Barbara Walshe Gillispie

Barbara Walshe Gillispie, age 86, of Sebring, Florida, passed away Sunday, June 1, 2025.  She was born on August 26, 1938 in Roanoke, Virginia to Thomas M. Walshe, Jr. and Mary K. (Hill) Walshe.

Barbara was a proud mother of four children and an idealistic social worker who believed in serving the common good.  She was an advocate for women's rights, a worker in nature conservation, and a champion of education.   Barbara was a Girl Scout leader; an Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteer; a sex education specialist; and an active member of the Parent-Teachers Association.

Barbara served the communities of Appalachia in southwestern Virginia as a research analyst.  She maintained a life-long love affair with the Appalachian Mountains and hiked many miles of the Appalachian trail between Georgia and Maine.

In her retirement, Barbara served on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Western Montana and Central Florida, commandeering two drop-in centers for the mentally ill and advancing the accessibility of services in her area.

Barbara loved out-door adventure, storytelling, trout fishing, coffee and good books.  Barbara was expert with a canoe; an avid birder, maintaining an updated “life-list” in Peterson's Field Guide; and a devoted Willie Nelson fan.

She will be missed as a mother, a sister, a friend, and a force for practical and positive change.

She is survived by her Children – David A. Gillispie of Fern Park, FL; Charles S. Gillispie (Laura H. Brinckerhoff) of Tucson, AZ; Katherine L. Gillispie (Chris H. Wiese) of Missoula, MT; and her Grandchildren Ben S. Gillispie of Lynchburg, VA;  Emma K. Wiese of Missoula, MT; Claudia L. Wiese of Salt Lake City, UT, and Max H. Wiese of Missoula, MT.  Barbara was preceded in death by her son, Michael C. Gillispie.

Cremation arrangements entrusted to:
Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home
Sebring, Florida
Online condolences may be left at
www.stephensonnelsonfh.com