It is with deep sadness we announce the loss of our founding partner attorney Rober J. Gillespie, Jr. He passed away peacefully, at his home on Jul 12, 2022. His impact on our law firm, partners, staff, and all who he touched cannot be understated.
He was truly a man who stood for and with others. Bob loved his work as a lawyer, genuinely seeking to make the world a more just place. After graduating from Dickinson, he served as an Assistant Attorney General, Assistant District Attorney, and First Assistant District Attorney, while also managing to be an active volunteer with the East End Fire Department in Hazleton. Voters elected Bob to the Luzerne County District Attorney position in 1982. As District Attorney, Bob was committed to not only prosecuting offenders but also working to prevent offenses from occurring with robust drug education programs and community outreach initiatives. In 1985, The Times Leader called Bob a “nice guy in a nasty job,” in large part because of his incredible work-life balance. He insisted on being home in time for dinner every night with his wife and three children, and never missed one of his kids’ baseball games or school concerts. Yet he fought tirelessly for the residents of Luzerne County.
Bob left the DA’s office in 1987, devoting the rest of his career to working with individuals and businesses that needed strong and smart legal guidance. He was recognized by Philadelphia Magazine as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer every year since 2006. Bob received awards and citations from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, the American Association of Justice, and Trials Lawyers Care, providing representation at no cost to victims of the 9/11 tragedy. Bob was proud to represent the Pennsylvania State Police F.O.P. O’Rourke Memorial Lodge No. 38 for more than 40 years, becoming certified as a Fraternal Order of Police attorney under the Fraternal Order of Police Legal Plan.
Condolence messages may be entered in the family’s memorial guestbook on the funeral home website at khfuneralhomes.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you send donations to Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton or St. John Bosco Church.
