Submitted by: Dan Rich
South Bend Tribune 11/15/2007
GRANGER - Jerry Lewis Gamblin, 52, passed away Monday
afternoon in Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center following a
short battle with lung cancer. He was born on April 4, 1955, in
Humbolt, Tennessee, to Lewis and Opal (Graves) Gamblin,
who have both since passed on. Jerry came to the Michiana area
about 25 years ago from Tennessee and was a semi-truck driver
having worked for Kingman Dedicated and Hilltop Farms.
On June 15, 1991, at their home in Granger,
he married Patti L. (Buck) Boyd-Gamblin, who survives.
Other survivors include a son, Jerry L. (Kathy) Gamblin Jr. of
Edwards Air Force Base, California; two brothers, Acey (Carma)
Gamblin of Humbolt and Jimmy (Kathy) Gamblin of Kinton, TN; a
stepdaughter, Leigh Ann (Tom) Erhardt of Mishawaka; a
stepson, Mike (Heather) Boyd of South Bend; a stepsister, Mary
(Roger) Byrd of Milan, TN; a stepbrother, Charles Mitchell
of Milan; two granddaughters, Kaley and Madison Day; and a
grandson, Zach Gamblin.
A memorial service celebrating Jerry's life
will be held on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the McGann Hay Funerals
Cremations Gatherings, Granger Chapel, at 13260 SR 23 (enter off
Cherry Road), with his brother, Pastor Acey Gamblin, officiating.
He will be cremated.
Jerry loved to ride his new Harley Davidson
motorcycle and was a member of ABATE. He was awarded the Driver
of the Year Award in 2006 by Kingman. He liked fishing and his
beer...especially on Saturdays while cutting the grass; he was so
particular it would take him all day when Patti could do the
mowing in an hour. Of course, part of that time was sitting back
and admiring what he had done so far over a cold one. His
granddaughter Kaley really enjoyed those special breakfasts
together with her grandfather at the Valley Restaurant in
Granger, and his other granddaughter Madison enjoyed her special
trips with grandpa to Dairy Queen for ice cream. Even though he
lived in California, his grandson Zach held a special place in
his heart for Grandpa Jerry. He enjoyed his friends, his dog
Molly, meeting new people, and Notre Dame football. All you had
to do was "Google Jerry" if you needed driving
directions to anywhere in the country. He would do anything for a
friend or relative, and he would always have a joke for whomever
he was with. Jerry liked those warm weather vacations to Florida
and Mexico with Patti, and doing crossword puzzles. He had a
great memory and could recall things from his childhood like it
was yesterday. One time when he was 9 years old he told his
brothers and friends as they were going out trick-or-treating on
Halloween that he was going to steal some little kid's candy.
After he did steal it he ran after them to give it back because
he felt so terrible about it. It was not in his nature.