JOHN E. GILBERTSON

GILBERTSON, JOHN E. CDR, USN (RET.) CDR John E. Gilbertson, USN (ret.) passed away on October 10, having endured for several years with COPD. John, along with his twin sister, Joan, was born on May 21, 1929, in Sioux Falls, SD, to Prof. George and Edna Gilbertson. His father was VP and Business Manager and his mother formerly Dean of Women at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, where John attended prior to entering in 1949 for a 28 year career as a US Naval Officer and aviator. John spent 20 years on sea duty and in overseas assignments. He served in Squadrons and aircraft carriers in the Pacific, and on Flag staffs in Korea, Hawaii, Norway, and Germany. He received his B.A. at US Naval Postgraduate School, his M.B.A. at National University, and was the executive officer of Naval Air Facility, Monterey, CA. Since his retirement from the Navy in 1977, he was employed briefly by SAIC and later worked in real estate until full retirement in 1991. Through retirement, he pursued his passions-golfing, cooking, and fishing. In 1950, he married Ruth Thomson, his high school sweetheart. They had one daughter, Kari Theis before separating. In 1973, while stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, he married Renate Freitag of Meckenbeuren, Germany. They moved to San Diego in 1976 and had two children, Nicole and Marc. He is survived by his wife; his children and their spouses, Nicole Sprong and John Thompson; his younger sister, Edna Grace Ode; and his five grandchildren, Jake, Gunnar, Sidney, Madeline and Abigail. John's generous spirit and gentle demeanor will be missed by his family and friends. Family was the center of his life, and he consistently shared his values of integrity, intellectual curiosity, and loyalty with his children and grandchildren.

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