Gabe Proctor: Rest in Peace
Obituary from his family
May 23, 2017
Gabriel Proctor, beloved son and brother, died on Saturday, May 20, 2017, at his parents’ home in Lyndonville, Vermont. Gabe had a desperate illness from which he could find no escape – severe depression. As a result, he took his own life.
Gabe Proctor at 2016 Houston Half Marathon
Gabe was born April 29, 1990, in Mekelle, Ethiopia. In 2000 he and his younger sister and brother were adopted by Jim and Caryl Proctor, then of South Royalton, Vermont. He graduated from Mid-Vermont Christian School in Quechee, Vermont, in 2008; earned an Associate’s degree from Garden City Community College in Kansas in 2010; and a Bachelor’s degree from Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, in 2013.
Gabe was a world-class distance runner. In 2013 he was the national champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in NCAA Division II. He went on to become a professional runner in the marathon and half-marathon, qualifying to try out for the US Olympic team at the marathon trials in 2016.
Gabe was a young man whose heart was as big as all the world. He was a devoted son and a loving brother. He loved children, especially his nephews and nieces. He was a very kind and generous person, who always wanted to help others. He always made a point of being kind to people whom others were rejecting. He had a deep longing to care for his extended family back in Ethiopia. His main motivation in running was to raise money that he could give away to his family.
He is survived by his parents; his sister Joanna and family of Alamagordo, New Mexico; his brother Sam, a student at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona; adoptive sister Hannah Glass-McShinsky and family of Sharon, Vermont; adoptive brother Josh Glass and family of Marietta, Georgia; and many loving family members in the USA and in Ethiopia.
A funeral service will be held at the Lyndonville United Methodist Church on Friday, May 26, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at the Riverview Cemetery in South Royalton, Vermont, at 3:00 p.m.
Donations in honor of Gabe may be sent to: Hope for Youth Ethiopia, PO Box 7306, Longview, TX 75607-7306
*You can pay your respects to Gabe in this thread.
If you’re suffering from depression, help is available. Call 800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Proctor (left) at 2015 Berlin Marathon