Obituary of Gary Dean LeVa

Gary Dean LeVa of Marina, CA passed away peacefully on November 5, 2023, in Salinas, CA. Gary was 75 years old. Gary was born in Long Beach, CA on May 10, 1948, to parents Dean Osborne LeVa and Rose Lucille LaFranchi. He attended Salinas High School and Cabrillo College. He worked in Santa Cruz, CA at Lipton Tea and the City of Santa Cruz. In his spare time, Gary liked working security at music festivals, like the Santa Cruz Blues Festival and Salinas Rodeo concerts. In his youth, Gary enjoyed surfing and travelled domestically and abroad on surfing adventures. He also enjoyed antique bottle digging and collecting. Later, Gary got into motorcycle riding and enjoyed taking long road trips with his friends. Gary was a member of the Santa Cruz Longboard Union, Pleasure Point Night Fighters, and Santa Cruz Old Timers. Gary had a charming and outgoing personality. He had a gift of gab and could talk to anyone about anything. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Gary is survived by his current wife, Carol; his former wife Barbara and their children Ryan and Leanne; grandchildren Kaiden and Mason; and siblings Steve and Ruthie. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Oakwood Memorial Chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz, CA. A reception will follow from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at Chaminade Resort & Spa, 1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, CA. Children are welcome.