Gail Thomas Preble

GAIL T. PREBLE – July 20, 1938 – January 18, 2023 Gail was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Gordon & Leona Preble. Gail is survived by his wife Phyllis of almost 59 years and three sons, Clark (Maureen) sons Chad & Connor, Craig (Sarah) son Camden , and Christopher (Chris) and sons Clayton (Bree), Cale (Brook) and daughter Taylor, brother David (Carol). He was also blessed with great granddaughter Aria. Gail was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, brothers Clark, Donald and Jerry (Joan), sister Sandy Keleher and many nieces, nephews and lots and lots of cousins. Gail was raised in Kingsley, Iowa but returned to Nebraska to attend one year at the University before becoming a member of IBEW LU 22 for the next 65 years. Gail worked in the underground at Offutt AFB and then many years on commercial construction sites where he mentored many apprentices who became life long friends. He was very fortunate not to have to travel when work was slow. After retiring at age 63 for all of two whole months, he worked at Stone Creek golf course mowing the rough for another 17 years. Throughout his working years he was always the first one on the job. He was never late for anything! Gail was an outdoors man and liked to hunt and fish. He enjoyed many many trips to Big Pine Lake in Minnesota with family and friends and a couple trips to Canada. He loved working in his garden and shared the fruits of his labor with neighbors and friends. He was always canning or preserving something be it vegetables or wild game. He was a catcher on his fast pitch softball team until his mid 30’s. Gail & Phyllis went to every home Nebraska football game for 27 years despite never having season tickets nor going to a bowl game. He loved their river cabin on the Elkhorn hosting many fish fries for 26 years until the Flood of 2019. Many beers were consumed, stories told and laughs shared with all our great river friends around the firepit. Every morning since the Flood and we no longer had the cabin Gail met several friends for breakfast and gossip and the news of the day. At home he would get his cup of lemon tea and work the Sudoku and crossword puzzle before going to his garage to work on the project of the day. Gail did not have an enemy in the world, spoke ill of no one and liked everyone. He was the first in line to help a friend or neighbor and could handle most projects whether it was plumbing, electrical, tree trimming or whatever. You name it, he would get it done “his way” and it was always right. The long and short of it, if you were privileged to call him your friend, you were truly blessed. Funeral service 10:30 AM Wednesday, St. John’s Catholic Church, Valley, NE. Interment at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Visitation Tuesday 4:30-7 PM at Reichmuth Funeral Home, Elkhorn with a Wake service at 7 PM. Memorials to the family for later designation.

Gail Thomas Preble

July 10, 1938 - January 19, 2023