Gary Lee Altenberg

On Friday, October 30, 2020, Gary Lee Altenberg, 59, earned his dream garage in heaven, where he is likely under the hood of his '67 Chevy Nova.
Gary was born June 22, 1961, in Tehran, Iran to Ann Mayer and George Bernard Altenberg. His father was stationed there with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He had five siblings, George, Milton, Helen, Michael and Glen. The family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1966, then to San Francisco in 1970.
He worked many jobs over the years. In his mid/late 20s, he drove his Peterbilt semi all across the country. He then trained to become a firefighter. His first job in the fire service was with the Brisbane Fire Department as a Fire Reserve. In 1994, he joined the San Francisco Fire Department. He was the hardest working individual most had ever met. He was a jack of all trades and a master MacGyver. He earned the respect of his peers through hard work. He was a great teacher and he led by example.
Gary loved his family very much and put their care as his top priority. Gary had two daughters, Christina and Melissa when he married Melinda Beach in 1997. Three sons, Michael, Matthew, and James were added to the family. He was the best father anyone could have asked for. Gary always greeted people with a smile or playful smirk. He was always happy to help people with whatever they needed, even if they didn't ask. It was just his nature to help. He was notorious for teasing everyone, but in a positive and playful way. If he teased you, you were a friend. He may not have realized it, but these amazing qualities allowed him to bring people together. There are not enough words to portray how sorely he will be missed. May he forever rest in peace.
Gary is preceded in death by his mother Ann, father George, brother Michael and sister Helen. He is survived by his wife, Melinda, his five children, Christina, Melissa, Michael, Matthew and James, as well as his brothers George, Milton and Glen Altenberg.
A private memorial service will be held. Gary loved helping others, so in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity in his name.
The family will host a celebration of his life at a later date.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Gary Altenberg

Sponsored by Daniels Chapel of the Roses Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. - Santa Rosa Daniels Chapel of the Rose.

3 Entries

Erik Scharff

November 11, 2020

Rest In Peace, Gary. I know you are driving one of your cars in heaven. Look down on us sometimes and give us a smile. It’s been a pleasure to know you. Condolences to your family.

Marc Kasper

November 6, 2020

Gary was a great guy, a hard worker, and a gentleman. We will miss him in the fire department. I learned so much from him in my career. He will not be forgotten in the SFFD.

Irene Ybarra

November 6, 2020

I want to send my deepest condolences to Christina and the rest of Gary’s family.
It is so unbelievably heartbreaking to realize he is gone.
Gary was an awesome, funny guy and had an impeccable work ethic. He’d make me laugh so hard my sides would hurt and trust me, this was no easy task.
Gary loved talking and there are no truer words, than if he poked and made fun of you, you knew he liked you. But there were three things he couldn’t talk enough about. Vintage cars, I remember the corvette he had restored for his wife. How he was going to decorate his house for Christmas and coming from a guy with an otherwise gruff exterior, it was so much fun to listen to the joy it brought him. So what if it was only August. And how proud he was of his daughter Christina, who happened to be in the SFFD for a time. Even when she was dealing with making a difficult decision about her career, he was so proud of her. You could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes.
One of my favorite things was going out to lunch with Gary when he was Lt. @ STN49. We’d always go to the same Chinese food place on San Bruno, because that was his favorite spot. He never ordered from the menu. He’d walk in making sure to greet the whole staff and all the staff knew him. they’d greet him like family and he’d put his own menu together. They were more than happy to accommodate him. You got the sense that him coming in brightened their day. I know being around him made my day better.
He will be dearly missed.

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