Louis Miles Gamble Jr.

With heavy hearts we announce that Louis Miles Gamble, Jr. passed away on Friday, May 12, 2023 in Aurora Illinois. Lou, or “Gene” as he was known to his family, had been suffering from a serious heart condition - cardiac amyloidosis - for nearly 7 years. He was 72 years old. Lou was born and grew up in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago and attended Catholic schools, Holy Cross Elementary School and Mendel Catholic High School, class of 1968. He went on to study at Colgate University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government and graduated with honors. At Colgate he was a founding member of the Africana, Latin, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center. He also co-hosted a campus radio program of jazz and R&B music. After Colgate, he pursued post graduate studies in Public Administration and Urban Planning at New York University in New York City. Lou began his career in New York working on a demonstration program with Housing and Urban Development in Nassau County, and then with the Allstate Insurance Company. He returned to Chicago where he worked with youth programs in the Chicago Department of Human Services, and ultimately achieved the position of Division Manager at the Regional Transportation Authority. Lou was a talented athlete from a very young age, playing on football and softball teams in elementary school, football in high school and rugby in college. He was an enthusiastic fan of all of the Chicago sports teams, especially the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Bulls! While growing up, Lou was introduced to the passion of golf by his father, “Gamble”, who was an avid golfer himself. As an adult, Lou worked to develop the caddy program at Jackson Park Golf Course on the south side of Chicago, coached the golf team at Hales Franciscan High School, and taught golf to aspiring young students at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. Lou also served as a starter at Cog Hill and worked to host the PGA’s Western Open Tournament for the many years it was held at Cog Hill. Lou was an active member of the St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Hyde Park, Chicago, where he served as a lector from 1996-2002 before moving to Aurora, Illinois. One of his favorite readings was the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, a message about the gift of love. At his sister’s wedding Lou said, “ at times like this, I guess….it’s kind of hard to talk about feelings and emotions, but the number one feeling and emotion that we all share today is the gift of love.” Those of us who knew him well are comforted by the way he expressed his love to all of us easily and often. Throughout his life, family and friends were his entire world. He was devoted and beloved. His friends have described him as “a lovely man”, “one of a kind” and “someone who led with his heart”. He was a loving brother to his sisters Tracy Caire Gamble, Kimberly Alyece Gamble-Payne, his brother-in-law Neil Payne, and loving uncle to his niece, Melissa Alyece Payne. Lou was devoted to his partner of more than 30 years, his beloved Sandra Torges. He is also survived by his dear cousins Michele Dolphin, Woodrow “Butch” Dolphin, McHenry “Skip” Norman, Ann Herbert Perrone, and their children. Lou is preceded in death by his parents Louis Miles Gamble, Sr. and Alyece Bena Caire Gamble, and his cousin Karl Lance Dolphin. He has been, and will always remain, a vital part of our lives. As Robert Sengstacke Abbott, founder of the Chicago Defender, said, and this can certainly be said of Lou: “No greater glory, no greater honor, is the lot of man departing than a feeling possessed deep in his heart that the world is a better place for his having lived.” His inurnment service will be held at Oak Woods cemetery on the South Side of Chicago on 7 June 2023 at 12 noon. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Amyloidosis Foundation, Amyloidosis Research Consortium or a charity of your choice.