Obituary of Gabriel Busby

Gabriel Adam Busby was born to Julie (Ivanoff) Vanek in Pocatello on December 13, 1974. That day brought with it one of Pocatello's worst snow storms. In keeping with a trait that would come to epitomize his impact on others, Gabe's arrival brought peace and joy to an otherwise chaotic day. Gabe's valiant battle against cancer ended April 7, 2014 at his home in Boise, Idaho. For the record, Gabe did not lose his fight with cancer; time simply expired before he could fully mount his come-back. Gabe ultimately left this world exactly the way he entered it; in the warm embrace of his mother. As his caregiver for 8 months, Julie fought alongside Gabe as he pursued round after round of debilitating treatments in Boise and Seattle. He was 39 years old when time expired - behind but not beaten. Gabriel spent his youth in Pocatello, Idaho and later made his residence in Boise, Idaho. With each passing year, Gabe expanded his family with an extensive network of close friends that were drawn to his unique personality. He was masterful in his ability to create life-long relationships with people from diverse walks of life. He was a creative force and had an ability to turn the worst of the worst into something breathtaking and beautiful; be it landscaping a yard, remodeling a house or creating a restaurant. His ideas and talents were extraordinary; bringing value and beauty when others had long since given up hope and abandoned the cause. Three recurring descriptors for Gabe are used by the people who enjoyed his friendship throughout the years: helper, caretaker, fixer. He was his beloved Granny's best assistant baker, his younger sister Katie's hero, his best friend Cody's dearest comrade, his aunt Laurie's creative inspiration and his mother's greatest lesson in love. He sustained us all with his razor edged wit and arid sense of humor. He was maximum overdrive to any idea, plan, or project he undertook. As a child, Gabe could disassemble, reassemble and fix as easily as he created and invented. As an adult, Gabe spent most of his professional time in the food service industry. That said, his creative passion was cooking and Gabe became an accomplished chef. In 2012, the year of his diagnosis, Gabe realized a long-held dream to create his own restaurant by founding Luciano's Italian Restaurant in Boise. The success of Luciano's is a case study in the rewards of relentlessly pursuing a passion until an outcome is fully realized. Though he left this labor of love far too early, his legacy lives on as his patrons will enjoy the rich aroma wafting from a bowl of his classic cioppino and the explosion of flavor in the first bite of his Penne Luciano for years to come. He is survived by his mother, Julie (Ivanoff) Vanek, his sister Kathleen (Katie) Vanek, his grandparents Fabien and Joann Ivanoff, his paternal uncle Mike Busby and cousin Heather Busby, his maternal aunts and uncles Dave and Kathy Ivanoff, Jan and Mike Harwood, Barbara and Doug Driever, Dan and Laurie Ivanoff, Laurie and Matt McCandless, Maureen Ivanoff and Gregg McCandless, Kent and Robin Ivanoff, Vince Ivanoff, many cousins, and an impressive list of life-long friends. Gabe was kind, generous, loving, exuberant, smart, creative, talented, and hardworking. Those of us who knew him were enriched by our relationships with him. We will miss you Gabe, but you will live forever in our hearts! Funeral Services will be held at Summers Funeral Home, Saturday, April 19, at 2:00 pm.