Gary D'Anna

1945 - 2010

Born Sept. 23, 1945 - Died Nov. 11, 2010

Gary D'Anna was born on Sept. 23, 1945 at Bayridge Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, to Phil and Tina D'Anna. A small card announcing his birth reads, very simply, "Mother Feeling Fine, Father Very Happy." His mother, Tina D'Anna, was feeling so fine, in fact, that she went on to enter one of his baby pictures in the New York Mirror Charming Child Contest the following year. There is no indication that the photo was chosen as the winner, but it is obvious that Gary had successfully charmed the first in a very long line of people.

The oldest of four children, Gary grew up in Massapequa Park, Long Island, until his family moved to Orange County in a 1957 Ford Station Wagon, when he was 12. An avid Dodgers fan, Gary always proudly proclaimed that he had attended games at Ebbet's Field in Brooklyn, and when the Dodgers made their own move from New York to California in 1958, Gary could be heard to brag that they did it to follow him.

Gary met his wife of 38 years, Mary, at a Catholic singles dance in Los Angeles. As the story goes, Mary reluctantly went to the dance only at the urging of her mother, who felt she should be out meeting new people. Gary was a new person, and when he saw Mary across the dance floor, he was immediately smitten and wasted no time asking her to dance. She said yes, and the rest is history. They were married on Dec. 2, 1972, and went on to have three children: Janelle, Mark, and Allison; and three grandchildren: Taylor, Nikolai, and Peighton.

A virtual genius when it came to numbers, Gary got his accounting degree from Cal State Long Beach, and then followed with a Masters in accounting from Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. He went on to become a successful CPA at Hughes Aircraft, and he owned his own thriving tax preparation business.

He worked tirelessly for many years to provide a beautiful home in Thousand Oaks for his family, but still found ample time to attend family soccer games, baseball games, to take his kids trick or treating, attend dance recitals, take his family on vacations to places like Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, or even Hawaii, and basically do anything and everything his kids asked of him.

Like any CPA, Gary was always very good with money. Those who knew him best will tell you that he was always thinking about the best ways to invest his money, in order to ensure that he got the most out of what he earned. But Gary was not greedy and he rarely, if ever, spent his money on things for himself. Nearly every penny earned was saved for his family, and because of Gary's smarts, his wife and kids always had food on the table, and a roof over their head. Gary put his three children through college, and even helped them buy their first homes. Even in his later years, when his children were grown and earning money of their own, he never ceased worrying about whether or not his family would be provided for after his passing.

Gary's obligations as a father, husband, and provider were something that he did not take lightly. Selflessness such as the kind he displayed in his lifetime is a very rare thing, and something for which Gary's family will be eternally grateful. In his later years, Gary enjoyed occasionally gambling, playing bingo, and sneaking scraps of food from the dinner table for his dog, Charlie.

And his prowess with money was not dulled by the years. If you were buying a new car, you brought Gary along to negotiate. If you were refinancing a mortgage, you ran the numbers past Gary first. If you were looking for a way to get a little extra money back on your tax return, Gary would be first in line with advice.

But despite his business acumen, it was abundantly clear to all who knew him that his world revolved around his wife, three children, and his three grandchildren. Even when he wasn't able to get around as well as he once had, one of his greatest joys in life was heading to the park to watch his granddaughter Taylor play soccer. His children are his legacy in this world. They were the center of his life, and they were the reason he worked so hard for so many years. Today his children are comforted by the knowledge that Gary will be looking after them in death, as he did in life.

On Nov. 10, 2010, Gary's favorite sister-in-law, Christina D'Anna, traveled from Arkansas to Simi Valley to bring comfort to Gary and his family. Gary died peacefully in his home and surrounded by family the very next morning. It seemed as if Gary had waited for Christina's arrival before starting his passage to Heaven.

He is survived by his wife, three children, and three grandchildren.

The D'Anna Family would also like to take this opportunity to thank Tracy Luchies for the four years of devotion and care she showed Gary. Tracy spent as much time as anyone with him over the last four years of his life. It was not always an easy task keeping up with Gary, but Tracy's patience and compassion bordered on the saintly, and Gary's family is eternally grateful for the uncommon degree of care and love she showed him during those most difficult years of his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice: 1996 Eastman Avenue, Suite 101, Ventura, CA 93003.

Rosary services will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18 at Griffin Family Funeral Chapels: 101 E. Wilbur Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 19 at St. Peter Claver Church, 5649 Pittman Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063.

Arrangements made with the assistance of Griffin Family Funeral Chapels, Thousand Oaks, 230-2800.