Born on May 6, 1930, at his family’s farm in O’Brien County, Iowa, Lyle Andrew Gillespie was a fraternal twin and the youngest of S.A. and Myrtle Gillespie’s eight children.
He completed his education at a one-room schoolhouse, a small nearby high school, and college, financing his college studies himself. He joined the Air Force during the Korean War and served as a navigator for four years in Texas, Korea, and Japan. His later career as an Airspace System Analyst took him to California and Colorado. An avid reader, Lyle was also an innovative woodworker.
He shared 57 years of marriage with Norma Kuiper, who died in 2013. He was also preceded in death by his parents and siblings. His survivors include his daughter, Ann; son, Guy; grandson, Samuel; granddaughter, Courtney (Dan); and great-granddaughter, Genevieve.