Willie Harold Gage Sr.

Willie Harold Gage Sr., age 83, of Freeport, IL, peacefully departed this life on Sunday morning, November 27, 2016, at Freeport Memorial Hospital, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was born June 17, 1933, in Quitman, MS; the son of the late Jessie Gage Sr. and the late Mary Gage Smith; and raised by his stepfather the late Albert Smith Sr. Willie received his formal education at Shirley Owens High School, in the graduating class of 1952. He was united in holy matrimony to his high school sweetheart Loretta Evelyn Gage on November, 20, 1957 in Chicago, IL; she departed this earth on October 3, 2013. Willie was an Army Veteran, and was drafted May of 1953, during the time of the Vietnam War. He was a hard worker, throughout his life he has worked for Stover Tank, Stephenson Nursing Center, Progressive Mold, and Heine Plastics. He was a musician and loved to play the organ, keyboard, piano, saxophone, drums, and guitar. Willie was the founding member of the band called "Willie and the Poor Boys", which played at numerous wedding receptions in the area. He attended First Church of God. He was a devoted dad and granddad. Willie is predeceased by his wife Loretta, parents, stepdad, three brothers, Jessie (Cleo) Gage Jr.; Lyman Earl "Toby" Gage; Albert "Sonny" Smith Jr.; two sisters, Rose Marie (Charles Sr.-deceased) Chisolm; and Maude Jean (Albert-deceased) Evans; one son-in-law, Mark Dumars; and one great grandson, Latereise Gage Jr. He is survived by, nine children Danny (Lilly) Nicholson; Gale Suzette (Mark-deceased) Dumars; Willie Harold Gage Jr.; Ronald Earl Gage; Dwayne Edward (Pamela) Gage; Cheryl Yvette (Ricky) Erving; Tracy (Regina) Gage Simmons; Alan Maurice Gage; and Antoinette Gage. Thirteen grandchildren, Latereise, Angel, Alicia, Anton, Shanna, Darius, and Deron Gage, Rachel (Clay) Sockwell, Stacy (Gary) Shorter, Darnell Simmons, Aretha Thompson, Gwendolyn Simpson, Courtney (Yolanda) Alexander, Danny Jr. and Tequenna Nicholson, and Tracy Simmons Jr.. Twenty-four great-grandchildren and one great great-grandchild, a loving nephew; Clarence "Donald" (Bernadine) Gage, and a host of caring and loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday December 10, 2016 at First Church of God. Pastor Reginald D. McGee will officiate. Visitation will be 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday December 9, 2016 at Burke Tubbs Funeral Home. There will also be a visitation from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday December 10, 2016. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. A memorial has been established in Willie's memory. Please sign his guestbook and share a memory at www.burketubbs.com.