Laurel L. Gacek

Laurel L. Gacek, 57, of Stevensville passed away Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph.

A celebration of life eternal will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Saron Lutheran Church, 510 Main St., St. Joseph, with the Rev. Wayne Scherer officiating. Friends may visit with the family from 5-8 p.m. on Friday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph.

Memorial donations in Laurel's name may be made to The Out Center in Benton Harbor. Those wishing to sign Laurel's memory book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.

Laurel was born Nov. 4, 1967, in Buffalo, N.Y. Her family moved to South Bend, Ind., where she graduated from Clay High School, Class of 1986, and from St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., with a bachelor degree in education in 1990. After obtaining her bachelors, Laurel worked in South Bend schools for 12 years. On Aug. 1, 1992, she married Matt Gacek in Valparaiso, Ind., and continued to work until she started her family. After raising her children, Laurel went back to working with children at Mars Elementary School in Berrien Springs. She served as a title one paraprofessional and then went back to being a classroom teacher for the 2024-25 school year.

Laurel was a member of Saron Lutheran Church where she was a member of the choir, the bell choir, the Reconcile in Christ group and served as a reader. She played the violin in her earlier days and enjoyed all music, especially classical. In her free time, she enjoyed kayaking and boating during the summer months, rooting for the Buffalo Bills and especially the time spent with her family. Laurel was a warm and loving person who will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Laurel is survived by her husband, Matt; her children: Meredith Gacek and Grant Gacek, both of Stevensville; her parents: Thomas and Judith (Tober) Umbaugh of Bremen, Ind.; her sister and brother: Kimberly Snyder and Jason (Angie) Snyder, both of South Bend; her nieces: Alexa Snyder of Chicago and Ellie Snyder of South Bend; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Bruno and Barbara Gacek of LaGrange Park, Ill.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Bruno (Lisa) Gacek of West Aurora, Ill., Michael (Nancy) Gacek of Western Springs, Ill., Lori (Bruce) Hardy of Graniteville, S.C., and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sister-in-law, Lynn Waszak.