Gilbert George Gutierrez

Gilbert George Gutierrez (Gil) of Alexandria, VA died on July 25, 2019 from complications due to diabetes and cancer. He is survived by his wife, Christina Gutierrez, his son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Erin Gutierrez of Hingham, MA, and their two daughters, as well his daughter Alexis Gutierrez and son-in-law Colin Bartley of Washington, DC, and their two sons. Six of his eight siblings survive him - Dorothy of Huntington Beach, CA, Victor, of Westminster, CA, Richard of Gerber, CA, Linda of Oskaloosa, KS, Betty of Rapid City, SD, and Mona of Auburn, CA. Gil will join Jim, his older brother who died in 1972. Gil was a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, mentor and baseball coach. Gil was born in Long Beach, CA to Jesus Gutierrez and Seferina Jauregui in November 1943. Gil graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. There he met his wife of 51 years. Following college, Gil enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he served for two years in Quantico, Virginia. In 1968, Gil and Chris married and both enrolled in graduate school at the University of California, Riverside. Motivated by his military service, Gil focused his doctoral research on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the role of Secretary of State Dean Rusk. After finishing their graduate work, Gil and Chris moved to the Washington, DC area where they have largely resided ever since. Gil’s work focused on domestic and international policy issues over the next thirty years ranging from voting rights, empowerment of the Latino community, natural resource management and international development in Latin America. Gil served in the Carter Administration as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior and later entered private consulting. Some of Gil’s happiest times were spent on hot sweltering nights coaching baseball in Northern Virginia. After coaching soccer, basketball, and softball for years for both of his children, Gil continued to coach/mentor high school and college baseball players by establishing the American Legion Post 44 baseball team and eventually a Connie Mack/Independent baseball team that played throughout Northern Virginia. Gil treasured the many relationships he developed with other coaches, volunteers, parents, and most especially the players, which he maintained long after retiring from coaching. Over the last 20 years, Gil had increasingly dedicated his time toward researching, reflecting, and writing about his family’s history. In 2016 he wrote and published Sefie’s Ghost a novel based on the history of his family. More recently Gil had been researching the history of the Longshoremen’s Union in Long Beach, CA, which his father’s family had been involved for many years. He often reminded his kids to “count their blessings” and to “whom much is given, much is expected.” In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Gil’s honor to the American Diabetes Association or the American Cancer Society.