Edward "Ed" Gahlbeck, 73, of Belvidere, IL passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2020 surrounded by his loving family. Ed was born on October 23, 1946 to Richard and Marjorie (Luce) Gahlbeck in Belvidere, IL. He married his high school sweetheart, Linda Koch, on December 30, 1967 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Belvidere. Ed graduated from Belvidere High School and later went on to work at Cassens Transport as a truck driver for over 30 years. He found his spiritual home at Immanuel Lutheran Church and was a faithful member for many years. Ed was a member of the Teamsters Local 325, for which he served as Union Stewart for Cassens. He was also the former vice president of the union. Ed was a member of the original Belvidere Merchants Softball team. He played 1st base, was the clean-up hitter, and was known for his homeruns. Ed enjoyed fishing, playing softball, polka dancing, watching Nascar, and entertaining his friends and family at the cabin on Eagle Lake. His grandchildren became the center of his universe, and he was always their biggest fan. Most importantly, he loved his family, and they cherished the time they had with him.

Ed will be dearly missed by his wife of 52 years, Linda; his children, Sherry (Paul) Jacobsen and Scott (Dawn) Gahlbeck; his sisters, Shirley Ollman and Carol Powell; his grandchildren, Matthew, Bryce, and Allison Jacobsen, and Barrett Gahlbeck; and his many close friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John Gahlbeck.

A walk-through visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. on Friday, August 28, 2020 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1045 Belvidere Rd, Belvidere, IL 61008. The funeral will follow at 12:00 p.m., Friday, August 28, 2020 at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Rev. Keith Richard will be officiating. With a burial at Belvidere Cemetery. In accordance with state guidelines, only 100 people will be allowed in the church during the visitation and funeral ceremony. Due to state guidelines, masks and social distancing are encouraged. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ed's name may be gifted to the American Diabetes Association. To write a memory, please visit www.AndersonFCS.com.