Fredric A. Gable

Fredric A. Gable

Cedar Rapids

Fredric A. Gable, 96, was born on November 28th, 1927, and passed away peacefully on October 24th, 2024.

Fred was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1945, where he was a gifted athlete and member of almost every athletic team. His favorite sport was tennis, and he was the city doubles champion the year he graduated. He continued to play softball, racquetball and tennis throughout his life.

His older brother Bob owned Stone’s Truck Service in downtown Cedar Rapids and Fred worked there until it closed around 1972. He continued to work in the same field, as a provider of truck parts, on a sales route for most of his life. It is no wonder he was successful at this, as he always greeted everybody warmly, and seemed to know everyone in town. Our family could rarely go anywhere without him running into a friend. He often walked away after chatting, jokingly saying, “Well I’m sure glad you got to see me.”

He met his future wife as a teenager, as she was the younger sister of his good friend Dick Holloway. Back then, she had a secret crush on him, but I’m sure he just thought of her as his friend’s baby sister, since four years’ difference is a long age span for a teenager. Nevertheless, she had certainly noticed him, as she wrote this poem about him:

Freddy to see, the girls all delight, for he is so handsome, masculine and bright.

When he looks at you, he looks once, and then twice, and you are so thrilled ‘cause he looks so nice.

His arms are so super, when holding your hand, his lips are so sweet, when kissing yours; MAN!

And although I have never experienced this, I know I would love a Fred Gable kiss.

Years later, when Nancy was back home during a break from college, they met again at a party held at a cabin that overlooked the Wapsi river, where he told her, “If I had known you were in town tonight, you wouldn’t be here with HIM.” They married in 1956.

Fred followed his father, Edward’s footsteps and served in the Army from 1946-1948 and was deployed to Korea. He was a lineman who hung telephone wires to connect army bases. He never fought in a battle, but said he was often shot at, and could hear the bullets whizzing by his head while he was high up on a telephone pole. Years later, his son, Gary, joined the Navy and was deployed overseas on an aircraft carrier during operation Desert Storm, and they later travelled to Washington D.C. on the Honor Flight together.

Fred was a patient, kind soul and was proud of his children. He was so impressed when his daughter, Wendy graduated from pharmacy school, when he called to tell us she had graduated, all he could say was “Well she did it… WOWEE!” This was his favorite expression when he was really impressed by something; so much so, that as a youngster, Wendy’s son, Jack, referred to Fred as “Papa wowee.” Fred loved rooting for Jack at all of his games, all the way up to his last football season.

Fred was rarely moved to anger. He and Mom never fought, at least not in front of the kids. He was always soft spoken. That is, unless we made Mom cry, and then the jig was UP. Like many men from his generation, Fred was not the kind of father who said “I love you” often, instead he would say, “I put gas in your car and checked the oil,” before you left on a trip. Then he would slip a twenty-dollar bill in your pocket as you left. After the kids had grown and moved out, they would often come home at the end of a work day to find that Dad had been there, raking leaves or taking soda cans to the recycling center, always leaving the redemption money, plus a few bucks extra, on the kitchen table. In later years he said “I love you” by patiently sitting with his granddaughter, Piper, on his lap, watching “Mrs. Doubtfire” or “E.T” for about the millionth time. He always covered her eyes during “the scary part,” where they find the alien in the closet.

Fred and Nancy lived in the same home for over 50 years and they loved to have card parties or invite their neighbors over to sit in the sun porch and they were known for serving grasshoppers (the cocktail, not the bug). They all knew how lucky they were to have such a great community of friends in their neighborhood. In his later years at Keystone Place, he developed many new friendships and grew to love the wonderful people who cared for him there.

Fred is survived by his son, Gary Gable (Sue), daughters Marni Gable, and Wendy Downey (David) and also his granddaughter Piper Gire (Samuel), and grandson, Jack, as well as his nieces, Julie Shultz, Holly Meyer, Abby Lasecki, Linda Matthews (Robert) and nephews, Victor Gable (Marjory), Robert Gable (Karen), Michael Mehegan (Deborah) and Barry Holloway (Christine).

Fred was preceded in death by his father, Edward B. Gable, his mother Nannie (Wagley) Gable and his three brothers, John (Irene), Robert (Elsie) and George (RuthAnn) Gable.

He was a devoted husband, a caring father and grandfather, and an all-around good guy.

He will be missed by many.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, October 29th at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, with fellowship starting at 10:00 AM, and funeral at 11: 00 with a luncheon to follow.

Memorial donations may be directed to St. Andrew’s church, where he was a member for over 50 years.