John Gillotte

John Gillotte was born January 3rd, 1942, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Carmelo “Herman” and Josephine Gillotte. He was one of six children: Marie (Gillotte) Givens, Herman Gillotte Jr., Michael Gillotte Sr., Frances (Gillotte) Seneker, and Dominic Gillotte. Following the death of his father in 1944, John was taken into the care of Max and Jane Gillotte, who raised him as their own alongside their children, Donald Gillotte and Judy (Gillotte) Wies.

John married Donna (Smith) Gillotte on May 26, 1964. Together, they raised their family, including Donna’s son, Troy Mikalansky, and their two children, Cynthia Jane (Gillotte) Norman and Jon (Jonny) Darrin Gillotte. John was an incredibly involved father and took great pride in supporting his children in everything they did. He helped train and coach Troy in wrestling, coached Jonny’s baseball team, and was heavily involved in Jonny’s football as well. Later in life, John remained a huge supporter of Jonny throughout his boxing years. He also spent countless hours helping Cyndi with gymnastics, softball, and track, and even served as an umpire in her softball league.

John and Donna loved spending time with their family and friends on their boat, named the God Father. They spent countless days floating down the Missouri River with Troy, Cyndi, Jonny, and their friends, creating some of the family’s most cherished memories. For John, being on the water was about more than fishing or boating; it was about being together with the people he loved.

John and Donna shared more than 30 years of marriage before Donna was diagnosed with cancer in 1995. Her illness progressed quickly, and she passed away just three months later, on December 4, 1995. Her sudden passing was a profound loss for John and their family, who continued to carry the memories of the life they shared together.

Family was at the heart of John’s life. Cynthia married Scott Norman, and together they had three children, Amanda, Sara, and Justin Norman. Jonny married Nicol and together they had a son, George Gillotte. John cherished his time with all of his grandchildren and loved sharing his favorite pastime, being on the water, with them. Amanda later had two children of her own, Madalyn and Hayden Johnson, who made John a great-grandfather.

In 1999, John met Christine Hileman, and she became an important part of his life. They shared many happy years together and enjoyed the simple things in life camping, going to garage sales, spending time outdoors, and simply being together. Christine’s daughter, Kayla, was 12 years old when John came into their lives, and he welcomed her immediately, loving and treating her as his own daughter. Kayla later married Brian Eischeid and had two children, Talon Baxter and Hayes Eischeid. John embraced both children and loved them as his grandchildren. He especially enjoyed spending time on the boat fishing with Talon and his dad, Josh Baxter.

As a young man, John played football in South Omaha and earned recognition on the All-Intercity team in 1960. That same year, he received a Kiwanis award alongside Gale Sayers. John remained an avid Nebraska Cornhusker fan throughout his life and loved following sports. He also loved Elvis, fishing, spending time on the Missouri River, and playing Keno. Keno was a favorite pastime, and he always had his lucky numbers ready to play: 74, 75, and 76. Some of his happiest memories were made on the water with Troy, Cyndi, and Jonny, and later with Amanda, Sara, Justin, Kayla, Georgie, Talon, and Hayes.

John was known for his strong personality, his love of family, and his colorful vocabulary, which was rarely in short supply. He was a man who loved deeply, laughed often, enjoyed the simple things, and made memories wherever he went.

John will be deeply missed by his family and friends, but his memory will live on through the many people he loved and the countless memories they shared with him.

Private family services.