Painter, designer and teacher, born in Dungannon, County Tyrone. He attended Ulster College of Art and Design, where he graduated after four years in 1978, the year he won the Philip Smiles Award – Gold Medal. Was with Ulster Museum, 1978–85. His teaching included Rupert Stanley College, Belfast, and the University of Ulster. From 1985–91 Gillespie was a partner in design and advertising practices, leaving to become a full-time painter. Among group shows in which Gillespie showed were Heritage Centre, Bangor, 1988; 4 Ulster Painters, Heritage Centre, Bangor, 1991; and Tom Caldwell Summer Shows in Belfast and Dublin, 1991. Atmospheric landscapes on a small scale were a feature of Gillespie’s work.