John David Gillen

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John David Gillen, 21, of Gum Tree, passed away on Wednesday, July 6, 2011. Born in Chester County, he was the beloved son of Betsy and Socker Gillen. An area resident all his life, he enjoyed skateboarding and snowboarding. John will best be remembered for his love of family and friends. He lived life laughing.



He is survived, in addition to his parents, by two siblings; Ray Young and wife Heather of New Providence and Patti Gillen, wife of Ray Steen of Kirkwood and one sister-in-law Lisa Gillen Steen of Holtwood. He was preceded in death by his brother Kevin John Gillen.



On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, funeral services will be held at 4pm at Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church, 1121 Octorara Trail, Parkesburg, PA followed by interment at the Friendship Methodist Cemetery in Gum Tree. Viewing at the church is from 2pm to 4pm. Please join John’s family in prayer for the gift of life John will give to others through organ donation.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's memory to the ThreeSixteen Skateboard Ministry, 34 Longview Rd., E. Fallowfield, PA 19320 ( www.three16.com)



Arrangements have been entrusted to the Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg. Online condolences may be posted at www.wildefuneralhome.com

Condolences

Betsy, Socker, and Family,

Our family is heartbroken over the loss of John. We have kept him and your family in our prayers and will continue to do so. We will always remember John as a loving, caring, free-spirited, full of life, young man. Betsy and Socker, you have been such loving and supportive parents to John and an inspiration and comfort for me, Dave and Alexandra in our times of despair and need.

We will continue to pray for you, Betsy and Socker, that the Lord will give you refuge and strength in the midst of your sorrow. "The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 18-31

I'm sorry that David and John never had that chance to go snowboarding together, but I know that John has spread his wings and is now snowboarding and skateboarding with our Lord.

We will greatly miss John's smile and free-spirit, but are thankful for the time that we knew him. He has been an inspiration for our family and will not be forgotten.

With all our love and deepest sympathy,

Claudia, Dave, David, and Alexandra Liebig

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Betsy and Soccer.. our dear dear friends--our hearts are aching for your loss of John...we know you were the best parents you could be. John was blessed to have you as his parents and don't ever doubt your devotion and support of John. He fought a demon he couldn't fight anymore and there was nothing you could have done to change that. He was a fun, vibrant young man who was loved by all ...may he find peace and serenity with God in heaven. You are in our prayers and we are here for you...always. We love you both so much and know the pain is unbearable but please stay strong ..faith will get you through this ...love Danny and Judy and family

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Betsy and Socker,
Sorry to hear your loss. May the Lord give you strength in these days to follow.
Debbie & Mike Fisher (Country Gardens Restaurant)

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I met John when he was ten years old -- full of, well, let's just say "fun" & vinegar! He marched to his own drummer and in his own time. He loved his Mom & Dad immensely, & felt badly that he let them down more than a few times. He had a good heart, full of spirit and a deep caring for animals. Some people thought he had a little crush on me visiting my boat every weekend (where his parents were my neighbors) but it was my dog he came to see, and love...

He had an impish smile which made it difficult to stay annnoyed with him & his many practical jokes. He recently asked me for a job as a security officer with my company. I couldn't believe the many compliments we received about how well he was doing & how personal he was with the public. Some joked that he looked like a 12 year old in a uniform. I said, "He'll be thankful for that when he's 90 years old!" I'm saddened beyond measure that he didn't even make it to age 22, let alone 90...

I'm never good about recalling the words many Ministers tell when bad things happen to good people. I guess I'm not meant to remember. But I DO know this: While we may not understand (or want to accept) God's plan for us, you must believe it all works out in the end. I promise!

John: I'll miss you more than words can say, but I know you'll "be around." To Socker and Betsy, his family and friends, I am so very, very sorry.

You'll learn soon enough that while you may not be able to physically see him, he'll still be around ~ so make him proud!

Rest in peace, Officer John. You're in great company now!

Fondly,

Eileen Law Stewart

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Mr. and Mrs. Gillen,
I am just heartbroken to hear about John's death. I can still picture the sweet little boy who walked into my first grade classroom hiding behind his mother's leg. He charmed me right away with that adorable mischievous smile! I've had close to a thousand students walk through my classroom door over the past 17 years. They all have something special, but John had something extra special about him and he just wormed his way into my heart. He was smart, funny, ornery, and kind. He had a twinkle in his eyes and could light up a room with his zest for life and fun loving personality. He certainly brightened many of my days. Although teachers are not supposed to have favorites, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that John was one of my favorites!

I will also always remember what a wonderful support system he had a home. You both were so involved with his schooling. You set high expectations for him and it was obvious how much he was loved. He was blessed to have had such wonderful parents!

I will be away on vacation next week and will not be able to attend John's services. Please know that you are both in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you will be able to find comfort with the many wonderful memories you have of John and the knowledge that he touched the lives of so many people. I feel truly blessed that I was given the opportunity to be is teacher. He will always hold a special place in my heart!

Sincerely,
Michelle Strong Lofgren

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Socker and Betsy,

I was so very sad to hear the news of John passing. He was certainly taken too soon, but has left so many people with fond memories to treasure forever. I personally will forever remember his contagious laugh at the marina at picnics, and how much he adored both of you and opened shared his love for his parents. Such a great heart!

Please know that you have so many friends supporting you during this difficult time. Draw strength from that and know that John will always be here...in spirit with his bright smile shining upon everyone.

With deepest sympathy,

Linda DeSantis

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Betsy and Socker,
Words just cannot express how sadden we are by this tragedy. He is now with his big brother Kevin and I bet they are off fishing.
You are in out thoughts and prayers during this hard time.
We love and miss you.
Joy and Chuck

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peace be with you. You will always be remmembered and loved.

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Dear Betsy and Socker,

We were sorry to hear about the passing of your son. I have a book that I often read that says as follows:
And Jesus shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life. The Spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we are now at this time... this restoration shall come to all and even there shall not so much as a hair of their head be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now.

I thought you might find comfort in these words.

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Our Prayers and thoughts are with the Gillen Family. We are sending our deepest sympathy.

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Betsy and Socker, Very, very sorry for your loss Rich Longacre

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i cant believe ill never hear your voice in my back yard again, you would go away and come back and i would say john is back. its hard to even walk out on the deck, to know ill never hear you back there again.

ill never forget the dreams of you and paul, you always thought you would be famous like tony hawk, and that you were gonna be rich. and ill never forget the day you skateboarded down the rail of my deck. all the crazy things that you guys did in the past and that little fort you always slept out in.

you were the kindest, most liked, boy that i ever knew. you were always happy and smiling. i can just see you in heaven as a little angel. love forever to you, and socker and betsey.

the whole family will miss you john. ♥

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Iam so sorry to hear of Johnnys passing.What a sweetheart,he was always laughing and making others laugh.Iam happy to have known him.R.I.P. J.Tyte

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Betsy and family,
Words cannot express how sorry I amto hear about the loss of your son John. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
With love,
Stacey Remick

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We are sorry to hear the loss of John,All of you are in our hearts and prayers

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Dear Betsy,

My heart aches for you and your family. I pray God gives you strength and peace today and always. I'm so sorry for your loss.

~ Abby

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Betsy and Family. I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. I do not know the words to comfort you but, I will pray that the Lord will give you strength and comfort in this very difficult time.
John Marsh

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Dear Betsy and family,

I am truly sorry for the loss of your son. I remember how proud you were talking of him when we worked together at Citadel. Just know that I am thinking of you as I am going through similar feelings at this time.

Pam McElroy

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We received a call from our daughter, Abby, informing us of John's passing. Know that people all over the world are praying for you all. I remember seeing him last at Delta Lake back in 2006. As the obituary says, John loved to laugh, and he certainly was doing a lot of that at camp! Trusting that God's strength is carrying you through.

The Wolters Family

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I remember you because you were good friends with my brother in middle school, and because my Mom was your teacher in elementary school. She said she really enjoyed you as a student, and she told me about how much fun you were to have in the classroom. I didn't talk to you that much, but you seemed like a good kid. You and my brother would be clowning around in the hallways before class. It was funny to listen to the two of you, and you both made great jokes. Anyways, I just thought I'd express my sympathy for you and your family. It's a great loss for all of us, even those of us who weren't close friends with you.

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We would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude for your support over the past several weeks. We are in awe of your condolences on this website plus your gifts, flowers, cards, phonecalls, emails, texts, meals, and personal visits at home and during John's services. In the face of tragedy, your overwhelming generosity has provided us with blessings beyond explanation. At a time when daily living could be unbearable, your kind and understanding expressions of sympathy have provided immeasureable comfort. The encouragement you have given will be with us forever. With our love as Christ has taught us to love, Betsy and Socker

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