Gabe is and was a unique kind of gem.  

When we first met, I only knew him as a close friend to a close friend of mine.  It made it easy for me to immediately trust him.  What I didn’t know then was how much of a genuinely good human being he was and how much he would inspire me.  Trust and friendship with Gabe would never be an issue.

We worked together at MVP.  Nothing short of positive and optimistic, he was always enthusiastic about our approach to getting work done, all in the service of doing something bigger and better inside and outside of our workplace.  His enthusiasm and commitment made me feel like we could grow into something more meaningful and take on anything when we put our heads together.

I got to see how passionate and true of a human he was in a short amount of time.  I also quickly learned of how empathetic and thoughtful he was with everyone he engaged with.  When I think of him right now, I think of someone I could trust for help, trust to do what’s right, trust to depend on as a source for good.  And this is especially salient when I think of the world we live in, a world that may not always be so kind, supportive and dependable.  Thank you Gabe for selflessly being a good human and always being there.

He was a creative visual artist but what resonated more for me was his inherent creative way of thinking and being that went beyond a single form of expression.  I think creativity was part of his constitution.  There was no other way to confront a problem without a creative and thoughtful approach from Gabe.  We didn’t always agree on the approach but we valued the process of working together to find a solution and that meant so much to me in a collaborative work environment.  

I admired that and his broad life experience, that allowed me to dream about where we’d be years from now, building something as a team.  Before his passing, I couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t be a part of that.  I’m learning now that he still can be and I’m grateful for the legacy he will leave, allowing me to forge a future that honors him.

Sometimes you take for granted what you have not because you don’t care but because you just get used to what you have and you expect that to always be what it is.  That became painfully clear to me when we lost Gabe.  As I’ve reflected over the past week since his passing, I realize how much he lifted me up and made me so proud of what we were doing and what we could do as a team.  I miss you buddy and it hurts me to think I won’t get to fully realize this dream of mine, you there with me and Max in person, making it happen.

I met Millard and Bonita briefly when they came to visit Gabe months ago.  I can’t stop seeing their smiling faces and feeling their warmth since Gabe left us.  Millard and Bonita, I’m heartbroken for you and Che and his children.  Gabe was one-of-a-kind.  I don’t know what you did, but however you did it, you gave us a beautiful human being we can all be proud of.  Thank you.  Love you Gabriel.