Kyle Gillespie

Kyle Gillespie, age 30 and formerly of Oakland, died tragically on Friday, August 13, 2021. What had begun as a few poor choices in his teenage years, swallowed him in a powerful heroin addiction that lasted more than a decade. His family and loved ones have prayed relentlessly for his rescue, which God has now secured.

Kyle grew up in Oakland and graduated from Indian Hills with the class of 2009. He loved playing ice hockey, roller hockey, and street hockey with “the boys.” He also loved riding dirt bikes and quads and was super lucky that his great-grandparents had a farm with many acres to ride on. He loved riding there. Sadly, while in high school, Kyle started a downward slide when drugs became involved. This story is all too familiar in our culture, and for Kyle it spiraled out of control rather quickly. He barely graduated high school and struggled to hold a job. The addiction became all-consuming. His parents and siblings did all they could, but to no avail. Kyle was on a frightening path that no one wanted to see him on, not even himself, but everyone was powerless to stop it. Heroin had an unrelenting grip on him that not even the power of a mother’s love, or a father’s love, could break. Kyle never stopped reading his Bible, praying, asking God for help, and singing along to his favorite Christian song “I am Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave! He simply couldn’t break free. Today, his freedom is secured by the only one powerful enough to do so; his Lord Jesus Christ.

Kyle leaves behind many heartbroken souls, including his mother; Darlene Murphy and her husband Robert of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, his father; Thomas Gillespie of Barnegat, NJ, two brothers; Joshua Gillespie and his wife Lindsay of Bristol, PA, and Zachary Gillespie and Katie Coneys of Santa Clarita, CA, his girlfriend; Breanne MacKay, grandfather; Jacob Faber and his wife Rosalinda formerly of Haledon, NJ, great-grandmother; Helen Borduin of N. Haledon, a nephew; Jackson Gillespie, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his grandparents; Jacalyn Faber (2006), Robert and Barbara Gillespie.