Laureano “Larry” Gil, 77, of Fayetteville, Ga., went to be with our Lord in Heaven on October 19, 2014.
He suffered from congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.
Larry is survived by his wife of 53 years Mercedes Gil and their five children and their families: Frances & Patrick Vaughn of Stuart, Fla., Susan & David Grathwohl of Salisbury, N.C., Larry & Kim Gil of Daleville, Va., Sophie & Eric Hampton of Cumming, Ga., and Karen & Ron Smith of Fayetteville, Ga.; grandchildren: Zach, Jillian, Allison and Natalie Vaughn; Maggie and Abby Grathwohl; Brandon and Nelson Gil, Morgan Watson, Lindsay, Megan and Andrew Hampton; Emma, Leah, and Sarah Smith. He is also survived by his sister Elsa & Tony Wade.
Larry was born in Havana, Cuba on September 24, 1937. He moved to the United States in 1956 to attend Georgia Tech and Southern Tech. He received his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Southern Tech (now Southern Polytechnical Institute) in 1959. Larry and his bride, Mercedes, were married on September 2, 1961. Mr. Gil and his family moved to Fayetteville in 1980 and were parishioners of St. Philip Benizi in Jonesboro, Ga., and most recently, St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Fayetteville, Ga. Over the course of his 40 plus year career in the engineering field, he worked for Kawneer, Alcoa Aluminum, Reynolds, and YKK until his retirement from Elumatec.
Larry lived a rich life, one filled with love, laughter and hope. He gave everything to his children and grandchildren. Lee Iacocca said “the only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution that I know that works, is the family.” Larry, better known by his grandchildren as “Popo,” was our rock. He taught us to love, forgive, work hard and embrace life. Some of his favorite things included golf, politics, cars, boating and spending time in his home away from “home” in Seagrove, Fla.
“One thing I ask of the Lord, This is what I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4. May he rest in peace.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2014 at St. Gabriel Catholic Church. Father Jimmy Adams will officiate. The family will receive friends on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
For those desiring, donations may be made in Larry’s memory to the Samaritans Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org) or the American Heart Association (www.heart.org).
