Harold Douglas Gilbert
November 29, 1947 - August 21, 2011

"I remember so much about MR. Gilbert he was a superb teacher and a gentleman, I wish I would have had more time to got to know more of, I always enjoyed his company at the local auctions, and always made it a point to sit next to him or in the same area as him at the coin club meetings, he was a great man, this really saddens me, he was a friend he will be deeply missed "

"I was so shocked to see of Mr. Gilbert's passing. My heart goes out to the family. He was quite the fellow. Us cooks at the old MS always teased him when he came into our kitchen looked in the mirror and combed his hair. I always teased him about "that greek crap". Truly a wonderful teacher and man. He will be missed."

"I like so many others remember Mr. Gilbert as not only one of my favorite teachers, but one of the best. His passion for history was shared with his passion for teaching. His classroom was a haven and I thank him for instilling in me a love for history that sticks with me to this day."

"Back in the day�?�1965-66, when dating high school boys at KHS was sometimes a good thing but usually not such an enjoyable experience, �??Kentucky�?� was a breath of fresh air. He was kind, polite and always a gentleman. My deepest sympathy to his family. "

"My memory was not of greek Mythology but the day in class i raised my hand and u mr.G knew i was very ill but as i rounded the front of the class i vomitted in front of everyone and class was in the apparently in another room the rest of the day!! To your family i want to say how sorry i am for your loss!! god bless ~Amanda Strausbaugh Diveney 6th grade student many moons ago"

"Wendy & family so very sorry to hear of Harold's passing. We are shocked to hear of this news. I have so many fond memories with the horses in Kahoka at the fairgrounds. He always had something to say to make me smile & laugh. There was never a dull moment w/ him!! "

"Mr. Gilbert was one of my favorite people. Such a fun person to be around. I pretty much grew up around the saddle club and Harold taught me much of what I learned about horses there. My heart goes out to Wendy and the kids. We will all miss him so much."

"Add me to the long list of people who remember Mr. Gilbert fondly. I can't think of a more excellent, well-loved teacher. He was the most fun. I am thinking of him and his family."

"Harold Gilbert was a great man. I got to know him as we taught togetehr at the old KMS on 13th and Main prior to some hooligan's starting a fire in my classroom. Harold and I taught the same subject, 6th grade Social Studies, which pretty much covered ancient Samaria all the way to the 20th Century hitting all the major stopping points...Egypt, Greece, Rome...and so on. It was mentioned that he loved Greek Mythology. This was an understatement. We tried to say on roughly the same pace with our different classes and I used to "rib" him that he was spending too much time on that section and needed to catchup. We both knew that I would spend too much time on the Philosophy section and there was really no doubt who was going to make it to the finish line, WWII, by the end of the year first...he was like a finely tuned clock...a consummate professional. I think I broke his heart when I told him that Greek Mythology, of all the courses I took as an undergrad and grad student, was the only one that I dropped midstream becasue I couldn't stand it. It didn't dampen his spirit and passion one bit. I can tell you that the short 5 minute breaks that we had between classes, while we monitored the halls as the kids raced between classes, were some of the best times that I had in Keokuk...it didn't take long for Harold to have you laughing on a whole host of topics. I will truly miss him dearly and feel so sorry for the loss to his family whom he loved so very much. He gave som much to the youth of Keokuk...a value which truthfully can't be measured. I'm certain that had Harold taught that college Mythology course to me long ago, I would, today, have a very different opinion of that topic."

"Mr. Gilbert was my teacher at Keokuk Middle School and in addition to him teaching that a Pawn can make the "L" shape in Chess I had a huge crush on him. Thats why I decided to take up learning Chess. He was a great, interesting, most memorable teacher I had. Thats was may last year here in Keokuk. I came back to visit K-Town a few weeks ago and we were going to stop by his house so I could say hello, we never did. Tonight I'll say my goodbyes. You will be missed Mr. Gilbert and You did leave many lasting great memories."

"Harold Gilbert was a great man. I got to know him as we taught together at the old KMS on 13th and Main prior to some hooligan?s starting a fire in my classroom. Harold and I taught the same subject, 6th grade Social Studies, which pretty much covered ancient Samaria all the way to the 20th Century hitting all the major stopping points?Egypt, Greece, Rome?and so on. It was mentioned that he loved Greek Mythology. This was an understatement. We tried to stay on roughly the same pace with our different classes and I used to rib him that he was spending too much time on that section and needed to catch up. We both knew that I would spend too much time on the Philosophy section and there was really no doubt who was going to make it to the finish line, WWII, by the end of the year first?he was like a finely tuned clock?a consummate professional. I think I broke his heart when I told him that Greek Mythology, of all the courses I took as an undergrad and grad, was the only one that I dropped midstream because I couldn?t stand it. It didn?t dampen his spirit and passion one bit. I can tell you that the short 5 minute breaks that we took between classes, where we monitored the halls as kids raced between classes, were some of the best times that I had in Keokuk?it didn?t take long for Harold to make you laugh on a whole host of topics. I will truly miss him dearly and feel so sorry for the loss to his family whom he loved so very much. He gave so much to the youth of Keokuk?a value which truthfully can?t be measured. I?m certain that had Harold taught that college Mythology course for me I would, today, have a very different opinion of that topic. "

"I am so sorry to hear of Harold's passing. My heart goes out to his family. I taught with Harold at Keokuk Middle School and he DID make Team A the Dream Team. We all enjoyed helping those 6th graders learn! He was fun and many girls had a crush on him. He'll be playing chess and training those horses above. Thanks for all you did, Harold. You will certainly be missed. Barb Hanson Foster, former Keokuk Teacher "

"What do you say when something like this happens. I had Mr. Gilbert for 6th grade the last time it was part of the grade school there in Keokuk. I remember that time and him like it was yesterday, even though it was a very long time ago now. I have though about him a lot through the years because he was, hands down, one of my all-time favorite teachers. He had such an impact in my young life that I too became a teacher. His passion for kids, for just caring, was what made me enjoy coming to school every day. I still remember taking his spelling tests and getting exempt so I could go out to recess. I am deeply saddened at his passing. I can only hope that I am a fraction of the teacher he was. "

"Check Mate! I wish I had a chess board to play one more game in memory of Mr. Gilbert. He was one of the most passionate, inspirational teachers of all time! The good always die young..."

"Harold!!! I worked and taught with you for 30 some years. I was always amazed with your ideas and fun ways to go about teaching. You truly made "Team A" the dream team!!! Good Bye and God bless. Robert Fox"

"He was such a dynamic teacher whom everyone loved. I will never forget how much fun we had in his class while learning so much. "

"Mr. Gilbert was an great teacher! I dont think there is anyone that would say different. He will be remembered forever! Rip Mr. Gilbert.. My thoughts are with his family during this horrible time. "

"Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful teacher, and the passion he showed for the subject matter he taught was inspiring. His class was the first time in school that I remember looking outside the boarders of our own country and into the histories and geographies of far away lands and their peoples. His classes left me with a deep interest in seeing the places he taught us about. "

"Rest in Peace. Mr Gilbert was a great teacher and he will live on through all of his students. "

"Mr. Gilbert was by far one of the greatest teachers that I have ever had. I remember when I was in sixth grade another student and I had him nominated for a Golden Apple Award which brought him to tears when they announced his winning. He was a great man that everyone loved. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

"Mr. Gilbert was one of my favorite teachers in Middle school. I hated history and always thought it to be boring, but Mr. Gilbert always had a way to make you be interested in what he was teaching. He was so envolved with his teaching. I remember when we were doing greek mythology how much I enjoyed just listening to him telling one of the stories so passionately that the time just flew by not wanting the period to end. He will be deeply missed. The world lost a treasure indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. "

"Several great memories come to mind when thinking of Mr. Gilbert. Mostly, his enthusiasm for teaching, horses & his family. He was so very proud of all of his kids and loved to talk about their accomplishments! My thoughts & prayers go out to Jake, Jamie, Jeremy & Wendy!"

"It has been many years (18 yrs?) since I have seen Harold Gilbert. I remember him fondly from the Keokuk Saddle Club and the horse racing community. He always had an encouraging word and was an all around happy guy. It was an honor to have known him and riden his horses (Eddie May, Geminsky...) Prayers and wishes of peace to his family. Sincerely, Mary Hausch"

"Rest In Peace Mr.Gilbert! You Was A Great Teacher And Friend!!"

"Mr. Gilbert was the one teacher who I always knew didn't care about your upbringing or what family you came from. He was the fairest and most fun teacher ever. As I grew up, left and came back he became a friend of mine and always made me laugh.... You will be missed Harold."

"Wow. What to say about Mr. Gilbert. He had passion, drive, and a love for teaching, and it is evident that he touched so many people. I feel like he truly loved and cared about each of his students. What a wonderful man. Heaven watch out and make room... "The emperor is coming!" I will never forget him saying that while walking down the hallway at the middle school..."

"I can't believe that its been ten years since I was in his class. Mr. Gilbert was easily the best teacher in Middle School and definitely in my personal Top 5. His class was the highlight of the day and, even after sixth grade, he would always take the time to ask how you were doing. Mr. Gilbert will always be remembered."

"Mr. Gilbert taught me how important being prepared and studying was for learning. The first semester of junior high I earned a C in his class which dropped my GPA to below 3.0. I thought I could take his tests and pass without looking at a book. Ever since then I maintained a GPA higher than 3.0 by studying and working hard for my good grades. I've regretted that grade ever since but yet now can appreciate the lesson that I learned in return. Thank you Harlod Gilbert."

" I remember Harold as a kid at our house.He loved my dad(webb davis)so much.I remember them calling each other crazy leggs and sweet lips.They had so much fun together.Harold always kept us laughing.He was a joy to be around.My prayers and thoughts go out to all of you at this time of sorrow.He will be greatly missed."

"Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful teacher and, although he might not have known it (and that does sadden me), he gave students like myself a great gift: a springboard for our intellectual development. I've used that springboard to launch myself into things of which I never expected to do/see. This is an unfortunate loss for the community and I send my deepest condolences to the family. "

"Mr. Gilbert was a great teacher and a wonderful person. He will be missed greatly!! My heart goes out to the family. "

"Mr. Gilbert was my favorite teacher!! He was my sixth grade teacher at Washington Central and always made learning fun. He made learning math fun by having races figuring math equations (and we were competitive.) He had a wicked curve ball when he "pitched" the kickball. Mr. Gilbert was always praising the students and always wore a smile. He will always be remembered as a teacher who made a difference in childrens lives."

"I remember Harold always greeted me and others with a smile. He was a positive person and dedicated educator. He will be greatly missed. Our love and sympathies go to Wendy and the rest of the family. Love, Tim and Barb Patterson"

"I went to Keokuk High School with Kentucky and he never had a bad word to say about anyone. He was a gentleman and spoke to everyone. We had seen him at auctions in Quincy and that was something he seemed to enjoy. Remembered us after all the years. I 'm very proud to have known him."

"Mr. Gilbert was and always will be my favorite teacher in school. I still remember walking into his room in the old middle school when and seeing his suit of armor in the room and chess boards set up everywhere. He was such a great teacher and a wonderful inspiration to us all! We will all miss you very much! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!"

"He was a great teacher! He made learning fun! But more importantly he was a great man!"

"Mr. Gilbert was one of the only teachers I had that actually made an impact on my learning. Im positive that there are many many more lives that you have impacted the same way as mine. Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. I think I learned more your history class then any other history class after that. Mr. Gilbert was always talking about his horses, Kentucky, and of course his favorite Greek Mythology, which quickly became one of my favorites as well and to this day. The best memory I have of Mr. Gilbert was when we were doing family trees. He told us when we came to someone in our family born in a different country, stop and hand it in. So I wrote my name at the top, wrote my moms name on it and handed it back to him. He told me that I wasn't done with the assingment, I giggled and told him that my mom was born in Austria, I dont think he really believed me cause he told me to bring in her birth certificate, so i did and it was all in German. Thank you Mr. Gilbert for being one of the greatest teachers a student could ask for, you will be greatly missed. To the family, I am very sorry for your loss, the world has lost a very very great man!"

"Mr. Gilbert was the best teacher I ever had. As a teacher, he made such an indelible impression on my mind that social studies became my greatest passion and my life's vocation. I literally just started my student-teaching semester last week and I will be teaching world history. Mr. Gilbert: you were the teacher I aspire to be. This one is for you. "

"My sister Rena had him for a teacher(6th grade) and he taught her how to play chess and that he was the best teacher she ever had. I had the pleasure of going on horseback trail rides with him and called him Mr. Giddy up Gilbert and of course had a school kid crush on him. My thoughts and prayers to his family. He was well thought of and will be greatly missed."

"My heart goes out to the Gilbert family. Middle school was a long time ago, but I can still hear him say"Time flies when you're having fun with your favorite teacher!" Just like it was yesterday!He was a great teacher! I am so sorry for your loss. Thoughts & Prayers for you y'all!!!! "

"Mr. Gilbert was definitely one of my favorite teachers in Middle School and he will be sorely missed. He is the only person in the whole world that could keep me entertained with stories of horses and games of chess. I will miss Mr. Gilbert very much."

"I met and became a Friend of Kentucky when he moved to Keokuk playing on the hill across from his home by St. Vincent's school. Tom Jones wishes he had half of Kentucky's charisma and ability to tell a story. We were fortunate to have contact in Keokuk since our "66 HS graduation. I am grateful to Kentucky for all the laughs, friendship, and great memories. My heart goes out to his loved ones for their great loss. Remember Kentucky's happy heart and spirit ......... he expects you and me to follow his example every day making it all it can be for ourselves and the people in our lives."

"I am shaking and crying as I type this. I never thought I would be thinking of Harold not being here to tell us all about history or the new horse he has to race.. Harold was a big part of me growing up. My dad (Jack) loved to sit down and tell stories about horse racing with Harold.. You could never get them to stop. I loved listening to them tell the stories. It's hard to put in words how much he meant to me and my family. He made us all laugh and made our day a little bit better. God bless Wendi and the kids. He was one of the best. Rest in peace (Flapper) Harold... "

"Way back in the old days it was so fascinating to sit and listen to Kentuck talk about horses; he was always a gentleman and a friend and he will be missed."

"It was only two months ago that I was able to see Mr. Gilbert in one of his proudest moments, when Jacob graduated with his teaching degree. You could see the love and happiness in his eyes and it was amazing to see him as a father with such pride. I had a crush on Mr. Gilbert and remember my heart skipping a beat when Jacob told me who his father was and that he was actually in the audience. When we were reaquainted it was like he hadn't changed or aged at all, he was still MR. GILBERT. I am so sorry for your lose and the huge lose of the community what a great person to have such a short life. RIP Mr. Gilbert and thank you for being one of those teachers that encouraged others to take your path with pride and eagerness. Amy S. Hanlin"

"Whenever me and my friends talk about our favorite old teachers Mr. Gilbert is always brought up, he was an awesome person and so full of energy it seemed like. He was an amazing person!! Thank you and RIP Mr. Gilbert. God bless."

"Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful man. He always put his heart and soul into his teaching. He was the type of teacher that nobody will ever forget. Thoughts and Prayers are with the family!!"

"He was a great guy all around! He was my favorite teacher and made it fun when i was in school! He was also good friends with my Grandpa, Robert Dye. Im praying for the family, my you find comfort in the memories you have! God bless you all! "

"I knew Mr. Gilbert thought my kids. They would always say what a great teacher he is. He will be missed by alot of people. Wendy if there is anything I can do for you. Just let me know. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Patty Tichenor"

"I did not know Mr. Gilbert, but I know his daughter, Jamie! She is an amazing person and awesome teacher. I am sure she got some of that from her Dad. Everyone is in our prayers."

"Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful person and the best teacher !! He will be missed by us all .Wendy and famliy you are in our thoughts and prayers."

"One of the greatest teachers of all time. Mr. Gilbert was loved by all. "

"He was one of those teachers a student never forgot about. Im included in that list..."

"My Daughter would always talk about this wonderful teacher and how she had this childhood crush on him. Then I met him and through my parents and he always seemed to be a very happy man. My parents and my family send all their prayers to your family. Frances Cooper & Sharon Duncan Family."

"Our heartfelt sympathies to you all. I so enjoyed Harold as a fellow employee when I worked at KMS. He was a wonderful teacher and the kids and staff loved him. I will never see a suit of armor without thinking of him! Mike was glad his old truck went to a good home when Harold bought it many years ago. He was a wonderful and joyful person and will be missed. "

"The thing I remember most about Mr. Gilbert was how full of life he was. He was always in high spirits with a smile on his face. I think I learned more about history in his class than I did in any other class that I took. He made assignments interesting-like the time he had us carve Egyptian monuments out of soap. He always spoke highly of his family and his southern roots, and I know I can speak for everyone when I say that he will be dearly missed. "

"I will always remember Mr Gilbert. He was everyones favorite teacher. Im so glad I was able to visit with him a few weeks ago at the chinese resturaunt. Wendy and family you will all be in my thoughts and prayers. May God hold you and confort you."

"I have many memories of mr.Gilbert starting as early as friday when h told me to stop talking to Wndy so they can get a move on....i love her. Oh, junior high memories were awesome he was an amazing teacher, mentor and friend, an all around amazing person.As an adult knowing him was even more amazing, chatting with him was like knowing he still cared about all of us. I will miss him like crazy and Wendy be proud of how wonderful he was and how fortunate you are to have many years with him, as young teenagres you were the enemy we loved him.....we were jealous, now we just feel blessed. Ilove ya gal, chin up and ill come see ya when things settle down or stop in to the station........God bless you and you're family. Cyndy Six"

"My Thoughts and prayers are with all that have had the opportunity to know such a great man, he will be missed. Mr. Gilbert has gone on now to teach Children that are on the other side. We will truly miss your presents Mr. Gilbert, but you will always be in our hearts and memories. God Bless You and your family"

"Wendy, Andy and I were shocked and so sad when we heard the news of "Flapper". He was such a great guy and my children both adored him as a teacher! I am so sorry for you and the kids loss as he loved you guys so much. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. "

"My heart goes out to the Gilbert family. Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful teacher and an outstanding person. He will be greatly missed. Prayers to his wife and children. "

"I remember Mr. Gilbert from middle school he taught me how to play chess, which i have passed on to my children. My favorite memory of him was when he would make his armor knight talk in class. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and this difficult time."

"I was so saddened to hear about Mr. Gilbert's passing. He was such an amazing teacher. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. "

"Mr. Gilbert was an amazing teacher. I always enjoyed his class. Especially when he would get us all excited and say "ok class we are going on a field trip....we are going to go to france and look at the flying buttresses", of course we knew we weren't going but it got our attention. :) He will be truly missed and my heart goes out to his family. "

"So sorry for your Lost.Mr.Gilbert was a wonderful teacher.I can still hear him telling me to set down!!lol.Prayers go out to the Family.From the Walker Family"

"Mr. Gilbert was one of my favorite teachers also...He had a great personality and cared about all his students. He will be greatly missed. God Bless his family in their loss!"

"I will never forget Mr Gilbert, he was a great teacher and wonderful man. My heart goes out to the family. "

"I will never forget Mr. Gilbert... He was a great teacher... He always would make us laugh in the hallways between classes with some kind of joke and he always had a smile on his face... He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.. My prayers and sympathy goes to the family.."

"Thanks for teaching me how to play chess. Im still not very good at it. Condolences to the family."

"So sorry to hear about your loss. I was shocked to hear about Harold passing. He was always so friendly anytime I saw Wendy and him at horse events. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. "

"Mr Gilbert you will be truely missed, my biggest memory of him was the stories he always told of his love of horses and raising them he showed great pleasure in doing so I will truely miss him as a teacher and a great story teller.Tresa"

"I was shocked and saddened to hear of Harold's passing. I visited with him Thursday morning while he was taking care of his horses. Wendy we are so sorry for your loss. We will continue to pray for you and your family. I am sorry we will be unable to attend the memorial service. We left for Houston Thursday noon. "

"Mr. Gilbert was a wonderful teacher whom I remember with great fondness. My sympathy goes to the family in their time of grieving. "

"I met Harold when he walked into our coin store 2 years ago. He had such a wonderful smile and personality. You could feel the genuine warmth from him from a mile away. He will be sorely missed. Harold was a gentleman and a friend."

"I will never forget my favorite history teacher. His love for the subject shone through in his teaching. What an amazing guy!"

"Mr. Gilbert was the teacher that expected the best out of his students and we delivered. I LOVED learning about Greek Mythology, playing chess in his class and the suit of armor that hung in the corner of the classroom. Mr. Gilbert inspired so many of us, including myself, to reach beyond what we thought was possible. He was also one of my inspirations to go into the teaching field. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Jeremy, I know how much you loved and admired your dad. Your high school class of 1992 is there for you."

"I was so saddened to hear about Harold's passing. He was such an amazing teacher and man. I had Mr. Gilbert as my 6th grade history teacher. Jamie and family, my thoughts are prayers are with you. "

"Thoughts and prayers to the Gilbert family, Mr. Gilbert was an amazing teacher. Getting to know him through Jacob was such a joy, he had so much pride in his family. "

"I want to send my prayers out to Wendy and the kids. Harold was such a great person. He will be missed tremendously."

"I learned how to play chess in Mr Gilbert's class.He was a gentleman and a man I have always admired. I looked forward to his class every day."

"I had Mr Gilbert in 6th grade. He was one of my favorite teachers. What I remember most about him was his love for Greek mythology!!!"