Aristides Aldolso Gabella

Aristides “Tito” Gabella, 78, of St. Joseph, died Wednesday, July 26, 2006, at his residence. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 A.M., Monday, with Fr. Christian Johnston officiating at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 211 Church St., St. Joseph. Visitation is from 4:00 – 6:00 P.M., Sunday, with Rosary being recited at 6:00 P.M., at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Lake Michigan Catholic School or St. Joseph Catholic Church. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guestbook online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Tito was born October 19, 1927, to Orestes Gabella and Delores Guzman in Santiago, Chile. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Catolica in Santiago. On September 2, 1955, he married Maria Angelica Silva in Santiago. In March of 1961, they moved to LaPorte, Indiana to work at American Rubber and Plastics Corp., and on May 1, 1973 he became a U.S. citizen. In the early 1970’s he moved his brother’s and sister’s family from Chile. After his retirement from Foamex in 1993, he worked part time for the United Nations, specializing in helping Latin American countries use chemicals that preserve the ozone layer. Throughout his 40’s and 50’s he played champion tournaments of chess. He loved to follow the various tennis and soccer championships, especially for his beloved Chile and U.S. teams. He learned the game of U.S. football when his daughter, Maria, went to Purdue. He loved the Chicago Bears. His past-times included reading at least 3 newspapers per day, talking world politics, traveling, and spending time with his family. Tito is survived by his daughter Maria (Tom) Kibler of St. Joseph, and his grandchildren Kayleigh and Quinn, whom he adored. He sorely missed his wife Maria who preceded him in death on September 12, 1989.