Drew A. Gurbach

Drew A. Gurbach, age 64 of Concord Twp., OH, passed away on August 27, 2022 at the David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland. He was at the end as he was throughout his whole life- brave and selfless. Drew was born December 18, 1957 in Painesville to Elmer and Gloria Gurbach. He grew up alongside his big brother, David Gurbach, in a blue collar home on Hawthorne Drive adjacent to the fairgrounds learning the values of honesty, hard work, family and (most importantly) baseball. His dad, Elmer would come home from his Diamond Alkali job and coach his beloved Drew in baseball. Drew, coached by his dad and big brother, excelled on the diamond. He could hit. He could run. And he had a cannon of an arm. As a student at Riverside High School, he demonstrated that he was a musician. He played the violin and later discovered his true love, the banjo. A self-confessed “picker,” he loved country and bluegrass. Mom and dad reinforced this passion with multiple trips to the Ryman Auditorium where he saw country music royalty grace the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Drew carried this passion throughout his life. Like any good romance, Drew met his bride at Regal Lanes in Mentor, Ohio (and Drew would be the first to make light of that). He was enamored with a co-worker, Katherine Lima. The world knew her as Kathy. The two started dating and there was no looking back. Their romance took a break only when Drew departed for San Antonio to train as an Airman in the United States Air Force. When he graduated, he came back to Ohio to marry Kathy at St. Gabriel’s Church in 1983. He wore his Air Force Dress blues and Kathy was a radiant bride. They then departed for exotic destinations like Wichita, Kansas and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Drew was on our nation’s nuclear front-line, tending to the Titan II missile arsenal. He took pride in his service, as he should. Drew served our country for a decade. Drew’s real purpose in this world, however, revealed herself when she was born on October 4, 1989. That is the date that the center of Drew’s universe shifted when his daughter, Katelynn, was born. She timed her arrival with Drew’s discharge from the Air Force and the family re-established their roots in Ohio. Drew, Kathy, and Katelynn made their home in Concord Township. They were hard-working and dedicated to raising their daughter. Family was at the center of their world - Holidays, Birthdays, Graduations. It was all brought to a crashing halt in 2002 when Kathy succumbed to breast cancer. Drew knew that he had to forge ahead with raising his daughter. After Kathy passed, Drew worked the hours that he needed to work. He did what he needed to do. All to make sure that his beloved Katelynn had the ability to enjoy every single opportunity afforded to her. Drew attended every concert. Every event. Every game. Drew and Katelynn were a team. Inseparable. He made sure that she could travel the world and go to college. And he beamed with pride talking about her. From the moment that she was born until the very end. He loved and supported his daughter without end. And she, too, loved her dad beyond measure. Drew was also an uncle. And an amazing uncle at that. To his nephew, Matthew and niece, Kristen. But more importantly to their children- Madeline, Eleanor, Josephine, Donovan, and Sidney; he was always there. Drew will be missed by his entire family and all of his many friends, co-workers, and social media contacts. In heaven, his mom and dad will meet him. As will his beloved Kathy, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends. For us, the family, we just hope that the bowling lanes are working and that he can watch some baseball. We are all going to miss this guy beyond words. The family will receive friends from 4-6 on Friday, September 2, 2022 at the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. A funeral service will be held at 6 pm on Friday at the funeral home. A private interment will be in Riverside Cemetery, Painesville, OH. In lieu of flowers, contributions, in his memory, may be made to Rescue Village: Geauga Humane Society Animal Shelter, online at www.rescuevillage.org/ and/or the Cleveland Animal Protective League (APL), online at clevelandapl.org/ Offer condolences at www.brunners.com.

Drew A. Gurbach

December 18, 1957 - August 27, 2022