Gary Jack Casella

Gary Jack Casella, a longtime resident of Tiburon, CA and La Center, WA, passed away peacefully Sunday evening, November 22nd in San Francisco. He was 82 years old.Gary was born in Burbank, CA, the second of three sons, to Paul and Marie Casella. A first generation American on his mother's side, Gary lived life to go places. He graduated from John Burroughs High School and was the first in his family to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree, which he earned at University of Redlands. He was a standout baseball player at Redlands, earning First Team All SCIAC honors in 1959 and 1960. After graduation he became a teacher at Whittier High School where he also coached baseball and football. Gary moved on to a successful 30-year career at Josten's, where he was a top sales executive.Never idle, Gary had a fierce entrepreneurial spirit which he channeled through several ventures. Casella's Christmas Trees was a Burbank, CA landmark every holiday season for over 40 years, spreading holiday cheer to countless thousands and sharing hundreds of thousands of dollars with Burbank High School. Christmas Creek Ranch, the cherished farm he shared with his partner Evelyn, was known for producing some of the very finest Christmas trees in America. In the late 1970's, on a Christmas tree cutting expedition, Gary discovered his beloved Lake Almanor where he built a lakefront home and partnered with his brother Paul to buy and operate Big Cove Resort, a cherished vacation destination for hundreds of families throughout 35 years of Casella family ownership.Gary was intensely proud, a natural extrovert, and loved sharing his special places with friends and family. He is survived by his two sons, Kyle and AJ, his granddaughter, Caroline, his two brothers, Paul and Don, and his longtime partner, Evelyn. We are extremely grateful to the doctors and nurses of UCSF Medical Center who provided outstanding and compassionate care in Gary's final days. A celebration of life will be planned once appropriate due to COVID-19 restrictions. For now, we remember Gary as he lived, with a passion for living a full life, always in motion, and a special fondness for ice cream sundaes.In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in his memory to the Neurosciences Fund at UCSF Medical Center (UCSF Neurosciences Fund) or the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation (Make-A-Wish).