Ira Gaber

Ira Gaber
July 15, 2025
Ira Gaber, 79, of Fairfield, husband of Ellen Boyles Gaber, peacefully passed away, surrounded by his loving family, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Born in Manhattan, New York, on March 3, 1946, Ira, the son of Herman (Harold) Gaber and Mina Held Gaber, grew up in the Bronx. He was predeceased by his parents; and sister, Sureta Gaber Escobar.
After attending the High School of Music and Art in NYC, he graduated from the University of Bridgeport, with a bachelor's degree in Engineering in Industrial Design, and spent his career designing, first at Donald Deskey Associates and then for JCPenney. In 1986, he opened his own design firm, Better Mousetraps, where he had the freedom to apply his creativity to different areas of design. He loved all kinds of design and, after retiring, began working for Ring's End part-time, as a kitchen designer, where he established a great following that appreciated his attention to detail, creative and practical solutions, and aesthetic. A resident of Norwalk for 30 years, he moved to Fairfield in 2011, to be closer to his grandchildren. A kind and compassionate man, Ira was also intelligent, handy, and practical. He considered himself a logical thinker, who could figure out the best way to fix almost any problem and always took the most honorable course of action in his daily life. He will be remembered for his wealth of knowledge and his unconditional love of his family. A lifelong fan of New York Rangers and Yankees, he was his grandsons' number one fan, almost never missing one of their local hockey games. Later in life, he developed a fondness for and through his own efforts became knowledgeable about investments and the stock market.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years; his beloved daughter, Jessamyn Gaber Schwengerer; son-in-law, Stuart Schwengerer; and grandsons, Joel and Dane; as well as niece, Maya Escobar Cole.
The family will hold a private commemorative event at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Association, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741. For further information or to share a condolence message, visit www.greensfuneralhome.com .