OBITUARY John Gabriel Jr. May 26, 1943 – January 29, 2019 John “Jack” Gabriel May 26, 1943 – January 29, 2019 Beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Jack Gabriel was your typical Flatbush kid, living on East 31st Street with his mom and dad, Marie and Jack, and his brother Bob. He was a true product of the 50s, enjoying his best buddies, riding his bike, playing stickball in the street, listening to doo-wop music, and attending Brooklyn Dodger games at Ebbets Field.
He attended St. Vincent Ferrer School and Midwood High School. After graduating from Midwood he began his long career in banking at Chemical Bank. His career was interrupted when he enlisted in the Navy in 1964.
After completing boot camp at Great Lakes, he was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. It was at this time that he met his future wife, Patricia Morana. They were penpals for a while before going on their first date to the Worlds’ Fair.
That was the beginning of their long romance. On May 6, 1967, Pat and Jack were married at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn. They lived in Brooklyn for a short time, moving into their present home in Oakwood in December of 1969.
It was in this home that they raised their five children. Those were the best of times, filled with soccer and hockey games, wrestling matches, boy and girl scout camping trips, dance recitals and father-daughter dances. Annual family vacations included trips to Lake George, the Poconos, Disneyworld and eventually on family cruises.
Jack loved traveling with Pat, cruising multiple times to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and Alaska. He greatly enjoyed his trips to Italy, getting to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi, Pompeii, Capri, and Sicily. When their children married, their spouses became more like sons and daughters than “in-laws”.
He so loved being with them and and his ten grandchildren. Sunday dinners were filled with lots of food but also with much laughter. Jack had a great sense of humor, a sense of humor appreciated by his whole family.
Jack retired from J. P. Morgan Chase as an Assistant Vice President after more than 40 years of employment. After his retirement, he learned how to cook and garden, often preparing dinners for his wife. Pat and Jack celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 6, 2017.
This party was a celebration of their lives together and the love that was shared not only between them, but a love that was shared with their children, grandchildren, and extended family and friends. He was a most supportive, loving, devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a true example of how to live a good life, loving his family, living his faith.
His faith and the love of his family is was helped him in his long, hard-fought battle with cancer. He never let cancer define him. He did not let cancer conquer his spirit.
Instead, he lived life and loved life until the very end. He is forever in our hearts, he is our angel in heaven, and he will live on in our wonderful, beautiful memories. Jack is survived by his brother, Brother Robert Gabriel, O. S. F., his beloved wife, his five children and their spouses, Jack and Lisa Gabriel, Lisa and Tony Giacobbe, Michael and Mariearae Gabriel, Donna and Charlie Ditta, and Joseph and Genevieve Gabriel.
He is also survived by his ten grandchildren and his great-granddaughter.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
