A private funeral is taking place in Markham today for York Regional Police Const. Travis Gillespie, who was killed Sept. 14 in a collision with a driver facing impaired charges.
A private visitation is being held at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, followed by a service at 1:30 p.m. Members of the public are not permitted to attend, however the funeral home website includes a livestream link for the service.
There will be no procession into the funeral home, however, following the service there will be a small reception as those close to Gillespie depart for the interment, which is also private, York Regional Police said.
The interment will be in a cemetery in Shiloh, in Cramahe Township of Ontario where Gillespie was raised. He was born on July 16, 1984.
Gillespie, 38, was killed on his way to work. He had joined YRP in December 2019 and becoming a police constable was one of his proudest accomplishments, according to his obituary.
"He was well liked by his colleagues, peers and supervisors and demonstrated a true commitment to serving and protecting his community," it said.
He was also passionate about martial arts, skateboarding, snowboarding and spending time with friends and family.
"Travis was greatly loved by his family and so many others he encountered. He had a natural ability to gravitate to friends and even strangers who needed guidance and support through various life struggles. Often these friends quickly became part of the Gillespie extended family," his obituary read. "Although his time with us was much too short, we are so proud of the person he was and how he touched so many people."
He leaves behind wife Katrina Gillespie (Gates), best friend and life partner Melinda LaPorte, parents Robert and Lori Gillespie, brother Daniel Gillespie (fiancé Tanya Bolduc) and brother Scott (wife Sharlyn Gillespie). He was also an uncle to Julia, Evelyn, Savannah, Spencer, Lilah and Sawyer.
The family said in the obituary that it wishes to thank everyone for their "overwhelming support in their time of great loss."
