William Gabel Obituary

William Harrison Gabel, 84, of Warrensburg, died July 11. He was a gregarious, larger-than-life father and grandfather who will be missed by many.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 25, at Christ Episcopal Church in Warrensburg, with services officiated by the Rev. Dr. Alex Wales to follow at 11 a.m. A graveside service will follow at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery of Higginsville at 1 p.m.. Honorary pallbearers will be Malcolm Berg, Jack Elfrink, Bruce Gabel, Palmer (Nick) Nichols, Larry Olson, Wendy Phelan, Randy Russell and Jim Wakeman. Attendees are invited to wear the University of Central Missouri's colors - black and red - if they so choose.
William Harrison was born to Henry Harrison Gabel and Alva Agnes (Anderson) Gabel in St. Louis on June 14, 1941. He attended Pattonville High School and, later, graduated from Belle High School in 1958 after his family moved to Belle, Mo. He was a standout in sports. His oft-repeated life lesson from his father was simple: "Son, you're not a good-looking man, so try to make as many friends as possible." And that he did.
After high school, Bill went on to receive a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from the later-renamed Central Missouri State College (now the University of Central Missouri) in 1964. He was an active and founding member of Theta Chi Fraternity. Bill's plan right after college was to attend law school and was admitted to Washington University. He had rented an apartment in St. Louis and had no thought of his not going to law school, but when he applied for a summer construction job with R.D. Robinson Contracting Co., Inc., he fell in love with the construction industry and made plans to someday start his own company.
In his early years, Bill joined the United States Marine Corps and, later, worked in Washington, D.C., for the FBI. While in Washington, his famous "claim to fame" was handing over a briefcase to the person who turned out to be Deep Throat. Bill was in no way involved in Watergate, of course! Although he rarely spoke of it, he would occasionally mention being asked to try out for the Washington Senators, a major league baseball team at that time. He'd always laugh, emphasizing he understood his limitations then and now.
Bill was a businessman and established his company, Maxwell-Gabel Contracting, Inc., in 1966. His company built water treatment plants all over America (and Spain). He always talked fondly about his time working closely with his brother, Bruce, and many other of his employees over the years.
On August 25, 1979, Bill married Cynthia (Smith) Gabel, with whom he had two daughters, Gina and Ali. Bill always described Cindy as the town beauty and couldn't believe she had married him. While their marriage ended, they remained lifelong friends.
Bill was the youngest city councilman of Warrensburg, serving beginning at the age of 31. He later was elected Johnson County Commissioner, serving from 2011-2021. Public service was gratifying and fun for Bill, and he even met President Barack Obama. Bill, always a character, said to him, "My only ask is that you eliminate the EPA!" The president laughed and said in response, "Now, Bill, you know I can't do that!" Bill once said to his daughters, "I shouldn't be that partisan [as Presiding Commissioner]; I've got to stand up for everyone." One of Bill's lasting legacies is his and others' collaborative work on Warrensburg's Spirit Trail, the 11-mile trail that connects Warrensburg, the Whiteman Air Force Base area and all the communities in between.
For years, Bill was an active member of the Warrensburg community, supporting UCM athletics. In addition, Bill was a founding member of Warrensburg's top softball team (and social club), the Old Crows, where he met many lifelong friends. Bill enjoyed traveling all over the state for his daughters' swim meets and golf matches, a highlight of his life. He and Cindy also had many fun memories of flying all over the U.S. to watch the UCM Mules. Bill owned and operated his own plane, flying through the Bermuda Triangle. (He reported no mysterious problems.) He did, though, land one time with the gear up, an absolute embarrassment, he once said.
Bill was a member of Warrensburg's Christ Episcopal Church, serving on the vestry for many years, and Northside Christian Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alva and Henry, and many of his dearest friends.
He is survived by two children, Gina Michelle (Gabel) Jolly of Ashland, and husband, Chris; Nancy Alyson "Ali" (Gabel) Appleton and husband, Jesse, of St. Louis; five grandchildren, Carissa Jolly, Andrew Harrison Jolly, Bennett Appleton, Catherine Appleton and William Appleton; and Bill's brother, Bruce Gabel, and wife, Linda, of Centerview.
Bill was an eternal optimist, often saying, "This is the best life I've ever lived!" In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Whiteman Area Leadership Council or The Gatesworth's McKnight Place Assisted Living (MPAL) Employee Holiday Fund in St. Louis, where he spent the two wonderful remaining years of his life. Memorial contributions can be left in care of Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home.
The family would like to thank Christ Episcopal Church's Fr. Ron Verhaeghe for his support and assistance, in addition to all the employees and residents of McKnight Place Assisted Living, whom Bill loved dearly, especially the ""friendship table.""