Gavin Creel was an American actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his work in musical theater. He was a stage star in shows such as “Hello Dolly!”, which earned him a Tony award in 2017. In Gavin’s lifetime he earned a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
Gavin James Creel was born on April 18, 1976, in Findlay, Ohio. His grandmother was a music teacher, and from an early age Gavin would perform shows in the family living room with his two older sisters. He was a swimmer in high school, but found a greater passion as a performer, singing in show choir and acting in musicals.
“Gavin had one of the best personalities!! He was energetic, joyful, passionate, goofy, and kind. He made every single person that he ever met feel like they had been his best friend for years. He knew no stranger!” Findlay High School counselor Mrs. Dyer says.
Creel attended Findlay High School and graduated in 1994. His passion for theater was sparked during his sophomore year of high school, when he got a role in Findlay High School’s production “Camelot”. Gavin had told Jonathon Theodore Baker in a May 2024 documentary “I knew I got bit by the bug because when that show ended, I was depressed. The show was fun, the music was great, but it was about the people I was with.”
“He was in the grade below me, really great guy. Amazing swimmer, and such a nice guy,” American history teacher Jon Hayfield said.
The cause of Gavin’s death was confirmed by his partner, Alex Temple Ward, to be metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. He was diagnosed with this rare cancer in July 2024. He died in his home in Manhattan on September 30, 2024, at age 48.
“People were drawn to the amazing light that he produced and the energy that they felt when they were around him. In 30 plus years as his friend, I never heard him speak negatively about anything or anyone. Gavin was one-of-a-kind and I will cherish the memories that I have with him always,” Findlay High School counselor Mrs. Dyer says.
Creel had a very big impact on many people. Now, all of Broadway’s theater lights will dim, followed by an outcry, to honor his life. His funeral will be in the US, and will be private, but a memorial will be planned and made at a future date.
