Margaret C. “Peggy” Gillespie, 85, formerly of Waynesboro, PA, passed away peacefully, with the family at her bedside, on November 29, 2025, at Chambersburg Hospital following a brief illness.
For the past several years she made her home at Chambers Pointe, Menno Haven, Chambersburg, where she was warmly embraced by a community she dearly loved.
Born November 26, 1940, in the Bronx, NY, she was the daughter of the late John and Mary (Guerin) Sullivan. She graduated from St. Athanasius Catholic High School in the Bronx, with the class of 1958.
Peggy married the love of her life, Ronald J. Gillespie, on October 8, 1960, in Bronx, NY. Their marriage was a beautiful partnership that lasted 47 years until Ronald’s passing on July 7, 2007. Together, they built a loving home and created a lifetime of memories, moving to Hagerstown, MD in 1976 and later settling in Waynesboro in 1987.
Peggy was a deeply devout person. She was a member of St. Andrew Parish while she lived in Waynesboro. She attended Mass and said the rosary with the deacon/priest who came to Menno Haven from Corpus Christi. If another resident was ill, Peggy was sure to visit them, holding their hand, talking and praying for them.
Volunteering was very important in Peggs life. She taught CCD while in NY, read books to children at Fairview Ave. School, participated in prayer chains, served on the council at her local senior center and Franklin County Area Agency on Aging. Moving to Menno Haven didn’t stop her volunteering spirit. She crocheted beanies and blankets for premies, worked as a door greeter, assisting families entering the facility and was a patient advocate on their council.
Known affectionately as “the mayor of Menno Haven,” Peggy had a remarkable gift for making everyone feel seen and valued. She spent her days enjoying activities, sharing conversations, and brightening the lives of the friends and staff who crossed her path. Fiercely independent, she carried a gentle warmth and a genuine concern for others, always thinking of the needs of those around her before her own.
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa M. Pryor of Waynesboro, PA and two cherished grandchildren, who lovingly knew her as “Nanny”: Meaghan Pryor and her companion, Michael Jacques of Sunny Isle’s Beach, FL and Matthew Pryor of Waynesboro, PA and a great-granddaughter, Mila Jacques of Sunny Isle’s Beach, FL and one niece, Kerry McKivergan of New City, NY.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Eugene Sullivan and a son-in-law, David Pryor.
A celebration of Peggy’s life will be held at the Chapel at Menno Haven, Chambers Pointe Campus, 1425 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg at 10:00 A.M., Thursday, December 11, 2025. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Peggy’s name may be given to Autism Society at autismsociety.org. Grove-Bowersox Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.bowersoxfuneralhomes.com.
