R. David Gaskill

Rev. R. David Gaskill left this life swiftly and unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 15, 2008, as a result of a pulmonary embolism. David was born June 2, 1948 in Bensonville, Illinois. Pastor Gaskill attended undergraduate school at Elmhurst College in Illinois. His decision to go into the ministry led him to continue his post baccalaureate degree at Eden Theological Seminary and St. Louis School of Divinty.He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, his daughter, Elisa (Jason) Bennett, and son, Keith Gaskill. He will miss watching his two grandchildren, Gavin and Kara Bennett, grow up. He is survived by his sister, Bunny Wilson, of Bartlett, IL. David is further survived by a sister-in-law, Kathleen (Ronnie) Mahoney, Denmark, IA, and brother-in-laws, Les Neu (Lori), Iowa City, IA, and Richard Neu (Lisa), Council Bluffs, IA. His twin brother, William, and his parents Raymond and Louisa Gaskill, preceded him in death.For those of you who knew David, he greatly loved the ministry. He put his entire heart and soul into this life that he chose some 35 years ago. In his early years, he served churches in South Dakota, St. Louis, Fort Wayne, IN, Black Creek WI, Denmark, IA, and for the last 17 years at Emmanuel United Church of Christ. Im sure his church family will remember him for his great love of history, and his phenomenal ability to remember every detail after reading something once. You never wanted to play Trivial Pursuit with this man. David loved learning and was continuously reading or doing new research on the Bible or related topics. He was an excellent writer and was known for his teaching sermons. Many who have shared memories will remember him as a teacher. He led some very indepth Bible studies and challenged us to continue to learn more. David was looking forward to going back to school in retirement to see what else he could learn. He had a brilliant mind and a very kind heart. He didnt care much about material possessions but did love his computer and the game Civilization. He also like watching football and much to the chagrin of most, was a Bears fan. David loved his children deeply and spent many hours talking to them on the phone. He always made sure that he told them that he loved them. He was a wonderful husband to Bonnie and her best friend. Pastor Gaskill cared so much for Emmanuel Church and the members who supported him during his ministry with them. He was somewhat of a work-aholic but never once complained about his life as a minister. He was very proud of the food pantry and the mission we have to serve those in need. In January, he proposed an idea to add a labyrinth garden next to the church with pathways to walk and memorial bricks to remember or honor family and friends. This project was just completed last month and is such a beautiful addition to our church. In his giving spirit, Davids corneas have been donated so that someone else might see. If you have not signed up to be an organ donor, please think strongly about making arrangements to do this. I would like to thank all of my friends, co-workers and family members for their support. David will leave a huge hole in our hearts for some time to come. I would like to thank all of the friendly faces at Cousins who greeted my husband every day for lunch. This was his favorite spot to eat. He also enjoyed his aerobic swim class at the YMCA. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on Sunday, October 19 at Emmanuel United Church of Christ, 1306 Michigan St., Oshkosh, WI. A time to greet family and friends will be from 2:00-4:00, with the service beginning at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute memorials to Emmanuel United Church of Christ or designate memorials to the Food Pantry or the Rev. Rapp Scholarship Fund. Interment and memorial service will be in Iowa at a later date.

Emmanuel United Church of Christ



1306 Michigan Street
Oshkosh
WI
54902

Sunday, October 19, 2008
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM



Emmanuel United Church of Christ



1306 Michigan Street
Oshkosh
WI
54902

Sunday, October 19, 2008
4:00 PM