Frank B. Gillespie

Frank B. Gillespie, 92, of Jacksonville, will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007, at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Kevin King officiating, under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Jacksonville. Burial will be at Old City Cemetery in Jacksonville.

Mr. Gillespie died Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007, at a Jacksonville hospital. He was born Aug. 12, 1914, in Jacksonville.

He was a theater manager for 54 years in Jacksonville, Henderson, Rusk, Nacogdoches and Port Arthur.

He served in the U.S. Army. His first job was at The Clair Theater, which he described as a “shotgun theater” — it only showed Westerns.

He began work at the Palace Theater in downtown Jacksonville, where he stayed until 1940. “I popped and sold the first sack of popcorn there in 1929,” he recalled. “Before that, there was no food — you just went to the movie.” Popcorn was introduced partly because of the popping machine at his father’s store, which was placed in the theater.

He was a Methodist. Frank’s wife, Katie, said he attributed his longevity to the excellent care of Drs. Scott Sands, Christopher Johnson and Noah Isreal.

Survivors include his wife, Katie Gillespie of Jacksonville; nephews, Lloyd Elliott of Houston, Gary Gillespie of Hartford, Ala., and Bill Groft of Arlington; nieces, Sandra Pastiro of Dallas, Carol Tsang of Atlanta, Ga., Patricia Mercer of Katy, Frances Maness Buckingham of Horseshoe Bay; and Janan Hale of Tyler; sisters-in-law, Jeanette Gillespie of Jacksonville; and Olivia Louden of Arlington. Pallbearers include Lloyd Elliott, George Singleton, Steve Maness, Bill Hale, Bill Groft and Gary Gillespie.

Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, at the funeral home.

Information from the Jacksonville Daily Progress