Brent A. "Bag" Gall

A man always on the move looking for the next adventure, Brent A. “Bag” Gall left his footprints on so many soils of this land. He was a loving father and an adoring grandfather who leaves behind his passion for sports and travel. He was also a constant friend and a man who was always ready for life’s next destination. Brent will truly be missed and remembered by all those who knew him.

The dawning of a new decade brought in the year of 1940. The United States was finally beginning to feel some relief from The Great Depression, but WWII raged on abroad. American citizens rolled up their sleeves to help with the war efforts manning factories or merely planting vegetable gardens to lessen the burden of the low food supply. The country supported Franklin D. Roosevelt who was elected to an unprecedented third term in office. Closer to home, in Nappanee, it was a time in which neighbors turned to one another for good news; good news was spread on August 25, when Theodore and Violett Gall welcomed their sweet baby boy, named Brent, to the world.

Brent spent much of his early life in Nappanee along with his brothers and sister. Early on, it was evident that Brent did not enjoy idle times; he was always very outgoing and busy! At the mere age of 8, he rode his bike straight to Ligonier to get a BB gun which was to keep him occupied for some time.

As he matured, his appreciation of mobility was also apparent. He had many cars throughout his young adulthood. Beginning with the best of them for the low bargain price of $50: the one he named ‘The Blue Streak’ was his first real beauty of a car - it was missing its bumpers, after a friend wrecked it, so it was quite a sight. He also owned an orange and white Mercury, a white convertible, the “Gray Ghost”, and finally his early best and most impressive - a 1960 Blue Pontiac convertible. These cars transported Brent to many Teen Town dances after ballgames and made it possible to leave Nappanee when he grew bored of the only thing to do there which was (in his words) “watch the cars rust.” When he wasn’t driving in his many cars, he could be found playing basketball or running track. He graduated from Nappanee High School in 1958 and continued his education attending college in Minnesota and Arizona.

Brent’s love for sports only grew with time. Ambition pushed him to organize, play and manage a basketball team for Pletcher Furniture. He was fortunate enough to have coached a number of NBA players, and he also had a knack for attending special sporting events like the NCAA tournament, NBA draft, and the 1984 and 1996 Olympics to name a few! One particularly amazing event Brent experienced was the NCAA finals between Houston and UCLA played on January 20, 1968; he was one of 52,693 lucky attendees. Just in case one might think all of this was not dedicated enough to spectator support, Brent also had Notre Dame football tickets and University of Kentucky basketball and football tickets. Needless to say, he will forever be remembered as a professional sports enthusiast.

There were many loved ones with whom Brent shared these experiences. He was given the gift of falling in love twice in his life, and both partners remained good friends with him even when life took them in different directions. Brent was also fortunate enough to welcome three children into his life. He watched as his children married, and one by one he was able to celebrate the beauty of life with his many grandchildren who affectionately named him “Monka.” He relished his time as a grandfather, and he adored each and every grandchild with boundless amounts of love.

Later in life, Brent journeyed to Las Vegas in 2000 from Lexington, Kentucky. This move did not keep him from his well-known characteristic of wanting to be on the move, so he would often fly back and forth to see his grandchildren at their various events. He also took the family on an RV excursion from Las Vegas to California, a trip that was a family favorite by any standard. They traveled in two RV’s through Los Angeles, Burbank, Venice Beach, and Malibu. To say “a great time was had by all” would be an understatement! In 2012, Brent and his family took a memorable Caribbean Cruise which provided an opportunity for many good moments together. The desire to 'keep moving' was in Brent’s blood and apparent from the first car he owned to traveling 49 out of 50 states in his lifetime.

Brent journeyed through his life with dedicated enthusiasm. Whether he was dancing, saving every penny to see Elvis, or traveling to his next adventure, he was one that truly enjoyed what life provided. After a battle with Pancreatic Cancer, he chose to travel to his last destination in Lexington, Kentucky to be with his daughter until his time of death. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Brent A. “Bag” Gall, Age 76, of Henderson, Nevada, formerly of Nappanee, died at 6:00 am, Tuesday, February 21, 2017, at his daughter’s residence in Lexington, KY. Surviving are his children, Stephanie (Michael) Miller, Henderson, NV, Steven (Kristi) Gall, Nappanee, Meagan (Chris) Taylor, Lexington, KY; grandchildren, Carly Miller, Zachary Miller, Emma Taylor, Kylee Gall, Makenna Gall, Ben Taylor, Landen Gall, Caleb Taylor, Jameson Taylor; and former wives, Jeanie Dudley, Nappanee and Angela Gilliam, Lexington, KY, who have remained close friends. He was preceded in death by brothers, Dallas, Theodore Jr., Richard Gall and a sister, Jennie Lee Heckaman.

Family and friends may call from 2-6Sunday, February 26, 2017, at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 am, Monday, Feb. 27th at the funeral home. Dick Pletcher, Brent’s longtime friend, will conduct the funeral service and burial will be in Union Center Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be given for National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.