James E. Gabala, 82 of Hopkins, died Monday. He was 82.
Born Oct. 21, 1936, in Bay City, the eldest son of Thomas and Sylvia Gabala, Jim graduated from Wayland High School Class of 1955. In 1958 he met and married Lois Reynolds. It was such a good idea that he married her again in 1990. The couple celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Together they raised two sons, Mark and Bruce. Jim couldn’t wait to teach his boys which was the right end of the hammer and how to get 9 feet out of an 8 foot board. Neither son followed in his footsteps.
Jim had a 30-year career building custom homes throughout the area before joining Lakewood Inc. in Holland from which he enjoyed a long retirement. Jim never met an open road that he didn’t like and boasted that he drove through nearly all 50 states. His favorite trip was any one that put him in his Corvette with Lois by his side. He felt most at home in his recliner, ice cream in hand, cat on his lap, which he claimed he didn’t like.
Mark gave him the gift of five grandchildren, Erica (Kevin “K.C.”) Kiley, Alyssa (Daniel) Vander Hyde, Geoffrey Gabala, Marshal Gabala and Hosley Werner and seven great-grandchildren. Bruce gave him an excuse to travel.
He is survived by his wife, Lois; sons, Mark (Julie) Gabala and Bruce Gabala (Mike Roach); his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; siblings, Eleanor (LeRoy) Mandeville, Marilyn Betts and Tom Gabala.
He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, brother-in-law, James Betts and sister-in-law, Marilyn Gabala.
Jim’s greatest gift to his family was 30 years of sobriety.
Friends may meet with the family from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Gorden Funeral Residence, Hopkins Chapel. The funeral will be held there at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 29. Burial to take place at Poplar Hill Cemetery, Monterey Township.
