Dr. Hal G. Gillespie

A seeker, healer, soldier, storyteller and beloved husband, father, brother and friend, Dr. Hal Gravely Gillespie passed away surrounded by family in Spokane, Washington on August 25, 2026.

Hal was born to Jesse Davis and Lillie Mae Gillespie in Pickens County, South Carolina on August 1, 1939. His father, a decorated WWI veteran and celebrated hometown politician, was his personal hero. Hal followed Jesse’s example to build from humble beginnings a meaningful life and legacy through grit, good humor, and abiding service to others.

After graduating from Clemson University, Hal supported his young family by selling cookware while attending medical school at the Medical College of South Carolina. He completed his residency in psychiatry at Walter Reed Hospital and proudly served in Germany during the Vietnam War. He was a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Hal later worked at Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, and in the late 1970s helped lead a protest against the sale of the hospital to a for-profit organization. The conflict proved a harbinger of the national shift toward privatization of mental healthcare, and 60 Minutes covered the story. While Hal ultimately won the battle but not the war, his family is proud of the stance he took in support of nonprofit medicine. After Highland, Hal joined St. Alban’s Psychiatric Hospital in Radford, Virginia.

In Radford, Hal and the love of his life, Sherry, spent decades renovating a historic Arts and Crafts house known as The Rocks. Through their shared love of cooking and entertaining, the home became a cherished gathering place for the local community.

A lifelong enthusiast of history, culture, literature and music, Hal will be remembered for his deep connection to his Scotch-Irish and Appalachian heritage and his passion for storytelling. With an uncanny memory for verse, he often regaled loved ones with lively recitations—from bawdy limericks to the poetry of Robert Burns, Robert Frost and William Shakespeare—as well as with the old hymns and popular songs he sang with infectious joy (if not perfect pitch). He was gifted at needlepoint, and for generations his family will continue to enjoy the fine heirlooms he crafted.

Relentlessly curious, Hal enjoyed exploring the world on travels with Sherry, his children, grandchildren and friends. In his late sixties, he and Sherry decided to pursue one more great adventure together and relocated from The Rocks to Spokane, where Hal continued to practice psychiatry for several more years. Upon his retirement, they split their time between Spokane and Sandpoint, Idaho.

Hal was predeceased by his parents and three brothers, Jesse, Marion Ray, and Charles Gillespie. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 49 years, Sherry Gillespie; his five children, Scott, Philip, Bradley, Megan and Jesse Gillespie; his eight grandchildren; and his dear nephew, Steve Gillespie. While he may be less remembered by his first great-grandchild, Kate, she will certainly come to know him through story.

Hal was deeply spiritual and felt most at peace in the mountains. His ashes will be returned to the mountains he loved best: those of the Pacific Northwest and Southern Appalachia. He will be remembered by loved ones at a ceremony and celebration to take place in Greenville, South Carolina in late November of 2026, details forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his honor to the Spokane Fire Department Foundation (www.sfdfoundation.org) or World Central Kitchen (www.wck.org).