Joe Martin Gillaspie was born November 26, 1931, at his home in Texas County, OK, the second of eight children to Nimrod and Eula Pearl Gillaspie. He graduated from high school at Elkhart, KS in 1949 and attended Southwestern College in Winfield, KS on a football scholarship. He graduated with a B.A. in Education in 1953. He later went on to earn his M.S. in Education from Fort Hays State College in 1959.
Joe met Juanita Hardy while attending Southwestern College. They were married on June 1, 1952, at the Pratt United Methodist Church. They celebrated 68 years of marriage.
Growing up on a farm in the 1930’s Joe learned many skills from his father and grandfather and had a reputation in the communities he lived in of knowing how to fix about anything. He also learned to hunt and fish, which he enjoyed throughout his lifetime.
He taught Industrial Arts and coached football and boys’ basketball and track at Hugoton, Coats, and Lewis. After earning his MS in Education Joe served as Superintendent of Schools at Vesper, Haviland, and Deerfield. Wanting to return to his true love of teaching and coaching, Joe and Juanita moved to Rozel in 1969 where he taught Industrial Arts, and coached both boys’ and girls’ sports for 23 years at Pawnee Heights.
Joe’s nickname at Pawnee Heights was “Papa Joe” and many of the students from the other schools picked up on the name, also. He coached football and boys’ basketball and track. In 1973 he began developing the girl’s athletic program at Pawnee Heights and coached volleyball, girls’ basketball, and girls’ track. Throughout his coaching career teams he coached won league and regional titles in football, volleyball, and basketball, many of the boys and girls he coached in track were state medal winners, as well. After retiring, Joe refereed volleyball for many years with former players.
Besides teaching high school industrial arts, he also taught a very popular adult woodworking class for Barton Community College for a number of years. Throughout his adult life he used his woodworking talents to design and make furniture, toys and other wooden items such as lamps, bowls, and jewelry for family and sold items at craft fairs.
Joe was very active in church and Lions Club for many years in all of the communities where the family lived, His volunteer work at Pawnee Heights after retiring included keeping the clock at football and basketball games, serving as judge in Quiz Bowl, and as a starter at track meets. In January 2008 he and Juanita were awarded the Master Volunteer Award at the league basketball tournament in Dodge City. He also served two terms on the Rozel City Council where he helped the city secure a federal grant to complete and furnish the newly built Rozel Community Building.
Farming in Pratt and Kiowa Counties with his father-in-law started in 1952. After his father-in-law retired from farming, Joe, his sons, and two brothers assisted him until he decided it was time to retire and rent out the land in 1997. He also enjoyed hunting pheasant and quail with his Brittany Spaniels and fishing whenever he could for many years. Fishing became one of his favorite retirement pastimes.
Joe and Juanita moved to Rozel in 1969 and stayed 45 years. Due to health reasons they relocated to South Hutchinson, KS where she lived out her last few years.
Joe is survived by his children: Jim (Barbara) Gillaspie of Hutchinson, KS, Judy Gillaspie of Tulsa, OK, Jeff (Jeanie) Gillaspie of Grand Junction, CO; grandsons Joel (Laurie) Gillaspie, Michael Gillaspie, Albert (Kritika) McClure, Chad (Lori) Scates; great-grandchildren, Emilee Scates and Rumi McClure, two brothers: Morris (Letha) Gillaspie of Douglass, Ks and Don Gillaspie of South Hutchinson, Three sisters: Virginia Bracken of Burleson, TX, Belva McBee of Tyrone, OK and Betty (Larry) Davolt of Keys, OK.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife Juanita, brother Robert Gillaspie, sister Wilma Truhler, and his parents.
Services will be at Beckwith Mortuary in Larned, KS on Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. with Inurnment at the Rozel Cemetery, with a community dinner following at the Rozel Community Building. The family suggests memorials be given to the City of Rozel Park Fund or Rozel Community Building, c/o Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, KS 67550. Online condolences may be left at Beckwithmortuary.com