Obituary of John H. Gulick

John Henry Gulick Family man, Veteran of Three Wars, World Traveler, Die Hard Angels Fan This is the story of a truly remarkable man. John was born at home in Chicago on March 6, 1928. But this date has always been controversial in family discussions. Gladys, his mother, would insist the actual date was March 5; she should know, she was there. But John would always recognize the date on his birth certificate. Since he wasn’t seen by a doctor until the next morning, that became the official birth date. Of course, March 6th would make him younger too, now wouldn’t it? His family eventually moved to Southern California, and at the age of 17 he joined the Navy. The USS Iowa was John’s first commission. He served on this battleship at the tail end of WWII, and in 1949 he was Honorably Discharged. Before re-enlisting again John met and married the love of his life, Marge. Soon after he said “I do”, John signed up for another tour from 1953-1956. But this time he served at the Marine base in Santa Ana, where he worked on blimps. An odd story John used to share was the fact he was the only guy given a parachute when flying on the blimps. The reason: he was the one responsible for organizing the ground crew if the blimp ever caught fire. The rest of the crew had to remain on the burning blimp to try to extinguish the flames. Quirky but true. Realizing there were more opportunities for him in the Air Force, John re-enlisted July of 1956. March Air Force Base in Riverside was the start of his new branch of service. From there John and Marge were transferred to England for a few years, then back to the U.S. where they called Montana and Massachusetts home. John was then called to service in Cam Ranh Bay and Saigon, Vietnam. But he and Marge eventually found their way back to Fort Worth, Texas where John finally retired in May 1970 after 20 years, 0 months, and 28 days of proudly serving his country. He achieved the rank of E-9, Chief Master Sergeant. John climbed the military ladder to the highest rung for an enlisted man. He was very proud of that accomplishment. This might be where some people might start to slow down a bit - go fishing or golfing. Not John. Although he was a high school drop out, he eventually realized the value of an education. He went back to school while still in the Air Force, and through the GI bill, hard work, and dedication he earned a BA at Cal State Fullerton and an MBA from Southern Illinois University. He also went on to earn his teaching credentials and taught accounting courses at various universities. Remaining in Federal service, he began work at DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency) as an auditor. He retired from this agency after 12 years, but then moved directly into an office at Northrop Grumman. Eleven years later, he finally retired. For real this time! Now, let the traveling begin. Exploring countries, cities, mountains, oceans, and rivers, Marge and John saw it all. You name it, and they vacationed there - probably twice! One item on his “Bucket List” was to claim 7 continents, and he did. Yep, at 87 years of age, John stepped foot on the forgotten continent of Antarctica. He loved talking about that adventure. In addition to always planning their next great exploration, John was a Die Hard Angels Fan. He rarely missed a game, unless he was out of the country, of course. He and Marge can rightfully claim 21 years of dedication as Season Ticket Holders. Not many can say that. Often people define themselves by their profession or things they’ve achieved. But John’s greatest sense of pride and happiness was his family. When he married Marge in 1952, he embraced her family as his own. Later they adopted Cheryl and Steve while stationed in Montana. Together, through 66 years of wedded bliss, they built a loving, supportive, caring family. When describing this Gulick clan, it has been frequently said, “Cheryl and Steve hit the Adoption Lotto.” Every thought, plan, and action made by John and Marge were designed around their two children and eventually their grandchildren. Wayne, John’s son-in-law, describes him as, “THE roll model of a family man. He has shown us all through his actions how to be a loving, encouraging, dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Throughout the years, when others needed help, he would quietly step up, complete the job, but never boast of what he had done.” He lived a life believing in always doing the right thing and being good and kind to others. No moss grew under his feet; he was always on the go, including attending his last Angels game days before he passed away in his own home. He lived life on his own terms up to the last minute. We all should be so lucky! Loved ones who have been waiting in Heaven for John are his mother Gladys, his five siblings: Gene, Curtis, Chester, Irvine, and Marybell. Loved ones who will deeply miss John until they meet him in Heaven are: Marge, his beloved wife; Cheryl and Steve, his children; grandchildren Ricky, Trevor, Garrett, and Alyssa; son-in-law Wayne and daughter-in-law Stephanie; sister-in-law Joan; and nephews and niece Don, Scott, and Leslie. And so this story will go on until we see John again. Please remember John and what he tried to teach us, “Love your family with all your heart. Do what’s right and do what’s good. Be kind and help others. The world can always use one more kind person.”