant William Thomas Gillespie of Grants Pass and currently serving in the United States Army in Iraq; a nephew, Liam Thomas Gillespie of Grants Pass; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Doris Brow; maternal grandfather, Stanley P. Brow; paternal grandfather, David William Gillespie Sr; paternal grandmother, Dorothy Gillespie; two uncles, Jack Brow and Billy Waldo; and an aunt, Kay Carson.