Esther Moody Gash Bandy

Passed into glory from Laguna Woods Village, California

Beloved Wife, Mother to 4, Grand-Mother to 7, Great-Great Mother 18

First and foremost, she loved Jesus, who was the Lord and King of her life. Flowing out of that was a life and laughter, where she poured life-giving love into the lives and hearts of everyone she knew. She did this with great joy, smiles, warm touches, hugs, and words of encouragement. She was a southern girl, and her social skills and terrific cooking kept family and friends close. She excelled at so many things, including extraordinary gardening abilities and knowledge, as well as infinite experience in antique-anything, which made her a life-long living American Picker. She had an imaginative eye and mind that she used in countless was to make anything and everything better and more beautiful.

Growing up in what only could be described as poverty in rural Laurel Hills Florida, adjacent to Opp, Alabama, Esther faced many challenges. She lost her mother at age 5, so her dad Aljourney Eli Moody (1883-1965) was left with his youngest Esther, young twin sisters Mary and Cassie, and her brother Thomas. Dad struggled and was not always there for the kids as he tried to make ends meet, but amongst other things they raised watermelons and everyone did all they could to make it though the 30’s and 40’s in the rural south. One day Esther walked home from school and found the rustic little house they lived in had burned to the ground. With no family members or neighbors anywhere and just a pile of ashes in front of her, every type of thought went through her mind she would later say.

Esther met her first husband Donald Gash when he was in Navy Flight School in Pensacola Florida while she was a teenage high-schooler serving in the USO. They married in 1953 and raised 4 children together, including Donald Gash Jr. (1955 -1976) Catherine Gash Rowe (1956), John Gash (1959), and Susan Gash Lumbard (1961) . Esther and Don moved with the US Navy and J.I. Case farm-tractor company countless times, including Rhode Island, California, Illinois, Indiana, and more before settling in Mission Viejo, California in 1971. The 1976 accident that killed her first born “Donnie” rocked Esther, Don and the family too, but Esther showed great courage and strength in the loss.

Years later as a single woman, she met fishing boat Captain Jack Bandy while she owned and operated her Nutcracker Sweet Ice Cream and Candy store in Dana Point Harbor, right on the fishing docks. They married in 1994 and thrived together for many years at their beautiful showplace cottage and garden on Fire Mountain Drive in Oceanside. They loved going to the Country Gospel service at North Coast Church in Vista for many years, as well as hosting regular sales of plants she had grown and things Esther had “picked” at other sales. She was extremely generous with the proceeds to support Malawi, Africa famine relief and bringing the love of God to others there. In the last few years of Esther’s life she and Jack finally let go of the beautiful cottage, gardens, and dear friends they had met in Oceanside, and moved close to many of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to Laguna Woods Village.

Her family celebrates her and the spectacular life and legacy she so inspired us and so many others with! Such big shoes to fill! But her tremendous spirit as a true overcomer, no matter what the challenge, and the outrageous love for us all her whole life, so inspires us all to go and do the same! Through her lifelong love for God and others, and zealous profession of Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, we know she is with her King now! She is more alive than any of us here, and we are excited to be re-united with her there. We know she hoped and prayed everyone would have the same confident heavenly hope and joy! We love you Mom!