MITCHELL – Harley “Kenny” Kenneth Gilbert, 84, passed away Monday, July 13, 2026, at his residence.
There are people who pass through this world, and then there are people who leave fingerprints on every heart they touch.
Harley Kenneth Gilbert, Kenny was one of those people.
If you ever met Kenny, chances are you walked away smiling. He was the kind of man who never met a stranger, always had a joke ready, and could make you feel like you’d been friends for years. His heart was as big as his laugh, and his greatest joy was simply making life a little brighter for the people around him. Simply put, he was the kindest man who ever was.
Kenny was born on July 26, 1941, in Shoals, Indiana, to Oscar Emery and Myrtle Jane Gilbert. On June 28, 1964, in Frankfort, Indiana, he married the love of his life, Constance Lee Harris. Their marriage was a beautiful testament to enduring love, built on faith, laughter, unwavering devotion, and countless everyday moments that became a lifetime together.
He retired in 2006 as Head of Maintenance and Engineering at Bloomington Hospital after years of faithful service. Kenny was happiest when he was building something with his hands. Whether crafting beautiful woodworking projects, building birdhouses, or working in the yard. He stayed busy.
When the work was done, Kenny knew how to enjoy life. As speed limits were recommendations and signs were nearly suggestions.
He loved the roar of race cars, whether he was sitting in the stands at the local track or planted in front of the television cheering on NASCAR every weekend. He loved driving trucks, squirrel hunting, and spending fall days picking persimmons. If there was a chance to be outdoors, he was all in.
And if there was an opportunity to play a harmless ornery joke on someone… he probably started planning it before you even arrived.
Family and friends quickly learned to be on guard around Kenny. He delighted in convincing newcomers that the best way to get down from a tree was to “ride it to the ground.” If you know, you know. If you don’t… Kenny probably would have had you believing him anyway.
He knew the words to more songs and rhymes than anyone could count and sang them often. His grandchildren grew up listening to bedtime stories about Peter Cottontail and all of his adventures. He loved to share about growing up in Shoals, his life starting out when they first got married, and all of his travels.
Kenny fiercely loved his family. They were his greatest pride, his greatest joy, and his greatest legacy.
He leaves behind the love of his life, his wife, Connie Lee Gilbert; his daughter, Lucinda Borecky (Steve); his grandchildren, Sarah Burnette (Joshua), Carolyn Harper (Joshua), Katharine Dille (Eric), and Lorinda Walker; and his treasured great-grandchildren, Emma, Greyson, Emery, Haylee, Mylie, Julian, Sawyer, Blake, Ella, Wyatt, and Delinda.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Myrtle Gilbert; his beloved daughter, Melinda Walker; and his siblings Ruby Holt, Vernon, Charles, Arthur, Carl, Junior, and Dallas Gilbert.
Kenny was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness on March 14, 1973, in Port Charlotte, Florida. His faith quietly guided his life, and he often found comfort in Daniel Chapter 12 and the promise of Psalm 91:14:
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.”
Some people leave behind wealth. Others leave behind accomplishments.
Kenny left behind stories.
Stories that will be retold around kitchen tables. Stories that will be laughed over at family gatherings. Stories about songs, race days, woodworking projects, squirrel hunts, persimmon trees, bedtime adventures, and one unforgettable man who could make an ordinary day feel like the best day of the year.
Cremation has been chosen.
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