Gilbert Paul Alexander's Obituary
Gilbert Paul Alexander of Santee, CA passed away on October 4, 2018. He was 75 years old. Gil was born in NYC on April 13th, 1943 where he grew up in a foster home and became a fighter early on. As a kid, Gil would sneak into Yankee Stadium where he saw all the greats. He proudly attended Mount Saint Michael Academy located in the Bronx where he graduated in 1961. After graduation, Gil joined the Marines where he served 4 years that included tours in Okinawa and Laos. While serving, Gil fell in love with Shorin-Ryu, one of the oldest styles of karate where he trained under O’Sensei Shimabukuro Eizo. It became a lifelong passion and he ultimately achieved his third degree black belt in 1974. He shared his love for the art through teaching and training others. After leaving the service in 1965, Gil returned to the Bronx where he began a long career in finance and banking. He married Rose Novotny in January 1969 and had daughter Rosie in November that same year. The family moved to California in 1972 and son Rocco was born a year later. Despite having no example, he was a proud and adoring father who coached little league, would do anything for his family, and was always there when you needed him. He met his love and the person he would ultimately share his life with, Kim Steffens. After his career as a banker he became an entrepreneur owning his own carpet cleaning business for almost thirty years.
Gil loved to play poker, shoot pool and enjoyed a good bar fight in his day. He was an enthusiastic but fairly unsuccessful fisherman. Until just prior to his death he would run hills and lift 50 pound dumbbells. Despite his tough exterior, he had a soft and compassionate heart for children and animals and adored his pets Katerina and Muttley.
Gil was so loved by his family and is survived by his wife, Kim, his daughter Rosie and spouse Curtis, his son Rocco and spouse Rachel and their children Hayes, Lincoln, and Ellison, his in-laws, Pat and Lou Steffens and his nephew Bradley and his children Aunjolie and Calin. He is also survived by his brother Jack DeRico, sister Cookie and her children Julian and Dolores Hammond. He will be remembered as the best storyteller with a fantastic memory for names and details and will be terribly missed.
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