John S. Gimber, 84, of Lake City, died Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at his home after a prolonged illness.
He was born on February 20, 1938, in Erie, the son of the late Ralph E. and Barbara M. (Sterrett) Gimber.
John graduated from Girard’s Rice Avenue Union High School in 1956, where he was known to play the saxophone and love jazz.
After high school, he was inducted into the US Army, where he deployed to Germany with D Battery, 6th Missile Battalion, for a two-year stint. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, he received the Good Conduct Medal, the Missileman Basic Qualification Badge, and the Sharpshooter Badge (M-14).
He returned home to Girard and attended school in the evenings at Penn State Behrend, where he eventually received an Associate of Science degree. He worked for Hayes Manufacturing, Hammermill and owned the hardware store on Girard on Main Street for several years. Most recently, he had been employed at PHB Diecast, from which he retired. At one point he was a partner in the G & S Snowmobile Shop in Girard, which sold and repaired Arctic Cat snowmobiles.
John enjoyed fishing, small game hunting, bow hunting, and rifle season. He was involved in the initial start-up of the Little Gridders football program in West County and was a member of the local Jaycees. During his retirement years, he enjoyed traveling with his wife Pat around the United States and enjoyed several years living in Florida.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Jennifer L. Gimber in 2018.
John will be greatly missed by his family, including his loving wife Patricia (Beatty) Gimber, whom he married on June 17, 1960 in Lake City, also with a daughter, Brenda G. Brown (Kevan) of Ashburn, VA; a son, Brian R. Gimber (Stacy Peterson) of Saegertown; a sister, Nancy Barton of Loris, SC; a brother, Theodore Gimber (Anita) of Buckingham, VA; his grandchildren, Noah McCool, Dana Gimber (Mike Venezia), Katie Gimber (John Detter), Ethan Gimber, Blake Brown and Hailea Brown; a great-granddaughter, Ava Schaak as well as several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the VNA Hospice team for the excellent care John received.
Schedules and calling services will not be observed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA, 1507 Grimm Dr., Erie, PA 16501
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Edder Funeral Home Inc., Girard.
To send condolences, go to edderfuneralhome.com
Published online on September 17, 2022
Posted in Erie Times-News