Obituary: Gabriel Bugielski

As received from the Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes:

Gabriel M. Bugielski, 38, a resident of Franklin Township, passed away on January 12, 2022, at UP Health System – Marquette following a short illness.

Gabe was born in Kailua, Hawaii. The ceaseless clacking of the palm fronds in the trade winds, the soft sounds of the Pacific Ocean, sunshine, showers, and rainbows accompanied him in his first year of life.
Gabe, his parents, and his older brother relocated to San Diego when Gabe was a year old. Soon a little sister joined the family. Gabe and his family spent years in Sunny San Diego. All three children attended Santa Sophia School, Gabe enjoyed school, especially writing. He wrote a book about dinosaurs in the first grade, and his teacher bound it for him to let him know what a good job he had done and how important books are. His love of writing lasted throughout his life. Just last year, Gabe met someone here whose own family had attended Santa Sophia at the same time that Gabe and his siblings did.

Gabe and his siblings enjoyed their years in San Diego, making friends and enjoying family time together in the cheery sunshine of southern California.

Gabe learned about life along with his school subjects. He came to his mom wanting to know why one of his friends thought he shouldn’t play with girls, and why another friend thought he shouldn’t play with friends whose names sounded different. Both times he listened to an explanation of something that had no good explanation, stared at his mom, said that that sounded just stupid, and continued to play with whoever he liked.

He also enjoyed movie time with the family, and he spent time with his brother wearing out VHS recordings of films like Spaceballs, Top Gun, Tremors, and Aliens. They spent time playing driveway hockey, using brooms and baseball mitts and whatever else they could find. Launching cars down the hallway or mucking about in the dirt. He was a happy little boy.

Eventually, Gabe and his family moved to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to be closer to family in Ohio and Lower Michigan. Gabe and his siblings all found their forever home in the UP having finished their growing up years in the beautiful Copper Country. One lovely late summer day, a bit more than a year after graduating from Houghton High, Gabe stopped by his mother’s house for a few hours. While helping her put up a front porch swing, they talked about many things, including a girl he had met earlier that year, who was smart, and funny, and beautiful, and who he thought really just might be “the one.” (She was)

Gabe was united in marriage to Kathryn Cruickshank on October 21, 2006. The couple resided in Houghton and for the past 8 years made their home in Franklin Township as they raised their two daughters.

Gabe had graduated with honors from Gogebic as a CNA and also graduated from SDI with honors in Firearms Tech in 2018. Gabe had a vast knowledge of all firearms and enjoyed talking and helping anyone with questions about firearms. For the past ten years, he was proud to have been a stay-at-home dad to help raise their children.

Gabe was predeceased by his father, Michael Bugielski, his grandparents Charles and Grace Bugielski, his uncles Patrick and Baby Kieran Walsh and his aunt Nancy Hanavan.

He is survived by his wife Katie and daughters Jacquelyn and Jillian of Hancock, his mother Celine Grace of Houghton, his brother Glen (Rebecca) and family, his sister Katrina (Joe) Freiberg of Norway and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends, especially his loving aunt Dee Walsh (Lakewood, Ohio) and Aunt Virginamae Walsh (Cleveland, Ohio)

A Memorial Service for Gabe will be held 7:00 pm Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at the Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Hancock with rev. Bucky Beach to officiate.

Friends may call on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Hancock.

To view Gabe’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.

The Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service Hancock Chapel has been assisting the family with the arrangements.