Gilbert "Gil" Gaudia

1929 - 2021

Gilbert "Gil" Gaudia

Gilbert "Gil" Gaudia was born on October 17, 1929, and managed to foil the grim reaper for almost 92 years. He died unexpectedly on April 30, 2021, while on a brief vacation in Florida.

Gil's beloved wife Jeanne died on July 23, 2015. He is survived by his daughters, Shelley Gaudia and her partner Robert Shupe, and Amy Gaudia and her partner Ilene; his dear friend and companion Patricia "PD" Frasure; sister-in-law Nancy Jensen, who was always like a sister to him; and several nieces and nephews.

Born during the great depression, Gil excelled in school and attended the Bronx High School of Science, an unusual occurrence in the Hunt's Point neighborhood of his youth. He and Jeanne built their own home and raised their daughters in upstate New York where he earned his PhD and became a professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Gil was a man of many talents and passions, including building, astronomy, teaching, flying, sailing, archery, playing guitar & singing, writing, baking, playing pinochle, and helping people in need. He was especially passionate about the game of handball which he began playing as a young boy in the South Bronx. He continued to play three times a week, and as he approached his 90th birthday he became the oldest active tournament handball player in the Pacific Northwest.

A truly simple soul inhabited Gil and yet he could contemplate ideas of enormous complexity. He did not like frivolity or excess of any kind, he loved mother nature, and he could make almost anyone laugh. Above all, he was a devoted husband and a father who loved his daughters unconditionally.

When Jeanne's health began to decline, Gil taught himself to play guitar so he could raise her spirits with music. He joined the local musicians of Reality Kitchen who were like family to him and enjoyed ZOOMing with them during the Covid pandemic. He also turned his living room into a workshop and learned to build ukuleles, managing to complete 24 beautiful instruments of various sizes while alone in his apartment during the lockdown. He gave most of them away to family and friends, which was just one example of his immense generosity.

Gil was an emotional man who felt everything very deeply. He fully lived all aspects of his life, including relaxing in his recliner and looking out the window while enjoying the sensation of being in a tree house. Spending time with his family and friends was his greatest joy, and he will be missed by all those who loved him.

As a proud atheist, Gil proved that being a non-believer does not make someone a bad person. He memorized the Boy Scout Oath as a child and although some of the wording was challenging for an atheist, he never failed to live by the oath's promise. No memorial services are being planned at this time. To celebrate the life of this extraordinary man, please consider making donations to Reality Kitchen Nonprofit of Eugene, Oregon, or the American Humanist Association.