Gilbert was born in the Civil Cantonment of the R.A.F. Station of Habbaniya, Iraq, on February 26, 1939, to Anny and Shmouel Shamasha Eshaya. His father, who was popularly known as Shmouel or Sam "Tittouna," was one of the finest of the local crop of Assyrian foot-ballers of the early golden years of soccer at Hinaidi and, later, at Habbaniya. He was a tough defender who played at fullback or center-half and kicked shots that boomed and zoomed! But like his short-lived son, he too died of a heart attack at the relatively young age of 60 in 1972!

Gilbert started his schooling at Habbaniya in 1946, but before he had acquired even an elementary education, his father left Habbaniya in 1950 and moved his family to Baghdad and, soon after, to Teheran, Iran. There Shmouel worked for the then Well known Assyrian transportation magnate, Shummon Biggini. Although Shmouel and Shummon were second cousins, their association unfortunately lasted only a couple of years, and Shmouel and family moved back to Baghdad in 1953.

This back-and-forth family relocation disrupted young Gilbert's education, for he had to switch from Arabic to Persian and back to Arabic in less than three years. Although in the process he apparently lost some interest in formal school — for he was barely into high school when he dropped out and started working — yet he seems to have had the urge to educate himself.

The seed of love for soccer sown in his heart in his pre-teen years at school and the proving soccer grounds of Habbaniya had already sprouted and taken root. His love for the game grew and matured, especially during his teenage years when he played for the Assyrian Sports Club of Baghdad from 1955 to 1958.

In 1958 Gilbert joined the Royal Iraqi Air Force and played for its team for two years. The stint hardened both his muscles and his soccer skill and gave him vital athletic exposure as an important player, for in 1960 he was chosen for the Iraqi Armed Forces Select team, and he played his first game on the team against the Syrian Army. In the same year, he also joined the Iraqi Police team. Although working for the Baghdad Municipalities Department, he played on the Police Combined team for the next 13 years in all their first- division competition matches, thus contributing to the several championships the team won. In 1963, at the age of 24, he got married to Florence, daughter of Mariam and Aprim Eshu.

In 1973, Gilbert and his family, left Iraq for Lebanon intention of emigrating to America like thousands of other Iraqi Assyrians through the refugee agencies opened there. While waiting for clearance in Beirut, he played soccer for Istiqlal Club, a Lebanese second division team.

Because of his display of superior soccer skill and visible team leadership, he was appointed to coach the team as well. Gilbert played for and coached the team for the next two years and Istiqlal Club advanced to the first division of the Lebanese league, even beating some top Lebanese teams such as Rasing Club and Armenian Homentmen!

In 1975 their immigration papers were ready and Gilbert and his family took a flight to Chicago and settled there. In Chicago, Gilbert again offered his services as a coach, but this time to a fledgling Assyrian team called Winged Bulls. Patiently and steadily Gilbert trained, coached and molded the youngsters and, like the Beirut team, eventually pushed them on to the second and then first division level. And the Winged Bulls crowned his efforts by winning the major division title of the Illinois Soccer Tournament!

Gilbert was one of the score of top Assyrian foot-ballers who have represented Iraq in numerous international soccer games during recent decades. In the sixties, he played alongside such Assyrian greats as Ammo Baba and Youra Eshaya, and was on the line-up of Iraqi international teams that played both in Baghdad and abroad. During his 18 years of active soccer in Iraq, Gilbert played in more than 80 important matches some of them played in 20 various foreign countries. He played in defense, usually at left-back.

Gilbert, 51, passed on of a heart attack at his home in Chicago on Wednesday, October 24, 1990, and his body was flown to and laid to rest at Memorial Park in Turlock, Calif., on Saturday, October 27.

His funeral services, held at Mar Addai Assyrian Church of the East in Turlock, were conducted by the parish priest, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Badal Piro, assisted by Modesto's Rev. Oshana Kaanon of Mar Zaia Church, and a group of Church deacons. Rev. Shmouel lskhaq of the Assyrian Evangelical Church and Rev. George Shahbaz of St. John's Assyrian Presbyterian Church, both of Turlock, also took part, and a memorial luncheon reception attended by 500 people followed the burial.

Gilbert is survived by his wife Florence and his son Raymond and daughter Susan, all of Chicago; by his mother Anny Eshaya, his sisters Violet Elia and Odette Benyamino and brother Albert, all Modesto residents.

"Gilbert was brave and bold, but a gentle and good-natured guy," said Edison David, a friend and former teammate. "He had lots of friends but no enemies. And as a player, he was a good and strong fullback who understood the game well," Edison added. Evidently, Gilbert has proven his worth not only to himself, his friends and the Iraqi sports public, but also to his own tiny nation! "Sleep well, gentle hero, and may the good earth rest lightly upon you!"