Obituary

Paul Steven Gilbert
September 7, 1939 to May 27, 2023

Paul was born in Brooklyn New York in 1939 and was the first-born child of Stella and James Goldberg. A few years later, when his father was having trouble finding a job as an engineer, the family changed their last name to Gilbert.

At age three, he became the big brother of Joan. When he was 6 the family bought a home and moved to Queens, New York. At age 8 he became a big brother again to Richard.

He was a wonderful big brother, playing with his younger siblings and never being a bully or complaining that they were tagging around too much. Whereas most siblings have arguments and complain how one gets an advantage over another that really didn’t happen in the Gilbert household.

As the first born to new parents, a lot was expected of Paul. He was a very good student.  He would relish academic and non-academic challenges not only in childhood, but throughout his life. He would become an Eagle School in Boy Scouts, the highest award that is given. He played the violin with great skill, and was in his high school Orchestra. In a high school with over 2000 students, teachers would ask his younger brother years after Paul graduated whether Paul was his brother and then ask where he was and what he was doing. And there was always an impressive answer to assure them that he was achieving the successes as an adult that they thought he would.

He went to Columbia University as an undergraduate. It was costly to attend, even in those days. But Paul found a way to pay for it himself. While giving a tour as part of his Eagle Scout program he met the head of the Electricians union. He so impressed the union president that he was offered a summer job as an electrician’s assistant. That job paid very well and got him through college without debt or burdening his parents.

In addition to his studies at Columbia, he also joined the Naval ROTC program which led to a 2-year stint as a Navy officer after graduation. He was on an oil tanker, not the most glamorous of ships, but he did sail across the Atlantic and spent time traveling within the Mediterranean Sea. He got to see a bit of Europe, particularly Italy. Later his ship travelled around the Caribbean and along the east coast of the US.

After the Navy he went back to college earning a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard. But rather than teaching in the US, he joined the Peace Corps serving two years as a teacher in Somalia, a nation in Northeast Africa. Although it has gone through much suffering and violence in recent decades, at that time Somalia was a relatively stable country. In addition to teaching, he wrote a history of Somalia which for a while was used in the Somalian high school curriculum.

Paul returned to the US and got an apartment in Washington DC and for a few years worked at several Federal agencies including a short stint at Peace Corps headquarters and using his economics background from Columbia University, he landed a job at the Office of Management and Budget. That’s the agency responsible for putting together the President’s budget. It was during this period in Washington that he met Marlene Shapiro. They had a short engagement and five months after his sister Joan’s wedding, Marlene and Paul were married in Washington DC. They stayed there a short time before moving to southern California as Paul went back to university life obtaining a PhD from UCLA. After graduation Paul considered Education administrative positions in the Midwest but he and Marlene decided that they really wanted to stay in California and Paul went back to working for the Federal government as they settled into family life in Irvine, California.

Paul worked for Immigration and Naturalization Service for many years, rising up to the position of Special Assistant to the Director of the Western Region. He wanted to help people from all over the world to become US citizens and have good lives, and his work meant the world to him.

In his free time, Paul traveled with his wife and son, Kevin. They visited all over North America, Europe, New Zealand, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Australia, and the Philippines. He also enjoyed reading books, especially about economics, history, and politics.

After he retired, he volunteered for the Democratic Party and other organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity. Helping others was always very important to him, and he will be most remembered for his kindness and commitment to helping people.

To honor Paul, there will be a memorial ceremony at 10:00 AM on June 21, 2023 at O’Connor Mortuary at 25301 Alicia Pkwy, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. This will be followed by a ceremony with the Navy Honor Guard at 2:30 PM at Miramar National Cemetery at 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122.

Paul is survived by his wife, Marlene, brother Richard, daughter-in-law, Lisa, and son, Kevin, who loved him more than words can ever express.