David Gill Obituary

David W. Gill, 1935 –2020

David passed peacefully at his home in Vallejo at the age of 85 in the care of his loving wife, Nenita (Maria) Gill. She personally provided years of 24/7 skilled nursing care to make his final decade as happy and comfortable as possible. No facility could have done that.

He was born 85 years ago to David D. and Marion Gill of San Francisco. The family moved to Vallejo four years later, where he grew up.

At age nine, David was woken up terrified by the sonic boom and house shaking from the infamous Port Chicago disaster 12 miles away. The detonation of 5000 tons of munitions created a three-mile-wide fireball a few miles up in the air and a 3.4-magnitude earthquake –one-eighth the explosive force of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

After attending Lincoln Elementary, he became a distance runner at Vallejo Jr. High School. He played football with the Vallejo High School Apaches, including 1960-1969 L.A. Ram's running back Dick Bass. The school alma mater is:

In the midst of Old Vallejo
Stands the school we love
Emblem pure of faith and beauty
Blessed by God above
Lift the chorus, speed it onward
Loud our praises soar Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, Vallejo evermore!

Despite the danger of a combat resurgence, he patriotically enlisted with the U.S. Army. He was posted to the Danube River area of post-World-War-II Germany. A mechanic, he repaired tanks and heavy trucks to maintain the bulwark against communism. He attained the rank of Sergeant and was honorably discharged. He returned to Vallejo in the winter of 1961-1962.

David endured long but scenic commutes through Black Point and across the Golden Gate Bridge to begin work as a diesel mechanic in San Francisco. The majority of his working years were dedicated to serving as a heavy vehicle mechanic at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Basalt Rock Company. He later became a government contractor to Concord Naval Weapons Station as a longshoreman. He volunteered to work in Kuwait packing up ammunition during the Saddam-Hussein-ignited Kuwaiti oil fires, a very dangerous job. He patriotically served his country on multiple occasions.

Nenita has been David's devoted wife and constant companion since marrying in the Philippines 25 years ago. The new couple returned to Vallejo, since then remaining in the same house overlooking the bay. Nenita was a highly trained nurse there, and continued working as a nurse in the North Bay Area.

They travelled together to the Philippines on multiple occasions to visit with Nenita's family and to experience life outside the U.S. They made a pilgrimage to Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe cathedral in Mexico City, the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. The basilica enshrines a cloak with the venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also known as Our Lady of Guadalupe). The Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in 1531 to Saint Juan Diego (first native of the Americas to become a saint) in the village of Guadalupe and placed her image upon his cloak, saying that she wanted to be known with the title Guadalupe.

David loved his wife and visits from his family and friends. He liked watching the birds and the stray cat that found its new home under their backyard deck. He enjoyed going to the Vallejo Farmers' Market where he could buy fresh produce, view local craft artists, and enjoy the mural of Vallejo near the bus depot. He liked to walk along the Vallejo waterfront and watch the Vallejo Ferry, sailboats, and the Mare Island rowers.

David loved gardening; he introduced his family to unique plants like ginger and chayote. He planted a plum tree, a mandarin, and a loquat tree. He loved raising tomatoes and green beans, being outside, and watering his plants. David picked up his love of gardening from his mother, Marion, who entered her prize-winning roses at the Solano County Fair, his Italian stepfather, Gino Garibaldi, who raised all kinds of vegetables, and his father (David D. Gill), who had a ranch in Oroville. David liked to make trips to Oroville to buy oranges and walnuts as well as collect mountain spring water in jugs. He also loved mushroom hunting; he could identify which mushrooms were safe to eat. After picking wild mushrooms on the Oakville Grade (Napa side), which was no easy task, climbing on the ground under manzanita trees, he set up screens to dry the mushrooms in the house. The house smelled "heavenly" as a consequence, and no one ever got poisoned.

David loved tinkering and making things from odds and ends in his garage. He visited thrift stores, flea markets, and proudly showed his family his recent "finds." He restored a Model-A pickup, rushing to swap meets early in the morning to get the best parts, so that the truck would be restored to authentic condition. He was a man of all trades; he could build and fix anything.

David was a member of the Vallejo Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He loved participating in the VFW parades and helping out the veterans by participating in their parades or fundraisers. He was an avid storyteller; he loved talking about his experiences growing up and being in the military. He also loved watching old movies, mostly about World War II. He was a super friendly guy, easily striking up conversations, and imparting his unique wisdom to everyone that he encountered.

A great man, he will be missed by all who knew him.

His grandfather, George S. Walker, was a California State Senator.

He is survived by his wife, Nenita Gill, his sister, Nancy Inman, his children, Elizabeth Semmelmeyer, George Gill, David Joseph Gill (wife Cindy), Daniel Gill, and his five grandchildren George Gill, Tiffany Gill, Theresa Gill, Jasper Gill, and Vanessa Gill.