Walter James Gabriel

1926 - 2017

Walter James Gabriel went peacefully to his everlasting home on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. Service: Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Jude Catholic Church, 1515 N. Greenville Ave., Allen, Texas. Interment: 2 p.m. Friday in Laurel Land Memorial Park, Fort Worth. Rosary: 7 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home. Walter was born in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 7, 1926. He was a devoted Catholic, family man, engineer, and civic leader. Highlights of his life were his BS degree from Michigan Tech University, MS degree from St. Louis University, military service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, marriage to Minnie Marie Hoeflein in 1954, father to six children, vice president for the Instrument Society of America, travels around the USA and the world. After his first wife died in 1977, Walter married Edith Kleban in 1979 with her five children. Survivors: Wife, Edith Gabriel of McKinney; children, William "Billy Joe" Gabriel of Fort Worth, Mary Borchard and husband, Joe, of McKinney, John Gabriel and wife, Jane, of Fort Worth, Carol Yancey of Dallas, Susan Flores and husband, Luis, of Rowlett; Kathe Garza and husband, Robert, of North Richland Hills; stepchildren, Linda Heijmans and husband, Hendrik, of Malaysia, Ruth Fish and husband, Vincent, of Madison, Wis., Fred Kleban and wife, Sherry, of Yardley, Pa., Judy Lang and husband, James, of Farmingdale, N.J., and Peter Kleban of Elkhart, Ind.; plus many wonderful grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins; and many good friends.