David Fredrick Gerbe

David Fredrick Gerbe, age 74 of Warren, died August 21, 2013 at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital, Macomb Center in Warren, Michigan, surrounded by his loving family. He was born October 9, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan, son of the late William and the late Celine Gerbe. With thanks and praise from a grateful nation, we pay homage to David for his service to our country as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Having attained the rank of Lance Corporal, he served for 2 years and wore the uniform proudly as he upheld the principles of bravery and patriotism in the performance of his duties. We honor David for answering the call and for doing his part in preserving the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today through his sacrifice and service to America.David raised two beautiful children, Dennis and Wendy. His fondest memories are those he spent with his children. One of David's favorite things to do was to walk. He walked 8 miles every single day! Walking is what kept him young, rejuvenated, and full of good spirits. In his younger days, David was a fantastic baseball pitcher. He avidly loved pitching and was very difficult for opposing batters to hit off of. He was such a fantastic pitcher that he once played against "The King and His Court" baseball team; a team revered and feared by opposing teams years ago in the Metro Detroit area. In addition to his love for the Detroit Tigers, David loved the Detroit Red Wings even more. He enjoyed the game as well as the history of the team, from the numerous Stanley Cups they won, to the great players that were privileged to play for the Red Wings franchise throughout its many historic decades. Another reason David was an avid hockey fan was because he closely followed the career of his cousin, Nathan Gerbe who, in 2008, started his professional hockey debut in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, and now plays for the Carolina Hurricanes. David was very proud of Nathan and of all his accomplishments attained so far in his young career.David was also known for being extremely handy around the house, especially when it came to duct tape and extension cords. He had a knack of extending duct tape and extension cords on various fixtures, in such a way, that they could continue on and on and seem to have no end. His children Dennis and Wendy said that he was a carbon copy (if not better) than Red Green when it came to handy work. If David could be remembered for only one thing in life, it would be for how much he loved his grandchildren. He did not just love them, he lived for them! He loved being a part of their lives, not wanting to miss a single moment of creating and nurturing the wonderful memories they shared.David was the loving father of Dennis (Debra) Gerbe and Wendy (Brad) Voss. He was the proud grandfather of Austin, Gage, Gillan, Chase, and Cady, and the step-father-in-law to Brittany. David is also survived by his 12 brothers and sisters, as well as many nieces and nephews. Visitation for David will be held Tuesday, August 27th from 3:00-9:00pm at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 1/2 Mile Road) in Warren, Michigan. David's funeral service will take place at the funeral home on Wednesday, August 28th at 11:00am. Please share memories of David at his memory book.