Gavula

Robert J. 'Bob' Gavula, 55, of Butler died Monday at the emergency room of Butler Memorial Hospital.

Born March 18, 1951, in Butler, he was the son of the late Andrew and Mary Krul Gavula.

He was a senior consultant in risk engineering for Zurich Insurance at the time of his death. Prior to that he had worked for Industrial Risk Insurers for 27 years. He had worked his way up to assistant vice president of engineering, and he had the sole distinction of having held every position associated with the engineering field for the company.

He was a member of St. Fidelis Roman Catholic Church in Lyndora, the NFPA, the NFPA International Industrial Fire Protection Section, the NFPA Building Fire Safety Systems Section, the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and he was a life member of the Lyndora Volunteer Fire Company.

He also was an avid wood carver, furniture maker and golfer.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara M. Sinz Gavula, whom he married Aug. 4, 1973; two daughters, Jody E. Freytag, DDS, and her husband, Matthew Freytag, DDS, of Waterville, Ohio, and Suzanne M. Jervis, and her husband, Matthew G., of Philadelphia; two granddaughters, Katie and Lizzie Freytag; and a brother, Richard A. Gavula, and his wife, Patricia, of Butler.

<B>Gavula</B> — Friends of Robert J. 'Bob' Gavula, who died Monday, Jan. 8, 2007, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the <B>Geibel Funeral Home</B>, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler.A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Fidelis Roman Catholic Church, 303 Penn Ave., Lyndora. The Rev. James Murphy will officiate.Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Butler.Members of St. Fidelis Parish will meet at 3 p.m. today at the funeral home for a prayer service.