Benjamin Gradler Obituary

Benjamin B. Gradler passed away peacefully at home with family and friends, Friday September 27th 2024, aged 87 years. Benjamin was born January 2nd, 1937 to Benjamin F. Gradler and Mary Francis Gloth and had a much loved stepfather in Clarence Gloth while growing up.
The love of Benjamin's life for 65 years was his wife Sally Ann whom he met at a square-dance in 1955 at the Log Cabin in Harborcreek while they were both still in high school. His great childhood friends were his cousins Fred and Bill Hershelman and Frank Stebell who were like brothers to him. Benjamin had four children and he did all he possibly could for them, and had great love for all his family and friends.
Benjamin is survived by his wife Sally Ann, his four children Stephanie Gradler, Benjamin Gradler and wife Patricia, Christopher Gradler and wife Carol, and Geoffrey Gradler and wife Rebecca. His much loved brother Gary Gradler and wife Carol, sister Nora Chojnacki and husband John, grandchildren Katyana, Rosalie, Angelique, Natalie, Georgia, Tony, Elizabeth, Melissa, Violet, Dominick Autumn, Greg, Peter, and Michelle, son- in- law, Joseph Pekelnicky, and many nephews and nieces which he made extra special efforts to have relationships with.
He enjoyed every facet of life that came to him and participated in it as fully as possible. Benjamin never stopped growing as a person and learning about his world and himself as he went through the years. Honesty was his policy, and all through his life he made it a point to stand up for the "little-guy" whether as a child defending family and friends against neighborhood bullies or as an adult protecting workers in his positions as a labor union official, including two terms as Business Manager of the local electrical construction worker's union IBEW L.u.#56, most of his peers said he was the best and most honest manager that union ever had.
Benjamin was very mechanically inclined and was a dedicated do-it-yourselfer and jack-of-all-trades. He founded "The Duals" automobile hot-rod club in the early 1950s in Erie, PA and designed it's logo. He loved his old flathead Fords and his 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, and the number "88" became his and his wife Sally's lucky number. He loved music, played the piano and sang with the Erie Symphonic Choir. He loved being a dealer and racer of British motorcycles in the 50s/early 60s. He loved nature and planted and cared for many trees and the acres of woods behind his house. He loved hunting and trapping, but also nursed a lost baby crow back to health which he named Ebenezer and enjoyed feeding the crows and other birds and animals around his property. He loved playing baseball and followed the Cleveland Indians baseball team beginning in the 1940s. He studied history, enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and taking drives in the country while taking the "long way home". He loved photography and he enjoyed writing letters and had the most beautiful handwriting. He enjoyed puttering on his property and doing what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. He will be terribly missed by his family and the many friends and co-workers he had throughout his life.
Special thanks to the family, neighbors and friends who helped care for him in his final days including Susan Tharp, Helen Reed, Bonnie Kiehlmeier, Edit Prather, Katrine Danowski and the Heartland Hospice team.
Funeral arrangements were made by the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home Inc., 5000 Wattsburg Rd., Erie, PA 16504.