Maralyn Orbison Gillespie (Feb. 19, 1928 - July 17, 2026)

Maralyn Orbison Gillespie, age 98, of Kennett Square, formally of Wallingford, PA, passed away on July 17, 2026. She was born in Indianapolis Indiana to parents Dorothy Powell Orbison and Telford Bernard Orbison, residents of Irvington Indiana. The family moved to New Albany, Indiana in 1937, where Maralyn attended high school and was the only member of her class of 550 to take the college boards. She was a bright, poised and strong woman with a warm and gracious personality. She loved travelling and gardening and was an avid golfer and swimmer. She was also a lifelong learner, taking up intellectual pursuits and hobbies, such as Italian and guitar, well into her later years.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, George Gillespie Jr., in March of 2026, after 64 years of marriage. They shared their home over the years with their much-loved German Shepherds, Tigger, Artis and Kerri, and their black Standard Poodle, Charlie. Maralyn is survived by her nieces Susan Gillespie Gaudio and Lisa Gillespie Van Ostenbridge (Dan) and her nephew Bill Gillespie (Debbie), as well as 7 great nieces and nephews and 7 great grand nieces and nephews.

Maralyn graduated from Swarthmore College in 1949, where she majored in English Literature. It was at Swarthmore where she met 6 treasured friends with whom she maintained an ongoing round robin group letter for over 60 years. On campus they were known as the Holy Seven and they used the round robin letter to stay connected throughout the years. A gifted writer, after graduating from Swarthmore, Maralyn worked 5 years for Curtis Publications in the editorial department of Country Gentleman magazine. She then spent 37 years working at Swarthmore College, where she was the senior editor of the Swarthmore College Bulletin alumni magazine, and ultimately the Associate Vice President of Alumni Administration, until her retirement in 1992. In addition to her many professional awards and accolades, she and her staA at Swarthmore started the successful Alumni College Abroad program. Maralyn and George enjoyed many wonderful educational trips throughout the world with this program, many onboard Marjorie Merriweather Post’s private ship, “The Argonaut”. Travels with this program, and on their own, took them to an amazing 44 countries and 48 states.

Maralyn had a lifelong passion for gardening and propagating plants, which began as a child when her mother would give her a quarter for helping in the garden. It blossomed as an adult through her involvement with Providence Garden Club, The Garden Club of America, and her personal residential gardens. It continued after retirement with regular volunteer work at Scott Arboretum, Longwood Gardens, and her retirement community of Kendall-Crosslands, where she was one of the founders of their arboretum. The wooded trails, open meadows and well-tended gardens of Kendall-Crosslands were a major draw when deciding where to spend her and George’s golden years. Many will remember George and Maralyn walking with Charlie in the west meadow and dolling out dog biscuits to the other four-legged residents. Each spring, residents can also enjoy the beautiful pale- pink rhododendron variety on property, named the “Maralyn Gillespie”. The naming was arranged through the American Rhododendron Society by Gertrude Wister, a former assistant director at Scott Arboretum. The previously unnamed plant had been a reject from the Wistar’s breeding eAorts at the Arboretum, from years earlier, that Maralyn and George had salvaged and lovingly cultivated.

Athletics were always a part of Maralyn’s life. At an early age her father introduced her to the game of golf. She was captain of the golf team at Swarthmore College, a founding member of the Hit or Miss Ladies golf league in suburban Philadelphia, and along with George, an active member of Rolling Green Golf Club for 48 years. It is unclear when she first started swimming, but she certainly loved it. She was known to don a wetsuit to swim in her outdoor pool in Pennsylvania well into the late fall, and she swam and played water volleyball at Crosslands until she was 97. Just before passing, she requested new swimsuits, eager to get back into the pool.

Interment will be private.

Contributions in Maralyn’s memory may be made to Scott Arboretum 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081