The late Willie Lemay was one of those rare individuals who always showed up with a smile on his face. He was part of the Gabriel Homes Work Crew, a group of retired individuals who meet once a month to help maintain our many homes. The work crew kindly referred to Willie as “Mr. Happy” and many are here today to celebrate their friend.
His granddaughter Katie Lemay described Willie as “a dedicated volunteer who deeply believed in the mission of helping adults with disabilities live independently. His support went beyond service — he truly saw the value in every individual and worked to help make independent living a reality.”
Mickey, a lifetime friend and former co-worker, served with Willie on the Work Crew for years. He has fond memories of painting, landscaping, and repairing holes in the walls. But one of his funniest memories was when Willie attempted to control the critter situation in one of the homes. Willie climbed up in the attic and easily threw an overkill of moth balls in the attic to keep the critters out. It may have worked, but it also created such a strong smell that it also kept the residents out! After complaints, Willie had to figure out a way to go back to the attic and reduce the number of moth balls like an adult version of an easter egg hunt. Mickey says with a smile on his face, “The workday will not be the same without Willie. We miss him so much because he meant so much. He is an individual who liked everyone, and everyone loved him.”
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Jim Anderson is known to many at Gabriel Homes as the person behind the scenes. When one of our homes needed a truck, landscaping, or a new driveway, people would show up at one of our homes and take care of the issue. With little to no fanfare or recognition, the men behind the help were Jim Anderson and Mike Holupka.
Mike described Jim as a “wonderful, kind, and giving individual who has the biggest heart of anyone that I know”. Those familiar with the Golf Tournament and the many issues that were solved at our homes may not know that Jim Anderson, founder of The Anderson Company, was quietly behind every donation of time and money. Mike and Jim were business partners for years and gave countless hours to the needs of Gabriel Homes, Mike serving on the board and Jim serving behind the scenes. It is hard to use one of their names without mentioning the other.
Jim is a selfless human who has a desire to pay it forward to others, and Gabriel Homes is the beneficiary of so much of his service.
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Tom Stringer worked for Gabriel Homes for 13 years before retiring in May 2025. Tom was not only a dedicated employee, but he is loved by the residents he worked with and respected by his coworkers. Richard, a parent of one of our residents, said, “Tom was dependable, diligent, and caring. He gave so much to the residents and was the face that represented Gabriel Homes to me.” Tom can always be counted on to bring a kind ear and loving heart every time he walks through the front door, and many of our residents would not have achieved all they have without his dedicated support for all these years.
Shelby, a resident at Gabriel Homes, says she misses Tom already. She says, “Tom was family. He was kind to my best friend CC and me, and he was always great to see at home. He helped us get ready for dances like Night to Shine and the Spring Fling. I’m very happy to call Tom my friend.”
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Beth Hoyos joined Gabriel Homes in the summer of 1998 as a weekend counselor while pursuing her master’s in social work from George Mason University. Over the 27 years, she always gave our residents and the organization 100%. Beth consistently created innovative ways to support the residents, always centering their dignity and rights.
She helped our organization immensely during the Executive Director transition and did so with grace and professionalism. Beth does her work behind the scenes and with little desire for recognition.
During this difficult time, Gabriel Homes Executive Director Lynn Davis said, “Beth’s support was critical during our organizational change. Although she didn’t know me well, she chose to trust me, and together we built a strong working relationship that blended our complementary skills.”
In 2020, we were thrown into a pandemic that saw higher hospitalizations & death rates for the IDD community. We were scared & didn’t know how we would manage it all. Somehow, we did with Beth’s leadership and her wonderful co-workers’ dedication to our residents.
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The late John H. had an outlook on life and sense of humor that brightened everyone’s day. Everyone who met him was greeted with a warm smile and welcome; he truly wanted to get to know others. He was loved and revered by staff, his community, and coworkers as a beacon of independence.
At home, John was the king of pop culture and an avid reader, with endless books in his room. He would break to you quicker than the news ticker would finish the headline. You could always catch him watching all the best soap operas on TV, his favorite being General Hospital. Rich, one of his housemates said about the soap operas, “John and I would laugh when someone got killed in General Hospital. Dying isn’t funny, but the acting was so exaggerated and silly. We laughed so hard, we had tears in our eyes.”
His home away from home was Camp Jaycee where he spent two weeks every summer enjoying the many activities it has to offer. Most inspiring was his reputation as a hard worker. John celebrated 30 years working at Walmart in 2024, and the staff often praised him saying, “Without John, Walmart would fall apart.”
It sure seems like the Gabriel Homes world is falling apart without John, but his curiosity in people and his sense of humor will continue to inspire everyone at Gabriel Homes.