Rumford, RI – Alina Gillespie, 91, died peacefully at home on Sunday, June 21, 2026, with her loving daughters and caregivers by her side.
Born in Uzanie, Poland on March 7, 1935, Alina was the only child and daughter of Jan (John) Bielecki and Bronislawa (Blanche) Brodecka. Their lives were forever shattered by World War II, when the Nazis invaded their town and transported them to Germany to work in forced labor camps and munition factories. After six long years, including being in displaced persons camps, she and her parents were able emigrate to the United States, where Alina’s life began again at the age of 14.
Their family first settled in Dorchester MA, where Alina graduated from the Jeremiah E. Burke High School, supported by her new friends who helped her to learn English in exchange for her math and Latin tutoring. She later completed coursework at Boston College, where she developed a penchant for accounting, and applied these skills to her job of several years at the telephone company in downtown Boston.
Through mutual friends, Alina met her late husband, Clifford Gillespie. After marrying in 1959, they moved together to Proctor Academy, a small residential boarding school in Andover, NH, where Cliff was a teacher and coach. There, they had their two daughters, Dede and Susie, while serving as dorm parents and mentors to the young adolescents in their dormitory, forging life-long friendships with many of them. After five years at Proctor, the family relocated to St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, where they lived for over 50 years.
Before her retirement in the late 1990’s, Alina worked as the corporate accounting supervisor at Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Concord. She initially joined the company to earn extra funds to support her many relatives living in Poland during the difficult communist period, sending care packages of clothing, shoes, and other essentials to them.
In addition to her own career, Alina was a constant and capable companion and supporter of her husband, Cliff, in all of his academic and athletic pursuits as teacher, coach, and administrator at St. Paul’s School. They both placed a very high value on education and a strong work ethic, while always being mindful of those needing guidance or a helping hand.
During sabbaticals, Alina and Cliff enjoyed overseas travel to several European countries including Austria, England, Greece, Switzerland and her native Poland. They also toured Asia extensively while representing St. Paul’s when Cliff was headmaster. Their final year at the School was a pivotal and particularly rewarding time in their lives and careers. They fostered a supportive and strong community among students, faculty, parents, and trustees during a period of transition on campus.
Above all, Alina was a devoted and loving mother and grandmother to her daughters and grandson. She hand-stitched costumes, attended recitals and sports games, encouraged travel and study abroad, and stressed the importance of broadening oneself while being attentive to friends and assisting others. She had a beautiful relationship and abiding connection with her only grandchild, Zander Moubayed, who brought her tremendous joy and happiness and for whom, in return, she was his very special person.
Outside of her family, Alina had a love of vegetable and flower gardening and landscaping. During retirement, she and Cliff spent countless hours cultivating the land around their Dunbarton, NH home as well as at their local St. John’s Episcopal Church. They both served on the vestry there, under the Reverend Kelly Clark, former headmaster at St. Paul’s School, with Mom as treasurer.
In 2017, after many wonderful decades in their NH community, Alina and Cliff moved to Rhode Island to be closer to their daughters and for greater family care of Cliff until his passing in 2021. In her newly-adopted town, Alina developed a close network of friends, neighbors, and caregivers in her kind and engaging way. She was also an active member of the East Providence Historical Society and community garden, where she has a special flower plot and plaque named in her honor.
Throughout her life, Alina demonstrated a true resilience and strength of character borne of her early life struggles. She had a deep compassion and empathy for those in need and gave assistance to many people over the years, quietly and unassumingly. She was a gracious, intelligent, witty, and wise woman and an extraordinary role model for her family and those whose lives she touched.
Alina leaves her cherished daughters, Dede Moubayed, her husband, Peter, and their son, Zander, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and Delray Beach, Florida; and Susie Gillespie, of Providence, Rhode Island; as well as her brother-in-law, Robert Gillespie, of Northfield, New Hampshire and sister-in-law, Donna Gillespie, of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; and her many nieces and nephews in Maine and relatives in Poland.
The family expresses its heartfelt thanks to the extended family, friends, faculty, former students and others who have shared their love, care, and friendship with Alina.
A memorial service will be held at a later date with notification to follow.
Condolences may be left on the Monahan Drabble Sherman Funeral Home website at mkds.com.
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