Bill Gabbard

 

William (Bill) Gabbard; beloved husband, father, and successful entrepreneur and leader in the international franchise community, passed away at home in Aurora on November 2nd, 2022 at age 65. We all knew Bill had the biggest heart and it just gave out. Bill was born in Lafayette Indiana, and grew up in West Lafayette and Vero Beach Florida. Bill attended West Lafayette and Vero Beach High Schools and Indiana State and Purdue Universities, a proud member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Athletically gifted in high school and college, Bill was also a sports fan; rabid supporter of the Boilermakers, Broncos, and Rockies, as well as any team his kids were on (coaching many of them). Marrying Sandy (Abbott), the love of his life since high school, and moving to Colorado in 1980, Bill's personal and professional life and achievements were centered around Aurora and the Denver area.

Bill is survived by Sandy (Abbott), his wife of 42 years. He also leaves his children Aubree & her partner Harvey Kritzberger and Doug & his wife Ally (Maurer). He was predeceased by his parents W. Edward and Dorothy (Carroll). Bill, the youngest of four, is also survived by his sisters Anne (Gabbard) Malsbary, Jane (Gabbard) Bryant, & Becky (Gabbard) Fernald and their husbands, as well as his sisters-in-law Jodi, Traci, & Shari Abbott and their husbands. Bill was close to his many nieces and nephews: Christie (Malsbary) Soileau, her son Clay, Jay & Mike Myers and their children, Chris York and his children, Brittany (Fernald) Nahra & Mandy (Fernald) Dority, Aaron & Evan Brown, Julia & Sebastian Gallo, and Nathan & Celia Malone who have cherished memories of his warm love, good humor, and generosity of spirit.

Many of his friends, co-workers, and children's friends and teammates were the recipients of his boundless enthusiasm, encouragement, and affection. Bill told the best Dad jokes and gave the best hugs, wielding the spatula at many family barbecues. Bill befriended many who crossed his path, with most becoming lifelong friends. Bill believed in uplifting and recognizing each person who crossed into his orbit, no matter how humble, personally providing support, mentorship, and financial assistance to immigrants and other individuals in small businesses in the Denver and Aurora area.

Bill was founder and CEO of his first business, Profusion, at the audacious age of 23, expanding into over 250 franchises, in 35 countries and 38 states. He also founded, and was president of Zoring International, VP of Franchising for Navis Logistics network, and President of Franchising for Jungle Quest. With a career spent in franchising, Bill was honored by multiple presidents including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama for his international contributions to American Commerce. At the time of his unexpected death, Bill was the President of both Edwards Global Services and Neapolitan Express. A community leader and supporter, he had been active in numerous organizations including the Humana Medical Center of Aurora, Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Denver Lions Club, Center for Hearing Speech & Language (currently Marion Downs Center), and the Gateway Battered Women's Shelter.

The family is planning an upcoming Celebration of Bill's life on Sunday, December 11th, 2022. To watch virtually, please click on the following link: https://bxcited.com/william-edward-gabbard/
To RSVP for the Service and Reception, please RSVP below no later than Friday December 1st at 12:00PM MST.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Marion Downs Center (mariondowns.org).