Gilbert Edward Rael

1940 - 2021

Deacon Gil Rael passed away on January 14, 2021 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was born on February 20, 1940 to Juan and Eleanor (Guerrero) Rael in Brighton, Colorado.
Gil graduated from Regis College in 1962. He immediately enlisted into the Marine Corps. He married the love of his life, Josie Salazar on April 20, 1963. They were stationed at Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina, which is where their first daughter, Romaine was born. They came back home to Colorado where their second child, Romauld was born. Gil worked at F. W. Woolworth Co. as an assistant manager, until he got the job he really wanted as a Juvenile Parole Officer, for the State of Colorado at the age of 26. He was an officer for 32 years.
They bought their first home in Northglenn, CO and welcomed their third child, Roxanne. Gil was ordained as a Permanent Deacon in May, 1981. During his tenure as a Deacon, he and three other non-denominational Ministers developed a Chaplain's program for the inmates at the Adams County Jail in Brighton, CO. He then started ministering to the officers, going on ride alongs and conducting death notifications. He was also a Chaplin for the Adams County Sheriff's Department. In 2008, after moving to Great Bend, Kansas, he continued his ministry to the inmates at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, becoming Volunteer of the Year in 2011. He baptized all 8 of his grandchildren and assisted at some of their First Communions. He most recently presided over the marriages of his two granddaughters in 2020.
Those who knew Gil, knew that he had a funny sense of humor as well as a soft heart. He could watch the scariest of movies and cry during a Turner Movie Classic. He loved watching and collecting movies, was an avid reader and LOVED listening to music. (Especially on his iPod).
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Josie of Grand Junction, CO; children, Romaine (Tod) Woomer of Grand Junction, CO, Romauld Rael of Larned, KS, Roxanne (Lou) Guidichessi of Castle Pines, CO; grandchildren, Amanda (Josh) Dunkle of Aurora, CO, Anna (Alex) Weisiger of Denver, CO, Alexander (Hania) of Morgantown, WV, Aidan Woomer of Denver, CO, Andrew Guidichessi of Castle Pines, CO, Devin Guidichessi of Colorado Springs, CO, Dylan Guidichessi of Omaha, NE, and Ryan Rael of Indianapolis, IN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gil's honor can be made to Wounded Warriors Project-Colorado, 1 South Nevada Avenue, Suite 205, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, www.woundedwarriorsproject.org or St. Jude's, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105, https://www.stjude.org/donate-to-stjude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now
Visitation and Rosary were on Tuesday, January 26, 2021; Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, January 27, 2021 beginning at 11:00 a.m., all at St. Augustine Catholic Church, in Brighton, Colorado.
Tabor Funeral Home, Brighton, Colorado handled arrangements. Visit TaborFuneralHome.com to share memories and condolences.