Gerald Marshall Singleton

Gerald Marshall Singleton, 79, of Brazil, passed away Wednesday, July 15, in Terre Haute, Ind. Born November 15, 1946, in Morgan County, Ind., he was the son of James Harrison and Ruby Marie (Cooper) Singleton. They preceded him in death.

Marshall, as he was known to family and friends, graduated from Eminence High School in 1964. He married Brenda Dawn Pell on September 23, 2005. She survives.

Upon hearing of his passing, people have described Marshall in many ways: gentle, wise, kind, strong, respected. He was a giant, a wise guy (in the best sense of the word), a one-of-a-kind, even a legend (and he has the hat and t-shirt to prove it). He was a collector of coffee cans, especially ones filled with nails pulled from boards and leftover nuts and bolts from DIY projects. He was stalwart in his desire to conserve electricity, toilet paper, and pennies. And he was a purveyor of all kinds of practical knowledge, like “Save everywhere you can, so you can spend everywhere you want.” No one could smoke a better brisket or pork shoulder, and in case you doubted it, all you had to do was ask Marshall himself. He was an unabashed fisher of compliments, and if no one had one for him, he’d give himself one. “This is the best peach cobbler I’ve ever made!”

Marshall had a way with words. He couldn’t resist sharing a good story or a perfectly devised pun with anyone who would listen, especially his kids, who all inherited the Singleton sense of humor, perfected over the generations. He was a whiz with his hands, designing and building furniture, remodeling the home he shared with Brenda many times over, and outfitting his back yard with a pool, a cabana, a fire pit, and other amenities that made their weekly pool parties a big hit. He also was a dog-Dad to his beloved Charlotte, who has brought Brenda and Marshall great joy over the past several years. Rumor has it that Charlotte turned out to be his favorite kid, though Marshall would neither confirm or deny it. Okay, actually he did confirm it. Charlotte misses him terribly.

Marshall held many jobs over the course of his life, but for the last 40 years, he worked for Daum Trucking in Plainfield, which became like a second family to him. He started out as a long-haul driver and eventually became the safety director, a job he worked full-time, commuting two hours a day, until the day he died. In addition to his paid job, Marshall held many other roles that he loved even more: committed husband, devoted son, loving father, caring brother and uncle, helpful neighbor, and loyal friend. Maybe his favorite role was being Pa to all his grandkids, who ranged in age from 6 to 33, and lived across several states. 

Most importantly, Marshall deeply loved and believed in Jesus. He was an avid student of the Bible, prayed often for those he cared about, and attended Maryland Community Church in Terre Haute. His family is deeply comforted with the knowledge that they will see him again one day.

Marshall is survived by his children Gerald M. (Carla) Singleton II, Bozeman, Mt.; Charity S. (Steven) Craig, Whitestown, Ind.; Nicholas T. (Abby) Singleton, Holly Springs, NC; Brookley (Robert) Hogan, Brazil, Ind.; Sierra M. (Troy) Sanders, Brazil, Ind.; Daniel (Becca) Pell, Reelsville, Ind.; and Skyann L. (Josh) Hardey, Brazil, Ind. He is also survived by his grandchildren Zachary Singleton, Erin Singleton, Kole Singleton, Nicholas Craig, Caleb Craig, Jacob Craig, Asher Singleton, Ollie Singleton, Rowan McGee, Bella Pell, Mason Pell, Khaiden Wyrick, Kholten Hogan, Sawyer Sanders, Sully Sanders, Jude Sanders, Milo Sanders, Bentley Deer, Luke Pell, J.B. Pell, Dawn Pell, River Hardey, and Shiloh Hardey. 

Visitation with the family will be at 3 - 6 p.m., Saturday, July 25, at Moore Funeral Home, 142 N Washington St., Brazil, Ind., followed by a funeral service at 6 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made in Marshall’s memory to House of Hope, 5525 U.S. 40, Brazil, IN 47834 (include Marshall Singleton in the Memo), or Clay Youth Food Program, 225 E. Kruzan St., Brazil, IN 47834 (make checks payable to Clay YMCA and include Food Program/Marshall Singleton in the Memo). Moore Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.

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