To Shauna, Rikki, Grace and Mack; to Cindy; to the entire Gargus Clan:

My deepest condolences. I am truly sorry for your loss. Losing a partner, father, family member, brother and eldest son creates an excruciating void. My heart goes out to all of you.

I’d like to say a few words in honor of Greg’s passing…

First and foremost, his love for his kids, grandkids and family was his #1 pride and joy. He was so proud of all of you, as he should be. He was a loving grandfather and it filled his tank to spend time with his grandkids. He got so much happiness from your ginormous family tree-it was everything to him.

His absence in this world is a devastating loss. Truly. Like all of us, he could sometimes be complicated, but he was kind to his core. He was a compassionate humanitarian with a generous spirit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched him help somebody in need: giving money to the unhoused, food to the hungry; going to the grocery store if you were sick; or moving something with his truck/trailer. Whatever you needed, if he could, he would. He had a huge heart.

Greg’s humor, love of music, rafting, skiing, and travel made him a great friend. He was always up for something fun or adventurous- always planning the next great thing. He did his best to enjoy life, that’s for sure! I will cherish all the fun memories and experiences we had. I’m sure you all feel the same way. It was another side of his incredible generosity. I’ve always admired the fact that he was successful in business, and he liked to share his good fortune with others, especially friends and family. He really understood that giving it away comes back to you tenfold. I watched him embody that spirt over and over again. He was a great teacher that way!

I’ve wanted to write something for awhile now, to acknowledge everyone’s grief, especially Cindy. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I hope you are surrounded by people who can support you in this difficult time. I’m very sorry for your loss.

Although I didn’t see much of Greg in these past few years, we texted often. He was a good friend and is missed tremendously. I know you will have a beautiful celebration of life because he was a beautiful human being. May you laugh, cry, be surprised, feel the love, but most of all, may your hearts be filled up. He would have wanted that.

Rest in peace, Greg.

Lisa 

Many of my fondest memories of growing up in south Orange County California include adventures with Greg. Some of them are like segments of an excellent movie - you just can’t make this stuff up! I met Greg through our mutual friend Chris. I remember at a young age sitting on the carpet in the living room watching TV at the apartment in SJC where Greg’s family lived, close to Chris’ mom’s apartment. Greg would laugh and come up with bizarre and funny comments while watching the movie. He always had a funny quip or pun.

When we were a little older, we were all into dirt bikes. I had a Yamaha 175, Chris had his red Husqvarna 250, and I remember how stoked Greg was when he got his Honda Elsinore (I don’t remember if it was a 250 or 500). Anyway, he loved that bike. We would go riding the trials off of Ortega Hwy, near the roads that led to Saddleback and Santiago Peak. Greg would jump on his bike, start it and take off full throttle, we could hear him in the distance, but we usually wouldn’t see him again until he returned to the truck. One very clear memory I have of those days: Riding for so long through dirt, mud and eventually snow, we got so close to the top of Santiago Peak, but we couldn’t go any further because the snow was so deep. But, the crisp, clean air, the incredible views that day, and the camaraderie we shared is imprinted on my soul and mind forever.

I remember seeing Greg start a motocross race (maybe at Escape Country?). Lined up with what seems like 80 other riders, the gate crashes down and you can see Greg, full throttle, no fear, no hesitation, just riding as fast as he could. He loved riding and competing on dirt bikes.

When we were a little older, I remember going to the house they had on Via Sacramento in Capo Beach. (Greg’s mom would always ask me to play the piano, The Low Spark of High Healed Boys or Let it Be, or other songs - she really enjoyed it when someone would play their piano!). Anyway, one time we were there and nobody else was home. Greg’s stepdad had a real nice consul stereo system with the turntable built right into it. Greg picked up the recently released Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers and put it on the turntable. He went directly to the track Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and turned the volume up high. The opening riff was shaking the walls, the stereo system really handled the high volume excellently. That song sounded so good that day! Of course I still have that track prominently on the classic rock - deep cuts playlist on my iPhone!

I have many more memories with Greg and our group of friends. We took camping trips with the dirt bikes to Lake Mead, and we would sneak into Circus Circus casino in Vegas at night and gamble until we were thrown out (we were minors). We would take trips to Baja California, Mexico. My brother and brother in law had a small fishing cabin right on the rocky shore. It was located about halfway between TJ and Ensenada. We would buy illegal fireworks and skyrockets in Ensenada, including M-200s (not M-80s, not M-100s but M-200s - seems like they were like a quarter stick of dynamite). It’s amazing we didn’t lose any fingers. It’s amazing we didn’t get into trouble down there - once again, we were minors!

I remember Greg’s vehicles while we were growing up. Greg loved his MGBGT, and later his Toyota SR5 4WD pickup. I worked at Lindy Lou’s restaurant in downtown SJC for about 3 years. Greg worked there too for a while as many of our other friends and kids from the neighborhood did. I remember he was a short order cook, and very good at it.

Some who knew Greg after he moved to Oregon might be thinking “Who is this guy Duane, and how come Greg never mentioned him? Well even though we did so much together with our group of friends, I guess I was always a second tier friend. But, that doesn’t diminish the light of our adventures together.

I know I have been a little long winded here, and in reality, I’ve barely scratched the surface. but I just wanted to write about these times we had together. Perhaps the best times of our lives. We were just kids having fun. Our sense of adventure and our innocence wonderfully displayed in those days of our childhood and adolescence. RIP Greg.