Johnny Gill

Johnny Gill knew from an early age that he wanted to be a farmer. After his first day of school, Johnny told his mother he did not need to return to his studies because he already knew how to farm and they weren't teaching anything about it. His parents also had to remove the handles on the water faucets surrounding their home because of Johnny's constant attempts to "irrigate" things.

"He was always in the dirt," said his younger sister, Melinda Gill Stewart. "He knew he was going to be a farmer and that was it."

From a long line of farmers, John Arnal Gill was born on February 28, 1951, to Jack and Gussie Gill in Oxnard, California. Farming brought his family to the King City area when he was 3 years old. During his high school years, Johnny was active in the Future Farmers of America and raised beef cattle for the junior livestock auction. After graduating from King City High School in 1969, Johnny attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, where he majored in crop science. In 1973, he returned to King City to farm with his father.

Johnny began raising his own lima beans and sugar beets around 1973. Over the next 25 years, he worked to build his farm, gaining the respect of fellow farmers with his business acumen and the quality of his produce.

"Nobody else's crop ever looked better," said his older sister, Jeannine Mansfield.

Today, the John Gill Ranch covers 2,000 acres and employs more than 800 people who work to grow, pack, and ship a long list of row crops including head lettuce, beans, broccoli, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, onions, kale, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, bell peppers, pimentos, chilies, and other specialty produce. A few years ago, Johnny fulfilled a longtime dream to grow grapes and build a winery. He had 130 acres of vineyards with many varieties of grapes. He also started his own wine label, "Gill Cellars."

If Johnny loved anything more than farming, it was King City. He often said, "King City is the best place in the world to live." Over the years, Johnny was known for his generosity. He volunteered his time and gave financial support to many causes including 4-H, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the King City High School Mustang Bench, Sober Graduation, and the American Cancer Society. He always could be counted on to lend a hand.

"He never turned anyone away that asked him for help," Melinda said. "He just wouldn't."

He was best known for his work with the King City Young Farmers, a group that worked to support and educate young people with a desire to work with agriculture. Johnny was a charter member of the organization and served as the group's first president more than 25 years ago. The group became a major fund-raiser and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various causes.

Johnny was also very involved with the Salinas Valley Fair and was honored by the fair's Board of Directors in 2000. He was one of the fair's most generous animal buyers and, for many years, cooked and donated the entire weigh-in-day lunch at the director's patio.

Johnny also coached for King City Little League, was active in the Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, was a member of the King City Volunteer Fire Department, helped organize the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, and headed a fund-raising drive for the new King City Library.

He also served on the King City Council from 1990 to 1994 and was a member of the Board of Directors of the King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.

Along with his efforts to help the community, Johnny's magnetic personality, big smile, and bright blue eyes, won him many friends.

"As much as he loved people, they loved him back," said his mother, Gussie. "People were kind of drawn to him."

The large number of his friends and their loyalty to him was demonstrated when Johnny was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, in September of 1999. His friends rallied around him to support his struggle against the debilitating illness. When the King City Chamber of Commerce selected him as the city's Citizen of the Year, he took the opportunity to turn the event celebrating his award into a fundraiser for ALS. Almost 900 people came to honor Johnny at the dinner on February 12, 2000, raising more than $375,000 for research and patient support in fighting the disease. The John Gill Patient Support Center of the Monterey County ALS Foundation was named in his honor.

Johnny's courageous battle with ALS ended on the evening of Thursday, June 29, 2000. He passed away peacefully at his home in Lockwood, California, surrounded by his wife, parents, and other family members.

In addition to his parents and sisters, Johnny is survived by his wife, Pam; his sons, Francis Gill of King City, and Jared Gill of Hollister, California; his stepson, Bret Davis of Salinas; his brothers-in-law, Tim Stewart and Bob Mansfield; and four nephews.