Obituaries, July 30, 2023
William “Bill” Frederick Gilbert
William “Bill” Frederick Gilbert, 80, of Kokomo, passed away peacefully surrounded by family after a courageous 12-year battle with cancer on July 26, 2023, at Community Howard Hospital. He was born on April 28, 1943, the son of Morgan Luther Gilbert and Dena Marie Ida (Martin) Gilbert, in York, Pennsylvania and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. Bill married his sweetheart, Nancy Elaine Gilbert, on January 27, 1968 at Grace Methodist Church in South Bend. They shared 55 wonderful years together.
Bill graduated from South Bend Central High School in 1961 and from Purdue University in 1968 with a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering. While at Purdue he was the president of the Eta Kappa Nu freshman honors fraternity and a member of Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honors fraternity. Bill then earned a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University in 1974. He worked at Delco Electronics/Delphi Automotive Systems as an electrical engineer and retired in 2001 after 30 years of service. He was a well-respected manager who valued his employees and made significant technical contributions in audio engineering. He was the recipient of several patents and the 1991 Boss Kettering Award for innovations in FM stereo radio receivers. Based upon his achievements, he was inducted into the Delphi Automotive Systems Innovation Hall of Fame in 1997.
Bill enjoyed woodworking (designing and constructing beautifully crafted gifts for his children), Bible studies, reading Christian literature, and learning about history through various books and biographies with a special interest in World War II. He was a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Challenged Individuals in Kokomo, a charter member of Kokomo’s Handicapped Parking Patrol, and enjoyed sharing his and his son’s love of trains with the Midwestern Model Railroad Club. He enjoyed attending Kokomo Park Band events and shows at Beef & Boards. Bill had a very generous spirit and sought opportunities to support various ministries, both with his time and through financial contributions. Bill attended Bible Baptist Church, and his trust and faith in God was of utmost importance in his life. His family is grateful for his spiritual guidance and Christ-centered example. Bill blessed his family with his kindness, devotion, encouragement, and selflessness and considered it his privilege to provide incredible and dedicated care for his 48-year-old son, Michael, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Bill and his family cherished memories of their travels out West to many national parks, their favorite being Rocky Mountain National Park, which they explored when Mike was still able. He was extremely proud of his grandsons, Ethan and Ryan, and loved spending time with them, attending their activities, and uplifting them with his positive words. Their cavapoo puppy, Elsie, was a source of joy for him as he delighted in her spunky personality.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter, Julie (Daniel) Altizer; son, Michael Gilbert; grandchildren, Ethan Altizer, Ryan Altizer; sisters, Joanne Creed, Barbara (Jim) Kieffer; brother-in-law, Dr. Richard Zeiger; nephew, John (Cindy) Creed; and nieces, Dena (Win) Myers, Cindy Gilbert, Beth (Rob) Smejkal, Becky (Eric) Pope, and Barbi (Bryan) Basten. Preceding him in death were his parents; brother, Morgan Gilbert; and brother-in-law, Leonard Creed.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 5, 2023, at Bible Baptist Church, 2635 S. Dixon Rd, Kokomo, with Pastors Dan Murphy and Bryan Nevin officiating. Burial will follow at Albright Cemetery. Friends are invited to visit with the family from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the church on Friday and from 10 a.m. until service time on Saturday. Shirley & Stout Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to the Kokomo Rescue Mission which is an organization near to Bill’s heart. Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com. His family would appreciate any stories of your memories with Bill to be emailed to BillGilbertmemories@gmail.com.