Gail Robert Batchelor

BATCHELOR, Gail Robert, 94, passed away at home on July 7, 2025. Born on Dec, 13, 1930 in Camden NJ, his family moved to Pasadena, California in 1939 and later Ontario, California. The Sea Scouts gave him a lifelong interest in sailing; The Highwinders car club and his uncle Dean Batchelor, So-Cal racer and auto journalist, fueled his hot rod and racing hobbies; and the Glee Club and exposure to classical concerts instilled a lifelong appreciation for music before graduating Chaffey High School in 1949.

Entering the Navy on July 14, 1949, with his parents permission for 1 year, Gail served aboard the USS Norton Sound, a seaplane tender repurposed for guided-missile testing. As a Seaman Apprentice, he was aboard in Puget Sound for testing in sub-zero temperatures, blizzards and hazardous conditions.

Crossing the Equator on May 5, 1950, the USS Norton Sound completed rocket testing in tropical waters off of South America and in the South Pacific. Gail was Honorably Discharged as a Seaman after completing his Reserve Duty on May 1, 1956.

Gail enrolled in Chaffey Junior College as an Art Major from 1950-1952 before entering the University of California, Santa Barbara. While attending UCSB, Gail held many temporary jobs, scheduling them around his classes, including some at Western and General Electric, Kaiser Steel, Lockheed and Northrup Aircraft, Coker Kiewit Construction and Resin Industries Corp. He installed telephone equipment, earned a Master Riveter Certification, and was on the crew at the open hearth steel blast furnace, among other things. He was also employed at UCSB as a laborer.

Gail and Barbara Ann Bonicamp were married from 1951-1963, and had two daughters, Patti and Lisa.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with an Industrial Arts Major, in August 1956, Gail continued to hold multiple jobs before joining the Los Angeles County Tax Assessors Office in 1965, a job he would retire from 24 years later.

During his working life, he also built a catamaran at The Pig Farm boatyard, which he sailed to Catalina on weekends; renovated a duplex; and purchased a house in Palos Verdes Estates. Gail retired in 1989 due to health problems, sold his house and moved to Florida, eventually settling on Plantation Key, Islamorada, FL in 1990. He purchased a 40' trimaran in Virgin Gorda and sailed it home, planning to rebuild it as his retirement project. Unfortunately, after many years of working on the Bald Eagle, it suffered damage from hurricane Irma and a microburst/tornado that was too extensive to fix. The boat had to be scrapped in 2024.

Gail enjoyed retirement as a bachelor in Islamorada with beloved cats Hobe and Shadow. He met Laura Gail Collins in 1990, reconnected in 2004 and they married 11/11/2011, and they loved being together for over 20 years until his death.

He is survived by his wife, Laura Gail (Jackson Collins) Batchelor, daughter Patricia Lynn (Batchelor) Sakimoto, niece Toni (Batchelor) Fejer, nephew Scott Batchelor, and many other extended family members, including cats Loki and Luna. Gail was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Ralph Batchelor and Lenore Marguerite Cress, brothers Jann Dean Batchelor and Steven Harold Batchelor, first wife Barbara Ann (Bonicamp Batchelor) Kuhnle, and daughter Lisa Robin Batchelor.

Gail loved building and creating things throughout his life, whether hot rods, boats or gadgets around the house to make life easier. He was a problem solver and engineer by nature, who also loved the arts and music. Interests in antique and new cars and modern sailboats kept him busy learning new technologies and future trends. Quiet by nature, he had a great sense of humor and was always willing to help friends and family. No service is planned, per his request, but those who knew him are asked to raise a toast to his memory, take a photo and send them to Laura Gail, aka the Other Gail, at LGJCBATCHELOR at Gmail for a virtual celebration.