- Born
- 1955-06-04
- Work
- Real-estate broker (Richard L. Gillespie, Broker) and excavation contractor · Treasurer, Beaver Island Civic Association · Founding director, Beaver Island Boat Co. (elected to a one-year board term at the September 1984 shareholders' meeting) · Founding chairman, (Charlevoix-)Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce · Member and later chairman, Beaver Island Transportation Authority (BITA) and St. James Township Airport Committee (resigned from BITA March 2008) · Charlevoix County Commissioner, District 6 (elected 1992, the island's first county representation since 1970; lost the 1996 primary by 22 votes; further bids in 2002 and 2004 also lost)
- Parents
- Jewell F. Gillespie · Rita M. Gillespie
- Member of
- Beaver Island Civic Association · Beaver Island Boat Company
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- educationcommunityfamilysportsgovernanceeconomy
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
Richard Lynn “Richie” Gillespie, a son of Jewell and Rita Gillespie, moved from island youth and civic activity in the 1970s into a public career spanning three decades: co-founding director of the Beaver Island Boat Co. in 1984, founding chairman of the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce in 1988, a long-serving member of the Beaver Island Transportation Authority and township Airport Committee from 1990, and, in 1992, the island’s first Charlevoix County Commissioner since 1970.
History
Gillespie was born on Beaver Island on 4 June 1955, a 7½-pound son named Richard Lynn, to Jewell and Rita Gillespie. He was one of eight students named in the Beacon’s announcement of the Beaver Island School’s 25 May 1973 graduation. The following winter, competing as “Richie,” he placed first in the island’s cross-country snowmobile race on 27 January 1974 and was among 13 Islanders who crossed the ice to Naubinway, Michigan, on 14 February.
In December 1974 he was nominated for one of five seats on the Civic Association’s Governing Board, and after the 9 January 1975 election the Beacon named him the Association’s treasurer. He stood as groomsman at two of his brothers’ weddings that year: for Daniel Gillespie’s marriage to Patricia Cross in July, and for Robert Jewell Gillespie’s marriage to Carol Lee Gatliff in November.
In January 1984 the Beacon announced his engagement to Laura L. Esch, daughter of Bud and Carolyn Esch of Beaver Island, with a February wedding planned. Their daughter, Kerrie Consuela Gillespie, was born 16 November 1986. Jewell Gillespie’s December 1995 obituary lists “Richard L. Gillespie and his wife Laura, of Beaver Island” among his surviving children.
Ferry buyback, Chamber of Commerce, and township boards, 1984–1990
In 1984 Gillespie was one of seven island businessmen — with Ed Wojan, Bill McDonough, Rick Speck, Ron Wojan, Tim McDonough, and Bill Cashman — who negotiated and financed the purchase of the island’s ferry operation, the Beaver Islander and South Shore, from John McGoff’s Beaver Island Navigation Co. for $450,000, incorporating the Beaver Island Boat Co. At the company’s first shareholders’ meeting that September, Gillespie was elected to a one-year board term along with Tim McDonough and Bill Cashman. In February 1988 he was elected founding chairman of an independent island body working publicly as “The Charlevoix-Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce,” with Edie Wilmot as secretary and Marilyn Damstra as treasurer. In May 1990 the St. James Township board appointed him its representative on the Airport Committee, succeeding Bill Cashman, a seat to which the board reappointed him in February 1997; that same month he separately asked the board by letter for a Road Committee position, citing his prior four years’ road-committee experience and an interest in restarting the island’s rock crusher for road gravel. By March 1997 he was Vice-Chairman of the Beaver Island Transportation Authority (BITA) and, with other BITA and Beaver Island Boat Co. officials, traveled to a shipyard in Boothbay, Maine, to review construction of the ferry that became the Emerald Isle, returning again in May 1997 ahead of its planned June 6 launch. He went on to chair BITA in later years, appearing in that role in township and Beacon notices through his resignation from the board in March 2008.
Charlevoix County Commissioner, 1992–2004
In August 1992 Gillespie defeated incumbent Walt Hufford for a seat on the Charlevoix County Commission, becoming the island’s first county representative since 1970. A November 1996 editorial urging island voters to write him in credits his first term with King’s Highway paving, a Road Commission reorganization, the downtown-development/ferry-dock project, and the start of county bus transit to the island, and names him chairman of the Commission’s Public Safety, Judicial, and Buildings and Grounds committees. He lost the August 1996 primary by 22 votes despite sweeping the island vote. A November 1996 Beacon editorial urged islanders to return him by write-in vote in the general election; the write-in carried Beaver Island 244 to 94, but incumbent Shirley Roloff won Charlevoix County overall and kept the seat. Later bids to return also fell short: an August 2002 primary loss by ten votes, and an August 2004 general-election loss in which he carried Beaver Island 260 to 76 but lost the district overall.
Business and a later discovery
Beacon business listings identify him as a real-estate broker (“Richard L. Gillespie, Broker”) and as an island excavation contractor; a May 2009 Beacon item recounts that, digging a septic-tank excavation for the Rustic Villa some years earlier, he uncovered three human skeletons that a Michigan State University anthropologist later dated to about 1830 and identified as non-Indian — an older woman, a younger woman, and a young child.
Significance
Gillespie’s record — school graduate, competitive snowmobiler, and an elected Civic Association officer by age nineteen — extended into sustained institutional leadership: a founding role in returning the island’s ferry service to island ownership, the Chamber of Commerce’s first chairman, a multi-year Transportation Authority and Airport Committee member, and the only Beaver Islander to hold a Charlevoix County Commission seat between 1970 and at least 2010.
Evidence and limits
Most claims trace to Beacon meeting reports, election notices, and
retrospective “years ago” columns rather than township or county election
canvasses. The 1992, 1996, 2002, and 2004 county-election accounts come
from four separate Beacon items published at different times (a
contemporary 1992 issue, a 1996 editorial, and 2002/2004 contemporary
reports, plus a 2006 retrospective); their vote totals are taken as
reported and not cross-checked against county canvass records, so this
article’s confidence on the county-commission timeline is set to
contested pending that verification. The 2009 excavation notice gives no
precise date or exact site location, and none is supplied here.
Open questions
- Do Charlevoix County election-canvass records confirm the reported 1992, 1996, 2002, and 2004 vote totals?
- What became of the 1830-dated remains found during his Rustic Villa excavation, and were they repatriated or otherwise formally disposed of?
- No source read for this article documents an end to his real-estate or excavation business activity, or when his BITA vice-chairmanship began relative to his March 1997 first appearance in that role.
- Was the surname “Lamont,” partly cut off in the digitized February 1997 township minutes naming the Road Committee, the same Lamont documented elsewhere in this collection?
See also
Kin
The dated record
Sources
- Names Richard Gillespie among the eight students announced for Beaver Island School graduation on May 25, 1973.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1973-05_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports the June 4 birth of a 7½-pound son, Richard Lynn, to Mr. and Mrs. Jewell Gillespie — establishing his full name, birth date and parentage. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1955-06_Beaver-Beacon
- Names Richie Gillespie among the 13 Naubinway travelers and in first place in the January 27 cross-country snowmobile race.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1974-02_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists Richie Gillespie among the nominees for the January 9, 1975 Civic Association Governing Board election.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1974-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Names Richie Gillespie treasurer of the Beaver Island Civic Association after the January 9 election. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1975-01_Beaver-Beacon
- Names "Richie Gillespie, a brother of the bridegroom," as groomsman at brother Daniel Gillespie's wedding to Patricia Cross. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1975-07_Beaver-Beacon
- Names "Richie Gillespie, a brother of the bridegroom," as groomsman at brother Robert Jewell Gillespie's wedding to Carol Lee Gatliff. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1975-11_Beaver-Beacon
- Announces the engagement of Laura L. Esch, daughter of Bud and Carolyn Esch, to Richard L. Gillespie, son of Jewell and Rita Gillespie, with a February wedding planned. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1984-01_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports the November 16, 1986 birth of Kerrie Consuela Gillespie to Laura and Rich Gillespie, with Jewell and Rita Gillespie, and Bud and Carolyn Esch, as grandparents. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1987-02_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists "Richard L. Gillespie and his wife Laura, of Beaver Island" among Jewell Gillespie's surviving children, confirming the parentage and marriage. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1995-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports the culmination of a buyback of the Beaver Islander, the South Shore, and the ferry dock from John McGoff's Beaver Island Navigation Co. for $450,000 by seven island businessmen -- Ed Wojan, Bill McDonough, Rick Speck, Ron Wojan, Tim McDonough, Rich Gillespie, and Bill Cashman -- who incorporated the new Beaver Island Boat Co. At the first shareholders' meeting (about 175 attending, September 1), Rich Gillespie, Tim McDonough, and Bill Cashman were elected to one-year board terms. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1984-09_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports Richie Gillespie elected chairman, with Edie Wilmot secretary and Marilyn Damstra treasurer, at a February 13, 1988 open meeting founding an independent Beaver Island body working under the public identity "The Charlevoix-Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce." The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1988-05_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports Rich Gillespie appointed St. James Township's representative on the Airport Committee, filling the vacancy left by Bill Cashman's resignation. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1990-05_Beaver-Beacon
- A 2002 "Ten years ago" retrospective (see the August 2002 citation below) recalls this issue reporting Rich Gillespie's 1992 election to the Charlevoix County Commission over incumbent Walt Hufford; the issue itself lists "Richard L. Gillespie, Broker" in a business context and records him questioning township board minutes practice. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1992-08_Beaver-Beacon
- Editorial urging a write-in vote for Rich Gillespie, crediting his 1992-96 Commission term with King's Highway paving, Road Commission reorganization, the DDA/Bridge Park and ferry-dock project, and B.I. Bus Transit, and naming him chairman of the Commission's Public Safety, Judicial, and Buildings and Grounds committees and a member of its Renovation Committee and two appeals boards. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1996-11_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, September 2006, "Ten Years Ago" retrospective.Recalls that in the August 1996 primary, "Rich Gillespie trounced Shirley Roloff on the Island but lost his race for reelection to the County Commissioners by 22 votes." No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2006-09_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, August 2002, "On This Date" retrospective.Ten-years-ago retrospective recalling the August 1992 primary result in which "Rich Gillespie outpolled incumbent Walt Hufford for a seat on the County Commission." No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2002-08_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, September 2002, "The Airport at risk; what were we thinking?"Reports that in the August 6, 2002 primary, "Rich Gillespie lost by ten votes in his bid to return to the Charlevoix County Commission (he virtually swept Beaver Island, though)." No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2002-09_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, September 2004, election report.Reports Rich Gillespie losing his bid for County Commissioner in the August 3, 2004 election despite a 260-to-76 margin of victory on Beaver Island itself. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2004-09_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, March 2008, township/BITA notice."Rich Gillespie resigned from BITA," with the board not yet ready to appoint a replacement; Jim White was separately appointed Harbormaster. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2008-03_Beaver-Beacon
- Beaver Beacon, May 2009, "found under 12 inches of sand" note.Recounts that Rich Gillespie, digging a septic-tank excavation for the Rustic Villa some years earlier, found three human skeletons that a Michigan State University anthropologist later dated to about 1830 and identified as non-Indian -- an older woman, a younger woman, and a young child. The article does not give a precise excavation date or exact site coordinates, and none are added here. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2009-05_Beaver-Beacon
- "Rich Gillespie ('write-in') won the Island vote 244 to 94, but Ms. Roloff won solidly in Charlevoix, overcoming Gillespie's lead," resolving whether his November 1996 write-in campaign succeeded: it did not, despite his island margin. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1996-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Names Rich Gillespie Vice-Chairman of the Beaver Island Transportation Authority (BITA), reports his trip to Booth Bay, Maine to inspect construction of the new ferry, and records the township board approving a Road Committee of J. Wogan, Rich Gillespie, and Lamont [surname cut off in the digitized text]. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1997-03_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports a May 6, 1997 shipyard visit by Rich Gillespie of BITA and Beaver Island Boat Co. officials to review construction of the new ferry, later named the *Emerald Isle*, ahead of its planned June 6, 1997 launch. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1997-06_Beaver-Beacon
- Records Rich Gillespie reappointed to the St. James Township Airport Committee and, separately, requesting a Road Committee position by letter, citing his prior four years' experience and interest in restarting use of the island's rock crusher for road gravel. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1997-02_Beaver-Beacon
Added 1 August 2026 · revised 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Richard Lynn "Richie" Gillespie”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/richard-lynn-richie-gillespie/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, May 1973, “School News.” (and 24 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “Richard Lynn "Richie" Gillespie”RIS for “Richard Lynn "Richie" Gillespie”