Gabriel "Gabe" Hartley

Gabriel "Gabe" James Hartley, 20, of Columbia City, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, August 1, 2020. Born March 21, 2000 at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, he was the son of Matthew William Hartley and Julie (Lawhorne) Shifflett.

Gabe attended Columbia City High School and worked at a local farm near his home. More recently he started working at General Motors in Fort Wayne. Gabe enjoyed being outdoors, riding four wheelers, working on cars, fishing, being with friends and was a skilled bowler. Gabe was spontaneous, had a big heart, cared for others and would help anyone in need. He was inspiring to be a police officer or a public speaker.

Survivors include his father, Matt (Megan) Hartley, of Columbia City; mother, Julie (Cris) Shifflett, of Fort Wayne; siblings, Aubree Hartley, Matthew Hartley, Tyler Olsen, Tristen Shifflett and CJ Shifflett; and grandparents, Jim and Betty Hartley of Roanoke and Annette Lawhorne of New Haven.

A gathering of family and friends will be 3 to 7 p.m., Friday, August 7, 2020 at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. With the current Executive Order, face masks are required for attendance. With limited seating, the funeral service will be private for the family but may be watched live on Facebook through DeMoney Grimes Live 10 a.m. Saturday. Pastor Jerry Blanchard will be officiating. Gabe will be laid to rest at South Park Annex Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given in memory to The Center in Columbia City. Visit www.DeMoneyGrimes.com to sign the online guest book or send Gabe's family online condolences.