Obituary

Gustav “Gus” Edward Sjoholm (85), of Aliso Viejo, California, passed away peacefully on February 14, 2021, at Hoag Hospital in Irvine, California.  His younger daughter, Aline R. White, also of Aliso Viejo, was by his bedside.  His older daughter, Kristi A. Sjoholm-Sierchio, lives in Joppa, Maryland.  “Dado” had three grandchildren: U.S. Navy Lieutenant Michael Gustav Sjoholm-Sierchio, Parker White, and Bryan White.  His wife, Nancy, predeceased him on July 31, 2017, after sixty (60) years of marriage.  Gus was the only child of Gustav R. and Anna M. Sjoholm and was raised in Bellmore and Merrick, Long Island, New York.

It is fair to say that anyone who got to know Gus never forgot him. His life story included being a baseball and basketball star at Mepham High School and Indiana University; R.O.T.C. and service as a supply officer in the U.S. Army; being an avid hunter and fisherman; working with his father in Sjoholm Plumbing & Heating on Long Island; carving award-winning decorative miniature birds; and moving from Long Island to southern California to “be there” as a devoted grandparent, watching his grandsons play ice hockey, basketball, and baseball.  He lived independently in his senior apartment at Vintage Aliso until days before his passing.

Gus strove (and helped others) to excel, whether in sports, in work, or otherwise in life.  He was fastidious, resilient, and forgiving and a gentleman.  Ice hockey, especially the Los Angeles Kings, and golf were two of his passions.  He loved reading the sports pages of the Los Angeles Times for articles about the Kings or Tiger Woods and reading the “funnies.”

From our father, we learned to appreciate nature, wildlife art, and sports.  He encouraged us to be competent, strong women and inspired us to manage our time well and be highly-effective people and problem-solvers. Our father had a flare for demanding perfection.  One of my favorite memories is grandson Mikey, then maybe 8 years old, responding to such a demand with, “Dado, only God is perfect.”  While he was demanding, he was always there, doing whatever what was needed.  Our father passionately loved our mother.  In their home in Rancho Cucamonga, there were always fresh cut roses on the dining table and his adoring cartoon sketches on the wall near her seat at the table.

May Gus rest in peace.  His favorite prayer was the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meals on Wheels Orange County, California (website: agewellSeniorServices.org).  Our heartfelt thanks go out to the staff of Hoag and all frontline workers and first responders serving so bravely during this novel coronavirus pandemic.