John Walter Gillis

John Walter Gillis September 24, 1941 February 16, 2014 Westbrook - John Walter Gillis, 72 of Westbrook passed away on February 16, 2014. He was born on September 24, 1941, to James and Grace Gillis in Cambridge, MA, and grew up in Middleboro, MA. He was a 1958 graduate of Middleboro High School. He served in the United States Air Force for 20 years as an x-ray technician and recruiter. He was pre-deceased by his parents, as well as his siblings and their spouses Grace and Donald Costa, Michael Gillis, Bobby Willis, Bill Genson, and James and Kathy Gillis. John is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda (McGuire) Gillis, and his children and their spouses Theresa Gillis, Kathleen and Dennis Dobecki, Timothy Gillis, and Colleen and Scott Pereira, and his grandchildren Molly and Ethan Hibler; Lindsay, Madison, Alexander and Hannah Dobecki; Anna, Dylan and Owen Gillis; and Evan, Haley and Eliza Pereira; and his siblings and their spouses Terri and Tino DiGiovanni, Patricia Willis, Rose Teixeira, Kate Genson, Bob Gillis and Liz Lynch, Richard and Kim Gillis, Chuck Gillis, Lynne Gillis, and Bill and Denise Gillis, and in-laws Ronald McGuire, James McGuire, and Michael and Diane McGuire, as well as an abundance of nieces, nephews, cousins, and kin. John Gillis was a man of amazing faith - in himself, in others, and in the human capacity for kindness, forgiveness, and love. After retiring from the Air Force, he started his own business as a negotiator of medical claims, but his real work was in ministry. He spent much of his time volunteering in hospitals, nursing homes, and with the Kairos prison ministry program, sharing his faith and helping others find theirs. In the last days of his life, he was planning a retreat and had inquired about being a hospice volunteer. John loved spending time at family gatherings and the sporting events of his grandchildren, and in quiet morning meditation and prayer. After being diagnosed with cancer a year ago, he said, ""There is no way to convey how God has covered me in His Mantle of Love. I am very comfortable with all that is happening to me." John continues his journey in the peace and freedom of Heaven, and watches over his loved ones with a daily presence exhibited in the beauty of nature and on the faces of those he touched. Viewing hours are Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Ave., Portland. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday, Feb. 21, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Ave., Portland. Interment with military honors will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in the spring. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to: My Brother's Keeper P.O. Box 338 Easton, MA 02356

John Walter Gillis

September 24, 1941 - February 16, 2014

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