Douglas "Doug" J. Gebhart

June 6, 1955 - September 14, 2019

Loving husband, father, pawpaw, brother, son, uncle, cousin and friend of many, Douglas ‘Doug’ J. Gebhart of Edwardsville, Illinois passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, September 14th, 2019, after a courageous battle with leukemia. Besides the love for his family and friends, Doug enjoyed tinkering in his yard and garden; fixing up his house, watching the world pass by from his garage; going up to Grafton and hanging out at the Loading Dock, and most importantly being a pawpaw to his two grandsons. Doug wore many hats in his life. He operated a local watering hole in Carpenter, IL known as Doug’s Place where people would come from miles around for his famous Friday night fish fries. The business was truly family run with Doug doing a majority of the cooking, and various other members serving and tending bar. He worked for many years at the former Klueter Brother’s Concrete and eventually became a part owner in the business. He worked there from the time he was 18. After retiring from Klueter Brother’s, Doug kept busy working various odd jobs from Lowe’s in Glen Carbon, to being a courier for Abstract Titles and Loans of Edwardsville, and driving a forklift for Progress Rail in Alorton, Illinois. (Where his co-workers said he was the best lift driver they ever had) He also worked hard to receive his realtor’s license and HVAC certification. Doug was born on June 6th, 1955 to the late Delmar and DeVera (Meikamp) Gebhart of Edwardsville, IL. Doug is survived by his wife and best friend of 40 years, Nancy (Nelson) Gebhart of Edwardsville, Illinois, daughter Andi Gebhart and fiancé Matt Limestall of Edwardsville, son, Brian, and his wife Mandy Gebhart, and grandsons Ryan and Mark (the heir and the spare of the Gebhart name) of Edwardsville . He is also survived by his brother David and Terry Gebhart of Edwardsville, and sister Diane and Mark Knowles of Glen Carbon, as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom he loved very much. He is also survived by his ‘Guardian Angel’ Heidi Thorsen of Denmark, who gave the gift of life to Doug in December of 2015 with the donation of stem cells. Doug was able to meet Heidi and her family this past June. He had lived three more healthy years due to the gift from Heidi, his ‘blood sister.’ Doug will be cremated per his wishes and a celebration of life will take place from 5 p.m to 8 p.m on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at the Edwardsville Knights of Columbus on Marine Road. He will be buried at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Glen Carbon, IL. Arrangements are being organized by Weber & Rodney Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Doug’s honor to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (who helped with various expenses during Doug’s treatment) and Eden Church in Edwardsville (which Doug attended for 40 years).