Clinical social worker and Evanston resident Mary G. Gaber, 57, died in her home on Thursday, Sept. 27 after a three-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Gaber had a private practice with offices in Evanston and Chicago. According to her son David Gaber, she worked with 50 to 60 adult patients. She received a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University in 1994.
David said his mother was motivated to become a social worker after seeing a family member overcome personal problems.
“She felt it was nice to see that people’s life not go to waste,” he said.
At the age of 6, Gaber developed what would be a lifelong passion for riding horses. She especially enjoyed riding in English-style competitions. Her son remembered his mother winning numerous trophies and ribbons from riding competitions.
Her favorite horse was named Mr. Chips. Gaber quit riding competitively when she was 22, but she continued to ride on occasion for leisure.
Before becoming a social worker, Gaber worked as a secretary for an investment counselor in Chicago, where she met her husband Stephen Gaber. They divorced in the early 1970s.
Gaber moved to Evanston in 1966 to raise her family. In the early 70s she moved to Wilmette, but returned to Evanston in the late 80s, where she lived until her death.
Gaber grew up in the rural town of Wayne. Her father, a national skeet-shooting champion, tried to teach his grandsons how to shoot skeet.
David Gaber’s favorite memories of his mother are of the times she spent with her grandchildren on the beaches of Evanston.
Gaber continued working in her private practice, even after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago. After a period of remission, her cancer returned last year and she underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy.
Funeral services were held Saturday at Lake Street Church in Evanston. Her son said he was touched by the hundreds of people who showed up for her funeral, despite the short notice.
Gaber is survived by her sons David, Jonathan and Christopher; her grandchildren Lucas, Eliza and Isabelle; a brother, J.Dickson Graff; and nephews Kevin Boyle, Timothy Boyle and Charles Graff.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program c/o Northwestern University Medical School, 710 N. Lake Shore Dr. #131, Chicago, IL, 60611-3078.
