Mossie Gilbert

Mossie Lee Gilbert, loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away in Louisville on May 18, 2019, at the age of 90.

Mossie was born during the Great Depression and grew up in coal mining country in West Virginia.  She was the second-oldest of twelve children in her family, and she served as a second mother for several of them.  At age twenty, she met the love of her life, Bill, after he returned to West Virginia following World War II.  They married in 1950, and Bill worked as a coal miner for a short time.  In search of new opportunities, the young couple picked up and moved to Louisville, based on nothing more than Mossie’s brother’s comment that he’d driven through there once and thought it looked like a nice town.

Mossie and Bill worked hard and made Louisville their permanent home.  They raised their children, Jay and Deena, there, and they made countless contributions to family, friends, and community.  Mossie was known as a great cook.  (Her grandkids swear that her grilled cheese sandwiches were the world’s best!)  She also enjoyed sewing, gardening, listening to country music, and hosting family gatherings.

Mossie worked for decades with the outreach program for the Jefferson County Public Schools, where she convinced numerous teenagers to return to high school and to earn their diplomas.  She also did volunteer work with the American Red Cross for twenty years.  In addition, she served as a member and president for local elementary and high school PTA chapters and earned lifetime memberships with the Kentucky and National PTA organizations.

Mossie was an affectionate and dedicated mother and wife.  She was kind and generous to everyone she encountered, and she was loved and admired by all.  She’ll be missed terribly and remembered lovingly.

Mossie is preceded in death by William E. Gilbert, her husband of fifty-nine years, and by her sister Violet Wolfe and brother Bill McNeeley.  She is survived by her son Jay Gilbert (wife Larisa, and children Eddy, Mike and Anne Elise); her daughter Deena Madison (children Tori and Brie); and by nine siblings and many dear friends.

Visitation will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, at Louisville Memorial Gardens West Funeral Home, 4400 Dixie Highway, in Shively.  The funeral service will follow immediately thereafter.

Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.