Gregory G. Gabriel

Gregory G. Gabriel

World War II US Navy Veteran

Born in Klondike WI October 7, 1924; died at age 98+1/2 in Milwaukee June 3, 2023.

Survived by daughter Valerie and son Mark (Jo); grandchildren Laura (Wayne) Philpott, Angela, Taryn (Andy) Ceballos, and Jake; great-grandchildren Kyle and Corey Philpott and Lyla and Graham Ceballos; sister-in-law Elaine Gabriel, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Preceded in death in 2018 by his beloved wife of 71 years, Viola (nee Edwards); by 10 days his younger brother Godfrey; and by parents Jacob and Alice (nee Steffens; 2nd m. Peot). Descended from two families of strong-willed, independent forebears, Greg surpassed the families’ notable longevity record held by his great-grandmother and Civil War veteran’s widow Mary Steffens, who died at age 97 in 1959. An eventual regret is that as a child Greg never worked up the courage to talk with his Great-grandfather Steffens, a fearsome Civil War vet sitting in the corner with a tobacco spittoon at his feet.

Greg’s adventurous childhood shifted between northern Wisconsin and Milwaukee. While in Oconto County, he avidly fished, hunted, and camped, hitchhiked as a pre-teen from Lena to Green Bay to watch Packers games through the fence, achieved Eagle Scout rank, and graduated from Lena HS.  During family stints in Milwaukee, where his dad accepted major projects as the foreman of a sought-after carpentry crew, he discovered and nurtured his travel-lust, riding the trolleys and rapid transit trains for full days on his own at age 7 for the sheer entertainment of it.

Greg interrupted his studies at the University of Wisconsin after one year to enlist in the US Navy, serving in the Pacific theater aboard the USS Safeguard. He commanded the rescue of a downed US Air Force jet crew, and was troubled thereafter by the crewman who was lost. (Greg received honorable mention in a Milw. Journal writing contest for his account of the rescue). He returned to UW after the war to finish his degree on the GI Bill. At a USO dance in Madison Greg met his future wife Viola Ruth Edwards of Pardeeville, herself a WWII “veteran” employee of the Baraboo munitions plant.

His teaching and coaching careers began in Missouri, first in Norborn, where coaching included driving the team bus to games, then in Harrrisonville, where his football teams ran up a streak of 41 consecutive games without a loss. Returning to Wisconsin in 1956, he taught phys ed and health, and coached at Wauwatosa East HS, earned his MA from UW-M, and became head football coach and, later, Athletic Director before retiring in 1980 to his hometown of Lena. Greg and Vi returned to Milwaukee in 1997.

His family is convinced that in his adult life, Greg never spent a full summer at home. Whether working aboard the old Milwaukee Clipper, or escaping to Wisconsin during the Missouri years, or serving as waterfront director at a boys camp outside Neshkoro, he always came up with something. From school out in June to mid-August when football equipment was handed out, summers of 1959, ’60, and ’62-’65 were spent in the loaded-down station wagon, camping pretty much everywhere across the US and Canada. To the rest of the family’s chagrin, that included 1963 when the centennial trail of Civil War battlefields was broken by little more than an occasional Revolutionary War battlefield.  In 1966 with Vi’s help he built their cottage on Big Newton Lake near Athelstane where he spent as much time as possible right up through last October. For years he sailed the little red and white boat he also built until it sank its water-logged death.

If possessions help define a life, Greg’s massive stamp collection, yearbooks from his coaching career, impressive Civil War library, and many, many travel albums speak volumes. Dad, Grandpa, and great friend, Greg will be fondly remembered for his amazing woodworking skills, highly competitive card and game playing, puzzle solving, love of Wisconsin sports, sailing, blueberry picking, writings, travels both national and international, and dancing with Vi. Friends and family greatly admire his service to his country, intellect, sense of humor, fierce independence, and unfailing generosity.

The family wishes to thank his friends, bridge club, and staff at Hart Park Square, as well as the staffs of St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus and St. Croix Hospice.

Family will gather at Greg’s treasured cottage later this summer to celebrate a life well and fully lived.

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