Alan W. Gabel, 78, of Rockford, IL, passed away suddenly, Wednesday, June 6, 2019. He was born January 23, 1941 in Rockford, IL, the son of Walter and Agnes (Tisdale) Gabel. Alan married Elizabeth Sue Wilson on October 3, 1970 in Rockford. He was employed by I.C. Webb and Associates for 26 years before retiring as well as working part time for RV Evans.
Al Gabel was a familiar name among Rockford sports fans. All his life, Al attended every manner of game, no matter who was playing, and statistics stuck in his head like glue. He attended the Drake Relays every year and could tell you word for word what scores were in various events. He knew which high school basketball teams had gone to state tournaments for many past years, and would often call those athletes of the past to reminisce about their achievements. If you wanted information on some sports event of the past, you called Al Gabel.
Al loved billiards all of his life, and was a familiar face at the billiards tables, having met many of the country’s finest pool players in the course of his lifetime. He had two or three special friends who enjoyed the game with him and he always looked forward to their weekly trips to play pool. Most recently, in retirement, Al had turned his interest into working with Heartland Hospice. He would go out and visit folks who were no longer able to get around, learning immediately what their interests were, and somehow was able to locate high school yearbooks of their era, taking albums on his visits to share memories with these many new friends. Many of them will not understand why Al Gabel does not come to visit them anymore.
Alan is loved and missed by his wife, Sue; daughter, Jennifer Gabel; grandson, Oliver Grenz; sister, Carol (Tom) McDonnell; nephews, Jay Lofgren, and Kurt Lofgren; great-niece and nephew, Kayla Midthun and Travis Lofgren. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his step-son, Anthony Olliff.
A memorial visitation for the family and friends will take place on Friday, July 12, 2019 at Sunset Funeral Home 8800 N. Alpine Rd, Machesney Park, IL 61115 from 3-5 pm with Services from 5-6 pm. A celebration of Al's Life will follow at a venue to be announced. To share a condolence, please visit www.Advantagefunerals.com.
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