John Carl Gauya

1938 - 2025

John Carl Gauya
Jun. 25, 1938 - Nov. 11, 2025
Southbury - John Carl Gauya, 87, of Southbury, CT, died peacefully and pain-free on November 11, 2025, at Waterbury Hospital. John, preferably called Jack, was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Helen (Gibson) Gauya, and his son, Michael Anthony Gauya. Jack leaves behind his daughter, DeAnne Catherine Gauya, his two grandchildren, Justin Jon and Katharine Margaret, and his great-granddaughter, Violet.
John was born in Waterbury, CT, on June 25, 1938. He was the only child of Eric Karl Gauya and Helen Veronica Casey from County Cork. His sister, Mary, died at a very young age. Jack spent his childhood in a two- family home in Middlebury, CT, built by his great-grandfather, father, and uncles in 1908. The Gauja family members were immigrants from Latvia. They had escaped the Communist invasion of Latvia and immigrated to America by boat. Family history, traditions, and the values of hard work, perseverance, and loyalty were instilled in Jack.
The love of music was also, a significant influence in Jack's life. Jack started playing piano at five years old and went on to study with great teachers. At 11, he would take the train up to Brattleboro, VT, and play for Rudolph Serkin. Serkin and the lineage of pianists who influenced him was educational material, techniques, and practices shared with Jack. Showcasing his playing improvement each week motivated him to practice playing the piano for hours a day. Serkin would even invite my dad backstage at his Carnegie Hall performances. All Gauyas' were music lovers.
Jack went on to study Music Theory & Composition at The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Here, he met his future wife, Peggy Gibson, a French Horn student. Gauya and Gibson sat next to each other in several classes and fell in love. They went on to Indiana University to continue their music studies and start a family in Bloomington, IN.
When Peggy started showing signs of an undiagnosed neurological condition, the young family moved to Connecticut for family support. Jack started working with his father, Eric (founder of Hylie Products, Inc.), in 1968, and gave up his music. When Eric passed in 1998, Jack became the President and sole-owner of the thriving micro-miniature manufacturing, and metal stamping business, located at 669 Straits Tpke. Watertown, CT.
Visitation will be held Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 9am until 10am at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, located 2 School St., Woodbury, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:30am at St. Teresa of Avila Church, 146 Main St. S., Woodbury, CT. Burial will follow at Middlebury Cemetery in Middlebury, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Women's Shelter of Greater Waterbury, St. Vincent DePaul's, The Woodbury, or Bethlehem Food Banks. To leave an online condolence, please visit munsonloveterefuneralhome.com .