Obituary

BART A. GAMPON

Bart Agustin Gampon, of Irvine, California, passed away on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Bart was born the seventh of nine children to Geminiano and Simeona Gampon on August 24, 1936, in Camiling, Tarlac, Philippines. He graduated from Far Eastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce (major in Accounting and minor in Economics) in 1958.

In 1967, he was granted a year’s leave of absence from his job as Head of the Credit Division of the Philippine National Cooperative Bank to go to the United States and visit his uncle in San Jose, California. Later that year, Bart visited a friend in Chicago, Illinois. With the intention of just a short stay, Bart found a job with Morton Salt. Bart also found the love of his life, Lilia, and they married in 1969. After the birth of their first two daughters, Maria Cristina and Lorna, they moved from the Windy City to sunny Southern California. They settled in Orange County and welcomed three more children (Liza, Mark, and Belinda) to their family. Bart proudly became a U.S. citizen in 1974.

Bart retired in 1999, with over 25 years in the healthcare industry. He held various positions at local Southern California hospitals as an Accountant, Senior Accountant, Chief Accountant, Accounting Manager, Financial Manager, and Controller. During retirement, he provided tax preparation services to friends and family and volunteered his time with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Legion of Mary. Bart was an instrumental resource to those in need – his loved ones in the United States and the Philippines, the elderly, the homeless, and the unemployed. He once wrote, “I am just happy to answer the call to seek and find the forgotten, the suffering, and the deprived so that I may bring them His (God’s) love.”

At home, Bart loved to tell stories, watch old movies on the TV, read biographies, tend to the patio garden, and dance the tango and cha-cha. An avid learner, Bart bought a guitar and recently a violin – hoping to play them for family and friends one day. This hope stemmed from his belief that we should challenge ourselves to be better and always strive for the best we can be.

Bart was preceded in death by his wife, Lilia; his mom, Simeona; his dad, Geminiano; his brothers, Balbino, Francisco, Miguel, Hispelo, and Pablo; and his sister, Leonida. Those left to cherish his memory include his five children, Maria Cristina, Lorna, Liza, Mark, and Belinda; his six grandchildren, Christopher, Moira, Danielle (Ellie), Cameron, Ben, and Dixie; his sisters, Felicisima and Lilia; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (ssvpusa.org) or the American Heart Association (heart.org) in place of flowers will help continue Bart’s legacy.

A private funeral service will occur on Thursday, January 4, 2024. Interment will follow at the Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, California.