Michael Hudson Gilbert

Mike was born in Allentown Hospital Oct. 8, 1947. He was a lifelong resident of Boyertown, as was his father, Harry Irman Gilbert, and his grandmother, Edna Dout Gilbert. He proudly carried Hudson as his middle name; it was his mother’s maiden name, Wilma Hudson Gilbert.

Mike was a man of few words. He loved sports, though, and over his lifetime gathered a deep knowledge of favorite teams and their players. A paper he wrote as a freshman in college analyzed the rise and then the almost impossible fall of the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1964 baseball season. Like many other Philly fans, Mike never got over the lost chance that year of going to the World Series.

Mike was an Air Force veteran, serving in the Pacific in the 1960s-70s. He rarely spoke of his Vietnam-era experience. Following his service, he was a desk clerk at the Holiday Inn in Pottstown and was on the custodial staff of the Boyertown Area School District. Golf was a favorite recreation during those years. He also enjoyed travel -- by himself, with family, or on Boscov bus tours.

He was a dedicated member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Boyertown and of the Odd Fellows.

Mike is survived by his brothers, Keith Duncan Gilbert of Palo Alto, Ca., Robert Richard Gilbert of Miami, Fl., and Harry Allen Gilbert of Worcester, Vt.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Boyertown, with receiving time beginning at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions can be made to an animal protection organization, to St. John’s Lutheran Church, or to a charity of one’s choice.

A private burial will take place in the spring.