Please accept my sincere and heartfelt thanks, John and Paul, for your remembrance of Gerard’s birthday.  We too miss him and think of him.  It is a comfort to know that he has such friends as you who would wish him well.
Thank you,
John Huegel 

Happy birthday Gerard… miss you buddy!!! I always remember those good times we had playing Poker … and you being my designated driver for my birthday get togethers…. RIP buddy!! 

Happy Birthday Gerard, 
You were one of my favorite co-worker at the many labs we worked together.  I think of you often....rest in peace...my friend.

Our sincere condolences to Gerard’s family. Gerard was a member of the SAR Eagle Chapter where my husband is a member. While his father, John, served as President, we had the pleasure of meeting Gerard. He immediately struck me as a special and gentle soul. I remember a sense of peace about him which I thought at the time must be attributed to his fine family. The news of his passing is truly saddening. Gerard was an active SAR member who represented the chapter well. We will truly miss him!

Hello Huegel family and friends of Gerard,

I had the pleasure of working with Gerard the past 2 years at Bachem Americas and I greatly miss him.  I wanted to share some fond memories of him as many of us have been positively impact in many different way by Gerard and thought you should learn of the impact he had on me.  I have never been one who allowed myself to be super close with coworkers (military and civilian internal compartmental and nature of management positions) and Gerard was one of those instrumental in changing my life outlook and allowing myself to become immersed into the Bachem life and team.

    Gerard was unique when it came to off- topic conversations and I too gravitated to Gerard when it came to eclectic conversations.  Gerard, Jeff K. and I really bonded during our training events for Top Concepts, B-Rumba and general management meetings.  We would discuss locations from Science Channel’s Mysteries of the Abandoned, Expeditions Unknown and other science related shows.  We would share bad jokes, challenging days, podcasts and a high five or two.

  My wife and children had the honor to meet him during Torrance visits, hang out with him and he was really awesome to my family.  We have had a cocktail or two over laughs and smiles.  My family is saddened over his passing and I am finding myself ebbing and flowing over memories of him.  The older I get the softer my heart becomes.  Gerard was and will continue to be a bright spot at Bachem and I was sorely miss him.

As is a tale, so is a life: Not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

Best regards.


My name is Robin Duvall.  I work with John Huegel, Gerard's father.  I met Gerard on a couple of occasions when he was marching in a parade with the Sons of the American Revolution - I was just attending to watch.  He was very kind and friendly, and looked great in uniform (just like his dad!)  I've heard lots of stories from John about Gerard and all the goods times their family experienced.  Gerard was very close to his parents and shared many common interests with his father. It is so tragic to lose Gerard too soon, and my heart goes out to John, Karen and Warren, and to all who knew and loved him. My thoughts and prayers are with you daily.

Dearest John, Karen, Warren, family & friends – We are very saddened by the passing of your beloved Gerard. No one was prepared to say goodbye. His time here was beyond short. 

John and Karen – the death of a child leaves a void no one can heal. What you are going through is horrible to comprehend. My heart aches for you. Please continue to share wonderful memories of Gerard with us. The picture of your toddler boys in their red outfit is beyond priceless. Being a proud parent doesn’t have to end…

Warren – thank you for taking extra care of your parents, at this difficult time, when you too are feeling such a devastating loss. My deepest condolences to you.

To you all – May the care and love of all those around you provide comfort and peace to get you through the difficult days and years ahead. Please know we are all here for you. 

Dear Gerard – I’m sorry I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting you. I have worked alongside your wonderful dad and have heard many sweet stories. May you Rest in Peace. You are deeply and sorely missed. 

~ Grace Moyad


Gerard was my best friend.  We met when I was 12 and we quickly became and remained friends for nearly 30 years.   Gerard was a fixture.  We lived in Southern California so as kids it was Disneyland. Magic Mountain. La Jolla Cove. Sleepovers.  Riding our bikes to the beach.  I busted Gerard’s front tooth wrestling at the pool.  We accidentally started a fire in a storm drain playing with lighter fluid.  While doing all this Gerard excelled in school.  When I was memorizing the lyrics to the latest song Gerard memorized The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.  He was a bright, fun loving, partner in crime. 

I went through a rough patch in high school and Gerard was the one friend who stood by me.  When my Mom passed Gerard was there.  Literally at the hospital for countless hours.  We traveled around Europe for a month in our twenties.  We ran with the bulls in Pamplona ( or rather from them). We watched Mark Rylance perform Hamlet at the Old Globe in London.  We ate pigeon in France and reveled in every encounter with tourists and locals.  We skydived together.  Gerard was a renaissance man.  

I went to school for a few years in San Francisco.  Gerard made several trips up.  

On one occasion I had a school assignment to attend a church service.  I was studying theater and was asked to observe the similarities between church services and plays.  

Gerard was a very vocal atheist but I asked if he wanted to go.  He said sure.  So we went to Glide in San Francisco which turned out to be more like a concert than a play.  The pastor was alive with the Holy Spirit. The choir was electric and there in the pews was Gerard. Dancing and singing and shouting right along with them.  I could not believe it.  Afterward I told him I was surprised to see him get so into it. His response “even if I don’t believe I’m still going to participate.” 

My heart goes out to his amazing (in the truest sense of word) Mother, Father and Brother.  

 Sky




My name is John Tortona.  I had a pleasure of knowing Gerard from back in our days working for Cardinal Health in Mira Mesa.  We were both analyst at the time.  I always saw him as a “smooth operator”.  He simply got things accomplished successfully and quietly.   
Our relationship really started from the days when we used to play poker together.  We always needed a person to fill the table and Gerard was an easy one to persuade.  He became a regular in my Poker get-togethers.  He was so good in taking everyone’s money that others hated me for inviting him.  He was a challenge for me and I enjoyed it.  He had the best poker face, you never knew if he was playing you.  
Gerard became a main fixture of all of my events with past co-workers.  He came to almost every one of my birthday celebrations each year.  One year, he managed to be the only one to hang with me while I had too much to drink on my big day.  He drove me home safely that night and I never forgot that.  It became a running joke between me and him through the years of how I barely made it home that night.  From then on, I was able to count on Gerard.  Whether it was from helping me move, helping me at work, or needing a poker player during Super Bowl, Gerard could be always counted on.  I liked him so much that I referred him for another job and was able to work with him during my days in Amylin.
I will miss Gerard.  He was a gentle soul, a reliable person, and a good friend.  Thank you Gerard for your friendship.  RIP

Gerard reported to me at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which became Bristol Myer Squib and later AstraZeneca.  He was smart and kind.  He helped me tremendously, figuring out how to get our reports to report what was needed.  He was a genius at calculations and reports. I could always count on him.   He will be missed in the pharmaceutical industry.  I, personally will miss his intellect, and some long conversations at lunch.  RIP, my friend.

I am one of Gerard's cousins here in NM. We didn't talk often, but I have fond memories of him; as a child, he always had some sort of "trick" to show me whenever I saw him. From balancing forks on a toothpick on a salt shaker, to all kinds of amateur magic tricks, he always had something fun to share with me. Last year when Gerard came to NM for our grandma's 90th birthday,  I watched as he gleefully showed my girls some of the same tricks and inspired the same giggles in them that I remember from when I was young. I'll miss the good memories, the interesting chats, the laughs, and the fun that was always to be had when we did get together. Until we meet again, RIP cousin. 

Most of you, like myself, are still coming to terms with the unfortunate news we found out about Gerard. I knew him as a co-worker. I got a chance to know a piece about him some of you all may not know. It was something he took great pride in. 

A little over a year ago I went out to lunch at the pizza place around the corner ( its name slips my mind ). I was tired of always looking at my phone at lunchtime, so I grabbed the local paper they have there to look through during my break. I ordered my pizza and sat down and began to look through the paper. It was on page 7 or 8 that there was a story about the Sons of the Revolution. For those that do not know, the Sons of the Revolution is a club for those that can directly follow their lineage back to someone that fought in the Revolutionary War. There was about 6 or 7 people in the picture that accompanied the article and low and behold there was Gerard among them.

Fascinated by this, I took the paper and upon returning to Bachem I showed Gerard the paper. He began to talk about his ancestors fighting in the Revolutionary War and what that meant to him. It was such a cool experience to learn something random about a co-worker. 

Then about 6 months ago I was talking to my folks just about life and my father mentioned that he traced our lineage all the way back to the Revolutionary War as well on his mom’s side. I mentioned it to Gerard in passing and he mentioned they have meetings on the regular. I never got around to going to a meeting but was something “cool” we had in common. Gerard was more than a co-worker, it is just that is all most of us knew him as. 

I encourage anyone to share some other “cool” stories you may have had about Gerard that might let us know more about the great man simply known to most of us as Gerard.

You will be missed in ways that life cannot measure. Until we meet again … 

RIP Gerard.


This is the other picture taken last Friday. These might be the last pictures that were taken of him. Everyone feel free to download for yourself if possible . 



This was taken the Friday before the weekend he passed away. It was our Bachem Christmas Party. Gerard was such a gentle soul and will be missed by many for years to come.

OBITUARIO

Gerard Owen Huegel

7 diciembre, 1976 – 15 diciembre, 2019

Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary

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