Master Sgt. Yuval Gabay, 35: Dog lover and devoted Hapoel Tel Aviv fan
Killed on his way to reserve duty in the West Bank on October 7
Master Sgt. (res.) Yuval Gabay, 35, who lived in Rehovot, was shot dead in the West Bank on October 7 after he was called up to reserve duty that day.
He is survived by his longtime girlfriend, Tair, his parents Milka and Shabtay, and younger siblings Alon and Yael.
A funeral was held in Holon on October 16, but he was buried in the military section of the Kibbutz Re’im cemetery, where he grew up. The burial took place under heavy security and cover of darkness since the kibbutz was evacuated amid the war.
Yuval, who worked in real estate, was remembered as a huge animal lover, a big fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv with a joy for life and cynical sense of humor.
His father, Shabtay, wrote on Facebook that “a heavy loss has fallen on me and my beloved family with the death of my firstborn son, Yuval, on Saturday when he was called to reserves.”
Shabtay wrote that “the heavens have fallen upon us and on the family, both close and extended. Yuval was our beloved son, respectful, moral, an athlete, a fan, a special person whose great qualities cannot be described in words.”
“Our Yuval is here no longer, and his death has numbed my two hands, if only I could have gone instead of him,” his father continued. “I will be strong only for those close to me… our lives will never be the same.”
His cousin, Cochi Mizrachi, recalled on Facebook visiting Yuval and his family on the kibbutz during their childhood, which was “like the Garden of Eden.”
“Since the news that you were killed, we, the entire extended Gabay family are in shock, in a nightmare. Your parents Milka and Shabtay are shattered, and Tair your girlfriend of 15 years, is destroyed. Your sister Yael and your brother Alon cannot find any peace,” she wrote. “I will never forget you. Never.”
At his funeral, his brother, Alon Gabay, said, “I loved being your younger brother, so close in age, different from you and similar to you. I enjoyed our constant competition: Who was better at sports, who looked better, who was physically stronger.”
“Here at your funeral, I am ready to admit — you were definitely the stronger one,” he said. “But don’t get too excited — over the past week, I have been called Yuval a number of times. Quite a few people told me that I laugh, move and act like you. I was so happy to hear that, because perhaps it means that something of you has remained with us, with me.”
Yuval’s girlfriend, Tair Dinur, wrote on Facebook that he “was everything to me, the light and the joy in my life. I don’t have the words to describe the enormity of the loss. I can’t live without you, I can’t breathe without you. How can I continue living without my other half? Your love was the source of my life.”
After their 15 years together, she wrote, “I can’t find the words to part from you because I do not want to part from you, I am not ready to part from you. There’s so much more that I want to say to you, please come back. Just tell me it was all a mistake. I’m not whole without you.”
The Times of Israel Community.