Guillermo “Gillie” Ignacio Suárez (1972-2018)

SUA769REZ, GROSSO, BUSS, BOYLES, HENSLEY, SERR, BERGGREN, OPPENHEIMER

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11

Obiturary from Legacy Funeral & Cremation Care, La Mesa, California.

Guillermo (“Gillie”) Ignacio Suárez, was born on July 11, 1962, to Dr. Guillermo & Mrs. Clara (Grosso) Suárez, on the ancient Atlantic peninsula of Cádiz, Spain. It sparked in him a lifetime passion for fishing, sailing, and the sea.

The Suárez family immigrated to Colorado in 1966, before settling in Ames in 1968, where Gillie attended Elementary at Meeker and Abbey Sawyer, Welch Jr. High, Ames High School, (Class of ’80), and earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science and Humanities in English, with a minor in Environmental Studies, from Iowa State University. In 1986, Gillie moved to San Diego, CA, in part, because of it’s similarities in climate and geography to his native Andalusia.

Gillie loved life, bringing people together, and had an innate curiosity and an ability to engage in conversation with anyone, on a wide variety of subjects. With his happy demeanor, quick wit, infamous, lop-sided smile, and sly chuckle, he was a genuine free-spirit, making loyal friends wherever he went, and with people of all walks of life. He was humble, hardworking, non-judgmental, protective of loved-ones and the less fortunate, inordinately generous, always willing to lend a hand, ear, shoulder, shirt, or dollar, and treated others fairly, and with respect. Although he landed far away from Ames and Cádiz, he kept close bonds with many childhood friends throughout his life, and many people fondly and proudly called him “brother”.

As an adult, he became a loyal U.S. Citizen, yet despite the change in passport and flag, he never stopped being a “Gaditano” at heart. He loved music, sharing artists he admired, playing guitar, and creating original lyrics or poetry on-the-fly. He also enjoyed frisbee golf, watching soccer, woodworking, wildlife preservation, restoring Sea Craft boats, cold beer, and most of all, fishing! In fact, Gillie could usually be found wearing a shirt with images of fish on it, telling a few tall-tales, or, doing a spontaneous impersonation of Bob Dylan. Despite his long-suffering illness, he never complained.

He met the love of his life, Susan (“Susie”) Buss in 1998, while he strolled around a party, strumming a guitar and making up lyrics as he went along, (which she found quite charming)! After dating for two years, he just as romantically proposed by the power of suggestion… saying “Let’s get hitched!”. They were happily married on July 8, 2000, at the San Diego Mission, and later settled in her quaint home-town of La Mesa, CA.

Gillie had a broad range of interests, and used his many talents in a variety of jobs. He was a skilled craftsman who built custom cabinetry in his own business, (Old World Woodworks), a keen observer, who monitored commercial fishing by-catch, and archaeological artifacts at construction sites, and an outdoorsman who created fishing maps. For the past 15 years, he worked for Pasha-Stevedoring, at the San Diego Port Terminal, most recently as an Operations Manager.

His wise, and simple philosophy for life is summed up with, “Have Fun, laugh often, Keep Rockin”.

Gillie passed in his sleep at Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, California, on June 17, 2018, with his wife, Susie, at his side, following a constant stream of visits from family and many long-time friends, who travelled from across the country to bid him a sad farewell. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Guillermo and Clara Suárez, his grandparents, many aunts, uncles, and a cousin.

Plans are pending for a memorial service. Please check back for details.

He was dearly loved, and will be truly missed by his surviors: wife, Susie Suarez, siblings Clara (& Mark) Boyles, Selin Hensley, Luis (& Christine) Suárez, Teresa Suárez, Manuel (& Sarah) Suárez, nieces Cristina, Elena (& Jeff), Ana, Clara, Briana, Natalie, Sofia, Rachel, Mavi, Emi, and nephews, Lucas and Gillie, and great-nephew and niece, Logan and Clara, as well as a huge extended family in Spain and Guatemala. Other survivors include: Mother in-law: Kathy Buss, (& Bob Rydberg), sibling in-laws: Julie Serr [& Rich ], Dan Buss [& Moya], Susan Berggren (& Nore), Mike Oppenheimer (& Darcy), and Jeff Oppenheimer (& Diane).

Memorial Contributions may be made in his honor to:
The Erdheim-Chester Global Alliance – http://erdheim-ches ter.org/donate
The Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Research Foundation – https://www.mpnre searchfoundation.org/Donate- to-MPN-Research

Also, in consideration of Gillie’s battle with rare terminal illnesses, and of all those families affected by incurable diseases, we encourage eligible parties to consider: regularly donating to a blood bank, joining the International Bone Marrow Registry (Bethematch.org), and/or considering a tissue donation after death, in order to further advance scientific knowledge and treatment of these types of illnesses.

Gillie’s funeral mass will be held August 7, at 10:00am, at Santa Sophia Catholic Church, followed by a reception the Church Hall from 11:00am-1:00pm.
Friends also plan to gather together later on the afternoon; more information to follow.
Santa Sophia Catholic Church
9800 San Juan Street
Spring Valley, CA 91977
United States