Sept. 9, 2025
From Michelle,

It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of my mother, Darlene Ann Gillenwater, who passed away peacefully during the night of Aug. 22, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Gillenwater, and is survived by her three children, Ian Michael Bisutti, Michelle Louise Bisutti, and Julie Young, as well as her beloved dog, Pepper.

My mother’s life was marked by both challenges and resilience. She lost her mother to tuberculosis at the young age of three and spent time in foster care before being adopted at age seven by Eval and Lefty Wright.

With their love and guidance, she was able to build a new life, attending Gahanna Elementary and later Gahanna Lincoln High School, where she became a cheerleader and met her first husband, Michael Anthony Bisutti. They married young, at 17, and welcomed my brother, Ian, followed by me two and a half years later.

Like many young couples, their marriage eventually came to an end. Mom filled our childhood with memorable adventures, including a year spent in Las Vegas, where she would take us to Caesars Palace. I’ll never forget the day I saw a woman appear to transform into a gorilla before my eyes. My brother had a dirt bike he wasn’t supposed to take me on, though of course he sometimes did.

We eventually returned to Columbus, where Mom reconnected with her old boyfriend, Jim Gillenwater. They soon married, and their marriage endured nearly 50 years, until his passing on March 7, 2024.

Though their life together was not without its challenges, my mom consistently met them with forgiveness and grace. Because she devoted herself to raising her children, Mom did not attend college until later in life, but she went on to graduate with honors from Ohio Dominican College with a degree in theology. She was a passionate reader, especially of history, and truly loved every book she encountered. Her grandson, my son Camden Hart, has inherited that same love of reading, and for that gift I will always be deeply grateful to my mother.

Despite the challenges she endured, my mother remained a beautiful soul who treated others with kindness and compassion. Her faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she was deeply involved in her Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday school and served in many ways. Her spirit continues to live on through her children.

I often hear her voice in the small moments of life, when I pass an animal on the side of the road and whisper, “God love it,” or when I see someone less fortunate and think, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

Mom, I will miss you more than words can ever express. Until we meet again, please watch over us.

To view and contribute to Darlene’s Tribute Wall, please visit Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home website.