Funeral services for Gilbert Blom, 85, of Silverdale, WA, were held Apr. 18, 2015.
Born Nov. 15, 1929, in Sully, he went home to be with the Lord on Apr. 13.
Preceded in death by his parents John and Leota (Van Zante) Blom, he is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Doris (Sparrow) Blom; and their children, Dennis Wayne (Jan) Blom of Dublin, CA, Glenda Sue (Dan) Wilson of Silverdale, WA, Galen Eugene (Tammie) Blom of Houston, TX, Delbert Lynn (Alison) Blom of Houston, TX, and Gwen Renee (Chris) Finnegan of Hines, OR; 16 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his two sisters, Sherma (Darrell) Brand of Montezuma and Sherrill (Jerry) Van Wyk of Lynnville.
Gilbert worked for over 30 years as an accountant and program analyst in the oil industry, which moved him from Des Moines to Kansas City, MO, to Houston, TX, and finally to Antioch, CA. After retiring, he relocated to Hanford, CA, and later to Silverdale, WA, to be near family. At each location, Gilbert became active in a local church where he served in many roles through the years, teaching and encouraging all to follow Christ. It was his great passion to know and honor God, and he embodied the fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. His humility made him a channel of God's grace that empowered him to be a peacemaker and a joy to be with. All who knew him well loved him.
He also loved his family, remaining active in the lives of his children and grandchildren. His honest interest and active involvement in all of his kids’ and grandkids’ activities were amazing. He was always willing to play, help with homework, or attend the endless number of games and events five kids (and later grandkids) generated. Gilbert was always in prayer for his family, becoming their greatest encourager and cheerleader. His family will miss his smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his frequent soft pat on the back. Parkinson's slowly took his agility, keen mind, and ability to speak, but never diminished his trust in Jesus and love of family.
He loved animals (in particular dogs) and baseball, but more than anything is remembered for his songs. In every activity, he could be heard breaking into song. It was the joy of the Lord overflowing. Gilbert left a legacy of scripture dependency, gentleness, and singing to all of his family. He was the first and chief witness to all that the story of the world does not end in sadness and death, but rather in joy and everlasting life as it was always meant to be, for all of those who make the world's Creator the Lord of their life. It is with that hope that we know death is only a temporary separation, and we will all be together again as a family in a blink of an eye. Well done, good and faithful servant.
