Obituaries

Gail (Preble) Degavage, age 77, of Scranton, passed away Saturday evening at Geisinger Community Medical Center after a longtime illness.
Born on September 1, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York, Gail was the daughter of the late Stanley and Catherine (Russell) Preble.
The family moved to Scranton where she resided throughout her life. She worked in the local garment industry as a seamstress. Various health issues allowed her to retire and raise her sons full-time.
Gail will long be remembered for her talkative nature and ability to make friends where ever she went. She was a fixture on the local BINGO game circuit, an outlet she enjoyed with her friends and sisters. She enjoyed bus trips to the casino with her sisters, going fishing and long car rides with her long time companion, the late Michael Dranchak. Most recently she enjoyed the Heritage Trail on her Scooter while the kids had to keep up. She also enjoyed the time spent with her friends at the Washington West Apartments. But most of all she was a proud mother to her boys.
She is survived by her family, sons Paul Holmes and fiance Kathryn O’Brien of Scranton, Chuck Degavage and fiance Chrissy McDaniels of Scranton and Charlie Catania of Olyphant; siblings, Arthur Preble and wife Angie of Kutztown, Bernice DeMelfi of Hazelton and Thomas Preble of Taylor; grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her siblings, Dana Preble, Sharon Urash and Patricia Pasco; and three grandsons, most recently Benjamyn Owen Holmes on March 20, 2021.
Her family would like to acknowledge and thank the entire staff of LIFE Geisinger and Jennifer Pierce of Hematology & Oncology for years of superb care.
A celebration of Gail’s life is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM at the Kevin K. Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., 125 North Main Avenue, Scranton.
Family and friends may pay their respects on Saturday from 1:00 PM until services. Covid-19 precautions will be requested.