Oakley community honors memory of Alexis Gabe with "kindness day"
OAKLEY -- Two years ago, Alexis Gabe from Oakley went to visit her boyfriend. She never came back.
It's been a terribly difficult two years as family members tried to determine what happened. On the second anniversary of her death, the family wanted to turn sadness into kindness.
For the Gabe family, a bench in Oakley's Civic Center Park is one of the places they come to to connect with their daughter Alexis.
"It's tough, especially with my wife. She's still having a hard time but we are slowly healing from this," Alexis' father Gwyn Gabe said.
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While the Gabes have been consumed by sorrow, they want their daughter remembered for who she was -- a young woman with a generous heart.
"Instead of dwelling on the sadness of her passing, we decided to transform it to a day of giving and compassion," Gabe said.
Gwyn Gabe declared Jan. 26 "kindness day" and the community's response was overwhelming.
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Sharon Kuykendall delivered doughnuts to the officers who worked countless hours on the case.
"Oakley PD, a lot of them have been at the events, supported us on the searches so I just wanted to give back to them because they're always last that comes in. We need them," Kuykendall said.
Kristi Ehrlich from Concord posted a video on social media saying "They just went through a loss. They completely broke down and were so touched that I took the time to call them."
For the Gabe family, seeing all the acts of kindness helped them get through a difficult day.
"Every bit of kindness, no matter how big or small, makes a difference," Gabe said.
The Gabe family was also touched by the Antioch Police Department's act of kindness. After months of not hearing back, the family finally received the files from this case.
