Paul Gruber

YOUNGSTOWN - Paul H. Gruber, 79, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family early Sunday morning, October 18, 2020, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown after a very  trying struggle with Pancreatic Cancer.

Paul was born December 14, 1940 in Youngstown,Ohio.  He was the son of Samuel and Elsie (Aber) Gruber.

He was a graduate of East High School and worked 41 years for General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant.  He started on the assembly line and then finished his years working as a Problem Solver in Final Process, retiring in 2007.

Paul was a very devout Christian and a wonderful man of God.  He loved the Lord and shared the gospel with any and all who would listen and wanted to learn more about salvation.  He was an active member of the former First Free Methodist Church in Canfield,Ohio, where he served as a Board Member, a Sunday School Teacher and Worship Leader for many years.

He loved sports, especially baseball and bowling. Paul played on the Youngstown Old Timers Baseball team, and was a proud member of the UAW Senior Softball Team; they made it all the way to the Senior Softball World Series, in Denver, Colorado where they won the National Championship, which earned him a spot in the Senior Softball Hall of Fame. Paul excelled in bowling and was very proud to earn a 300 game status.  He had a passion for high performance cars and was also a founding member of a car club called “The House of Show Power” in the 60’s where he spent many years traveling the country with his wife and club members participating in car shows.

Above all, Paul loved nothing more than the time he spent with his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Paul is survived by his wife, Barbara (Dieter), whom he married December 30, 1961; daughter Laura Meeks of Charlotte, NC; three sons, John Paul (Rita) Gruber of Lowellville, Jeffrey (Michelle) Gruber of Boardman and Phillip (Martha) Gruber of St. Petersburg, FL; two brothers, Art (Mary) Gruber of Phoenix, AZ and David (Judy) Gruber of Dunn, NC; nine grandchildren, Jeremy (Anja), Ryan ,Stephanie (Tom), Melissa (James), Sarah, Zachary, Kari (Nathanial), Jaxson and Ezra; and two great-grandchildren, Hans and Milo.

He was preceded in death by his parents Sam and Elsie, 7 brothers; James, Nelson, Ralph, Roland, Roy, George, Edward and sister Mildred.

Family and friends may call Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes, Poland Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 7 p.m.

The family has requested that material tributes take the form of donations made out to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:  ALSAC St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Visit www.higgins-reardon.com to send condolences to the family.