Gerald John McGrath

Gerald John McGrath, cherished husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on December 14, 2024, in Garden Grove, California, at the age of 86. He was born on October 20, 1938, in Passaic, New Jersey. He moved around a lot as a child with his parents and his favorite childhood home was in Daytona Beach, Florida where they owned a motel on the beach called “Memory Lane.”

Gerald graduated from John Marshall High School in Los Angeles in June 1956. He then entered the Navy and served two years in which he did two tours to Asia aboard the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Philippine Sea. One of his duties was a musician playing the saxophone and clarinet in the ship’s band. After the Navy, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Cal Poly Pomona graduating in 1965. He then worked as an engineer on the Apollo Program at North American in Downey, California. Shortly after, he worked many years at Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, California, as a metrology engineer in their Primary Standards Laboratory. He finished his career in Calibration at the Naval Warfare Assessment Center in Corona, California. He was most proud of designing and building an automated thread-gage calibrator. He earned a reputation for his dedication, expertise, and precision in his work.

On January 30, 1966, Gerald married Grace Audrey Squires, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They owned rental apartments for over 50 years in Garden Grove, California. Together, they raised their son, Gary Gerald McGrath, born September 4, 1967, and their daughter, Gail Grace McGrath, born July 31, 1972. After retirement, they traveled extensively, exploring many places in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, creating lasting memories.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Gerald had a lifelong passion for nutrition and healthy living, always seeking to improve both his own life and the lives of those around him. He was also a man of great musical talent, intelligence, kindness, and selflessness, and he will be remembered for his warm, caring nature and his ability to bring joy to others.

Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret Herzo McGrath and John James McGrath, and his brother, James Edward McGrath. He is survived by his loving wife, Grace Squires McGrath; his son, Gary Gerald McGrath; his daughter, Gail Grace Lindsay; his grandchildren, Alex McGrath, Kane McGrath, Niko McGrath, Jake McGrath, Amelia Lindsay, and Mary Lindsay; and his great-grandson, Silas McGrath. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law, Jami McGrath; son-in-law, Keith Lindsay; and granddaughter-in-law, Francy McGrath.

Gerald’s life was filled with love, purpose, and dedication to his family, his career, and his personal interests. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 30, 2024, at 12:00 noon at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California, where Gerald will be laid to rest with full military honors. Arrangements are under the direction of Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd., Westminster, CA 92683.