Gabriel Maria Gorrino

Gabriel Gorrino was born April 23, 1940, the eldest son of Felix Gorrino and Eulogia Inchausti. He was born at their home in Cortezubi, Spain. He had three younger brothers, Jess (Deceased), Joe of Grand Junction, and Angel who resides in Arrazuzua, Spain. Spain was under the dictatorship of Franco at the time he was growing up. It was Franco who had the neighboring town of Guernica bombed by Hitler's army, killing hundreds of Basque people. As a result, Gabriel grew up with a strong hatred for dictatorships and was extremely proud of his Basque heritage.

It was very hard times after the war when he was growing up. At the age of five, he told how he would help his mother pick the produce in their garden and prepare to take it to the market on Monday morning to the neighboring town to sell. This meant loading it on the horse and buggy and leaving in the dark of morning, way before daylight, in order to get to the market when it opened. He would go with her to help. He learned what it was to work hard at a very young age.

When he was fourteen, he was working as an apprentice electrician. He continued to work at that until he was 20 years old, at which time he came to work in the United States for Emmett Elizondo, another Basque. Emmett grazed his sheep around Cimarron, Colorado during the summer months and at Westwater, Utah in the winter. Gabriel was the camp tender for Emmett.

After his time with Emmett, he went to work on construction. He often talked about working for Shaw Construction in Vail, Colorado and building several of the beautiful buildings there. He was very proud of that and enjoyed seeing them.

From there he purchased a cement pumping truck with Fred Cunningham. It was at this time that he met the love of his life, Shirley. She worked for the bookkeeper he hired to take care of his finances. Their first date was May 18th and they were married June 30th that same year. She often teased him about marrying her just so he would have someone to go with him to the Basque Festival at Elko, Nevada on July 4th weekend. With a lot of determination and hard work they recently celebrated fifty years together.

Gabriel came to America with nothing. His dream was to one day own a place where he could call home with plenty of land for his sheep. Through hard work and much determination, he lived that dream living and working on a beautiful farm in Loma.

He and Shirley purchased their farm in Loma in 1977, where they raised their children, Javier and Anne. They had a small bunch of sheep and a few cows, but that was what he enjoyed doing most. He loved his family and the sheep made his life complete. What he cherished most in his life was his family, a place to call his own and a few sheep. He was blessed with four grandchildren, Thor Martin and Gabriella, Annalea and Xavier Gorrino. He adored his grandchildren and wanted only the best for them. Also surviving are his daughter-in-law Robyn Gorrino of Loma and son-in-law Mitchell Martin who resides in Georgia.

After retirement, Gabriel enjoyed just working on his farm, tending to his sheep and spending every day with his dogs, his favorite being his border collie, Arantza. He so enjoyed laughing and joking with his Basque friends. They spent many hours at the handball court in their younger days. Oh, to be young again!

And now, he is a Shepherd for the Lord's sheep.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Gabriel will be held Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1210 17 1/2 Rd., Fruita, CO 81521. Interment will follow at New Elmwood Cemetery, Fruita, CO.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Gabriel to HopeWest Hospice at www.hopewestco.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.callahan-edfast.com for the Gorrino Inchausti family.