Demetrios Gabriel

Demetrios Gabriel, 96, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2022 at MidState Medical Center in Meriden, CT, with his loving family by his side. Demetrios was born on March 4, 1926 in Pterounda, Lesvos  Greece to the late Angela Yavrellis and Aristidis Gabriel and was the husband of Kaity Gabriel.
Demetrios immigrated to Danbury, CT  USA  in 1945 at the age of 19 and became employed as a factory worker for a Fur Factory. He later worked on the assembly lines with companies such as Lee Hat Factory and Nuemann Endler Hat Company. He started working for Habitat/Architectural Supplements Incorporation in the 1970's as a machinist and retired as a supervisor in 1991.

 In the latter 1960's, he traveled back to Greece where he met and married his wife, Kaity Kyrika Gabriel. The marriage took place in Saint George's Church in Mytilene, Lesvos Greece on July, 2 1969.  Upon marrying and honeymooning in Greece, they traveled back to Danbury, CT and began their lives together. They were married for 53 years before his passing.
Demetrios was 100 percent a family man who devoted his life to providing the best he could for his wife, daughter, and other relatives. He was a very kind and gentle soul who absolutely loved his church, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. He was a chanter for the church for about 50 plus years and was a member of GAPA, the predecessor of AHEPA. GAPA is an acronym for Greek American Progressive Association whose mission was to assist the integration of Greek descendants into the American way of life, to perpetuate the Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, and to uphold  and encourage usage of the Greek Language. The Gabriels were one of the founding families of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, which he was extremely proud of!  

Among being a very hard worker with wonderful consistency, his hobbies included once again his family, gardening, the ocean, and reading to learn as much as he could about anything and everything. He loved reading the Greek National Herald which he received daily, and Demetrios has been known to be able to hold conversations that included anything from politics, geography, history, and much more. His daughter, Angela and others have often referred to him as a "chamelion", as he was able to switch conversations about different topics with ease. He LOVED gardening so much, and was an excellent gardener who could hardly wait till around January/February when he would start his seedlings, preparing them for planting in early Spring. Throughout Spring, Summer, and Autumn, his garden would flourish, which gave him absolute pride and joy! His garden was not only for the immediate family, but he was very generous with sharing the fruits of his labor with family, friends, and neighbors!

Demetrios' greatest joy was his family, especially his granddaughters who he adored more than life itself. There is nothing he wouldn't do for them. He loved to teach them history, read fables to them, and often sang Greek Orthodox hymns with them! He adored his wife, daughter, son-in-law, parents, and relatives and always made sure that they were well taken care of. The respect he had for family and community was amazing! He was also very well loved in return!

Demetrios is survived by his wife Kaity Gabriel; his daughter Angela Gabriel Belales and son-in-law Theodore Belales of Southington, CT; his granddaughters Katerina Belales of Corning, NY and Nicoletta Belales of Greenville, SC; his nephew Aristidis Gabriel of Danbury, CT: his nephew Michael Caravakis and his wife Marlene Caravakis of Danbury, CT; his grand niece Alyssa (Caravakis) Critelli, her husband Josh Critelli and their children JesseJack, Jaxson, and Jayce; and his grand niece Adriana (Caravakis) Matos, her husband Jonathan Matos and their son Mason. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, and cousins, including Metropolitan Simeon of Nea Smyrni, a municipality of Athens  Greece. Demetrios was predeceased by his parents Aristidis Gabriel and Angela Yavrellis; his brother Panagiotis (Peter) Gabriel and sister-in-law Aspasia (Efstratiadi) Gabriel, among extended family in Greece.

A Visitation will be held on Monday May 16th, 2022 at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (30 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury, CT) from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. with the Funeral Service to begin at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Wooster Cemetery in Danbury, CT. Seeing that Demetrios loved gardening and nature, flowers are more than welcome and can be sent to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church for Monday morning May 16th. Also, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Danbury.  More information can be found by visiting the website below. 

To light a candle or leave a condolence in his memory, please visit the tribute wall at the top of the obituary page.
 

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