John Francis Gabriel

John Francis Gabriel

November 15, 1938 - October 11, 2021
Costa Mesa California

John Francis Gabriel

November 15, 1938 - October 11, 2021
Costa Mesa California

Obituary

John Francis Gabriel

John was a first generation Northern Italian American born November 15, 1938 in the Bronx to Selma Rossetti and Willie Gabriel.  They lived in his grandfather’s home with 2 other families.  None of the adults had attended high school. Some couldn’t speak English.  Until he was 25 he slept on a cot in the dining room.  He skipped 2 grades and fell in love with public speaking winning his first NY state championship when he was 12. He graduated from Fordham Prep, College and Law school in 1962.  He joined the Army Reserves, passed the NY Bar and went to work for the Federal Trade Commission.  When the chance arose he ‘offered, to move to CA and help open the LA office. 

Like  dream come true he landed in Malibu living among movie stars. In 1968 he married Susan Duffield and passed the CA Bar.  Goodbye NY and the FTC,

hello Harvey Aluminum, Cal Comp and Hunt Wesson, each of which moved East.  Finally he found a professional home with the soft drink industry.  First as General Council for Coke of Los Angeles and then as President of the Pepsi Cola Bottler’s Association.  He attended the100th Celebrations for each and many major sporting events following their sponsorships including World Series, Rose Bowls, Ryder Cups, and Olympics in LA, Barcelona Sydney and Italy. 

Meanwhile he and Susan raised their children Donna, Bill and Carrie. He treasured their long talks weighing their life choices.  He was very proud to be their father and focused on providing for his family.

Retirement in 2006 refocused his energy from having to provide for family to discovering and following his passions and being a doting grandfather and husband. Susan got her ranch and horses and trips to Brazil, South Africa, Peru, Equador Chile and Southeast Asia.  Each year he organized at least one golfing adventure domestic or foreign for his myriad golfing buddies.  He also decided to leave this world better than he found it.  First he became certified as an Court Appointed Special Advocate(CASA) for 3 wonderful young men.  Then while recruiting for more CASAs he joined the Knights of Columbus and using his speaking talents started money raising for the Intellectually Disabled.  He got certified as a Mediator and volunteered 2 days each week for Superior (family) Court.  His final project was set up a mediation process for his parish.

He is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Donna (Don), Casey, Rachael, Emma, Elisabeth, Mary, Joshua and Eve Kemlage, son Bill Gabriel and daughter Carrie (Jon) Kai and Kira Reynolds.  Only Italian children have special sibling like bonds with their cousins: Giovani, Paula, Joyce, Michael, John, Dennis, Daren and Hank.   

Died October 11, 2021 at Hoag Hospital

 

The family would like to invite all those who wish to attend services at Our Lady Queen of Angels on Thursday, November 11th. The service information is shown below. Following the funeral service will be a Celebration of Life at Santa Ana Country Club.

For those who wish to view the Live Stream of the service at the time listed below, please use this link:

www.OLQA.org/gabriel

In lieu of flowers, please share all of your favorite memories of John on the Memory Timeline and consider donating to CASA in memory of John.

Visitation

  • Date & Time: November 11, 2021 (10:30 AM - 11:00 AM)
  • Venue: Our Lady Queen Of Angels Catholic Church
  • Location: 2046 Mar Vista Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 - (Get Directions)

Funeral Mass

  • Date & Time: November 11, 2021 (11:00 AM)
  • Venue: Our Lady Queen Of Angels Catholic Church
  • Location: 2046 Mar Vista Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 - (Get Directions)

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47 responses to John Francis Gabriel

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  1. Bob Trogele says:

    Our deepest condolonces

  2. Bob Trogele says:

    Our sincere condolences to John’s family and friends. He touched our lives with his kindness and giving nature! We will always remember John in our prayers. May he rest in peace and may God embrace his soul. Uta & Bob Trogele

  3. Dr. Robert Mancuso

  4. John Gabriel was a most unique and dear friend. Introduced as the brother in law of my older brother, I met john many years ago, but likely in the most recent 10 years we linked closer together, and especially after he had his bad diagnosis, when we became very close, on some very serious and deep seated topics where he navigated very well – both with his introspections and he dissecting mine, like his views on his Catholic Faith and his strong belief in the Hereafter.for him. In my life John is the person who listened so well and then most quickly got down to the few key details of any complex and multi-layered situation, non-passionately, and objectively, which then allowed him and the all other parties to then be creative, not subjective, and then hopefully solve it. He had deep compassion. He loved his family, and made his life revolve around them. He was a deep seated Catholic, but with a strong intellectual desire to question and ponder those often awkward next questions for us Catholics. After retirement he engaged in personally challenging activities, such as CASA and marital related mediation. He made me reach out, as well. Our last meeting, in his home, was on October 5th, where he, while tired, discussed the books we each were reading, he shared more tales of his life and his Faith and its serious interplay with his impending death, but also our favorite scenes from the movie Lawrence of Arabia, his when Lawrence had to decide to have one of his Bedouin guides executed and mine when Lawrence entered the British Officer bar in Cairo after crossing the desert and would not.drink until lemonade was first given to the same Bedouin guides with strong objections from the British Officers present – both strong moral scenes, which then led us to decipher similar contemporary life decisions for each of us. I miss you John. I will try to be better in my remaining life as you always strove to be. May God cradle you forever. The lesser John

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