Gregory Gruber

Gregory George Gruber, age 64, of Carroll, IA., passed away on Monday, June 29, 2026 at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines due to a heart attack as a result of oxygen deficiency.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July 6, 2026 at Holy Spirit Church - St. John II Parish in Carroll with Fr. Patrick Behm as Celebrant assisted by Deacon Alan Loew. Lector for the Mass will be John Steffes. Gift bearers will be Dr. Katie Fitzpatrick and Kelly Fitzpatrick. Casket bearers will be Eric Berger, Gary Steffes, Keith Gehling, Chris Satterwhite, Mike Mertes, and Max Reincke. The Kuemper Football team will form an honor guard at the funeral Mass. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll following the Mass.

Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll on Sunday, July 5 from 3-5 p.m. with a Christian Wake Service at 5:00 p.m. The casket will be moved to Holy Spirit Church at 9:30 a.m. on Monday where visitation will resume until 10:15 a.m. prior to the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Kuemper Catholic School Foundation and may be left at the funeral home or the church. You may also donate online at https://kuemper.org/donate-now

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com.

Born on July 14, 1961 in Carroll, IA, Greg was the son of George and Dorothy (Gross) Gruber. He grew up in Carroll surrounded by many neighborhood children who gave him his nickname “Goob” and became his lifelong friends. He attended Holy Spirit Catholic Grade School and graduated from Carroll High School in Special Education where Russ Steinkamp was his favorite teacher!

He attended Northwest Iowa CC in Sheldon for one year following graduation to learn janitorial maintenance. He was employed by Carroll Community Schools as a janitor and then began a 35-year career working for Fareway Food Stores. He was always eager to go to work and loved being around people. He knew their regular shopping days and always questioned when they didn’t come on the day they were supposed to! He was quick with a smile and smart comeback with whatever you might say to him. He was so PROUD to be a Fareway employee and made sure you knew that he worked there!

He was a passionate sports fan and followed the Iowa State Cyclones, Kuemper Catholic Knights, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and any team Nick Nurse played on or was coaching. He enjoyed listening to the radio broadcasts of ISU football and basketball while watching the TV with no sound because he thought the announcers were terrible and talked too much. He was quite a treat to watch a game with as he really got into it. Once in a while we had to remind him to be a good sport….

Coach Justin Penner hired Coach Gruber to be on his Kuemper football staff in 2006 and he was an integral part of the State Championship teams in 2013 and 2025.

Many people have remarked how coming into Fareway and seeing Greg out in the community at events made their day. He was one of a kind and our community has certainly been made better with Greg in it.

Greg is survived by his guardians, Tim and Anna Fitzpatrick and their daughters Dr. Katie Fitzpatrick of Ankeny and Kelly Fitzpatrick of Carroll, former guardian Cleone Hermsen and family, special friend Tom Derner, Mike and Linda Berger and family, his awesome Fareway family, and many extended relatives and countless good friends.

Gregory was preceded in death by his parents Dorothy and George Gruber, his step-mother Wilfreda Wendl Gruber and his former guardian Frank Hermsen.

He leaves a legacy of service, happiness, enthusiasm, and a zest for life that we should all strive for…and as Greg would say…..Yeah, right!