Evelyn Gatt

Evelyn Dorothy (Probol) Gatt was born in the small coal mining town of Windber PA July 16, 1926. She was the daughter of Edward and Jeanie Probol, German and Scottish immigrants. Her father was a coal miner, and her mother was a mid-wife. 

Her childhood was spent in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and after high school graduation, she moved to New York City to live with her sister and brother-in-law where she met the love of her life, Sam Gatt who was from the Island of Malta. They were married on May 24, 1952, and made their home in Fremont Ohio where they raised their family of three children. The only thing she ever complained about was that Ohio was too flat.  

Sam and Ev were inseparable and spent their working lives together at the General Electric Lamp Plant in Bellevue, Ohio where they developed many lifelong friendships. They both retired prior to the plant closing and enjoyed the winters of their retirement years in Clearwater. They traveled to Malta, Australia, England, and other parts of Europe. They enjoyed having family visit them in Florida where they thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of retirement living until Sam passed in August of 2002.  

Evelyn decided to move back to Ohio and live in an apartment attached to her son Philip and daughter-in-law Becky’s house where she enjoyed living independently for over 22 years. During those years, she was active in the Hayes Ohio Star Quilt Guild, donating her sewing skills to her special charity, Kwilts 4 Kids. She lived an active life with family and friends. She regularly enjoyed playing cards, bingo, and participating in Bible Studies.  She enjoyed the trips to spas and casinos with her daughter Mary and thrifting with her daughter Jean. In the late fall of 2022, she moved in with her daughter Jean and son-in-law George and continued enjoying social activities, and the close companionship of her family.   After an untimely fall producing a broken hip and shoulder, she went to skilled nursing and rehab care at the Willows in Bellevue. She and her family agreed that she received excellent and loving care there.  She passed peacefully on May 7th, 2023, at the age of 96. 

She was a hard worker and a role model of practicality and good humor. She knew her way around the kitchen, ask anyone who had the pleasure of tasting her creations.  She was a joy to be around. She was athletic, playing baseball while in school, and shuffleboard as a retiree. In fact, she was invited to Australia to play in an international shuffleboard tournament. She loved to polka and Saturday mornings we cleaned the house to polka music.  

She is survived by her children, Jean (George) Jinkinson, Philip (Becky) Gatt and Mary (Scott) Tester, ten grandchildren and twenty-one great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, and one grandchild, Philip E. Gatt, Jr. 

The family will receive friends during a celebration of life on Friday, May 12th, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Foos & Foos Funeral Service, 151 Yorkshire Place, Bellevue, OH who are overseeing final arrangements. Private burial services will be performed at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her honor to Kwilts 4 Kids C/O The Hayes Ohio Star Quilt Guild of Fremont, OH.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Evelyn Gatt, please visit our floral store.