Obituary of Gilbert Wayne Eller
Hamlin/Livingston Manor, NY; Coker Creek, TN: Gilbert (Wayne) Eller passed away on March 8th, 2024 at the age of 69. He was predeceased by his younger brother, Brian Eller, as well as his beloved parents, Betty & Gilbert. He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Ginger; his children, Ian Eller and Ryan (Emmanuel) Eller; his sister-in-law, Laura Eller; and the nieces and nephews he cherished so much, Dylan, Shelby, Breanna, Zach & Amy, Brent, Becky, Tracey, and Danielle.
Gilbert Wayne was born in a little town called Ducktown in the western hills of Tennessee. Gilbert Senior took his family with him as his job slowly moved north, along with the construction of pipelines and tunnels, eventually settling in the little picturesque valley called Livingston Manor. Gilbert Wayne had a “Big Fish” type childhood in those hills, with endless stories of adventures, getting in trouble by Mom, which included sneaking off to Bethel Woods one time to help build the stage for the original Woodstock Festival. Gil graduated from this little town with a whopping 63 kids in his senior class. The largest class that school has ever seen. After high school, & now going by Gil, he went off to graduate with a Technical Degree from Alfred State. After college, Gil invested 35 years of employment at Eastman Kodak Co., where he was a Process Control Tech. At the peak of his career, he was honored with the opportunity to fly to Paris and set up the control systems for the Kodak plant that was built across the pond. Gilbert was extremely talented. In addition to his musical abilities, he could fix anything. If he didn’t know how, you best believe an hour later that manual was printed, stapled, and marked up with notes. He loved music so much; he played multiple instruments at the same time while singing harmonies, no need for sheet music Gil played by ear. So many memories between the band gigs, camping, family trips, & holidays. His children fell asleep many nights to a full-on rock band practicing in the basement. His family will always cherish those late nights at the house in Hamlin. We all will miss him but rest assured knowing that all the Rock Gods up there in the clouds now have their guitars perfectly tuned.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Gilbert on Friday, March 22, 2024 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm in the Greece Canal Park, Millennium Lodge, 241 Elmgrove Rd, Rochester, NY 14626. Words of Remembrance at 4:30 pm followed by a continuing celebration with music, stories, laughter & love. A mic with a plug and play system will be available. Your musical talents are welcome, so bring your guitars! Interment will be at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rochester Education Foundation in Gilbert’s Memory. Their Music and Arts for All program supports music students of all ages. They provide access to instruments, lessons, and scholarships for college bound music students. Donations can be made at https://www.rochestereducation.org/donate
