John Gillespie

Conal Gillespie, born November 7, 1947 of Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. Conal was born in Killybegs, County Donegal, Ireland and died on Saturday, April 26, 2025. He enjoyed a successful career at Jacobi Hospital for 23 years as a carpenter before he retired in 2014.

Conal was proud of his Irish roots and made many trips to Ireland. He particularly enjoyed his many walks around Prospect Park, often going on walks with his grandchildren there, and the many interesting people he would meet and talk to. He loved to garden and put fresh flowers in baskets on his deck every spring. He was an incredibly patient and generous person who saw only the good in others.

Conal was a loving husband, father and grandfather. His grandchildren brought him great joy and he loved to explore nature with them. He enjoyed listening to Irish music and spending time catching up with his brother and sister in Ireland and England, as well as his nieces, nephews, relatives and friends in Ireland. He went back to Ireland many times in his life, with his beloved wife Mary, his children Aidan and Noreen, taking trips with his children’s friends as well proudly sharing the land he knew so well. He loved hosting various European relatives and friends in New York, driving people to various sites in and around New York City and in any season a trip to Coney Island was on the list of the things to do for a walk on the boardwalk. He truly loved both Ireland and the life he created in America and lived vibrantly taking in what was around him, the architecture of a building, a monument, or the beauty and smell of a flower, of which he often knew the name of. Selfless of his own needs, he often thought about ways to make the everyday life of others easier. He was always there for a great chat or to lend a helping hand to anyone he met or knew, both close to him or a new acquaintance.

Conal loved being in the populated streets of Brooklyn, walking to 9th Avenue stopping to talk to those he saw along the way. He also cherished his time in Honesdale, PA, where he could relish in the quiet of nature, the smell of fresh air and the blooming greenery around him. He loved walking the property in Honesdale with his grandchildren, trying to spot various animals that lived near and around the house.

Conal was predeceased by his parents, Mary and Con. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary, his son Aidan and his wife, Katie, his daughter, Noreen Ambrosi and her husband, Danny and his five grandchildren, Conal, Aisling, Sloane, Maeve and Caitlyn, his sister Maureen in Ireland, and his brother Brendan in England, his nieces Ann Garvey, Bridget Gillespie, Sandra O’Neill and his nephews, Patrick and Stephen O’Neill.

Cremation will be private. 

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Prospect Park Alliance as Conal loved Prospect Park.

donate.prospectpark.org

Luncheon to follow the mass at the Knights of Columbus, 1511 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 

(walkable distance from church)

To live stream the mass, viewers can watch directly on https://www.facebook.com/HolyNameBrooklyn/

Holy Name Parish’s website is http://www.holynamebrooklyn.com. The website has a “window” that allows viewers to see the most current posting or video on the church’s Facebook page. When the viewer clicks on the window, it will launch Facebook and, if the viewer doesn’t have Facebook on that device, it will ask the viewer to sign in or create an account. Close the login prompt, and you may be able to watch the video, enlarge it, etc., on the screen. It is suggested that anyone who plans to stream the service should attempt a “trial run” ahead of time. Holy Name of Jesus Church live streams every week day, where viewers can test with existing videos.