Obituary
Gilbert (Gil) L. Gunsalus, 87, died Tuesday, June 4, 2024. He was born in Goshen, NY on April 9, 1937 to Louis Dubois Gunsalus and Kathryn Egbertson Gunsalus. Gil was valedictorian at Pine Bush High School and then majored in aeronautical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I.). After graduating in 1958, Gil moved to California, living on his diving boat The Miss Rusty in Mission Bay, San Diego and diving near Catalina Island. He always enjoyed regaling people with stories of his diving adventures. He worked as a design engineer at the Pacific Missile Range for General Dynamic Astronautics on the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile until he was drafted into the Army, where he served for two years.
Upon leaving the Army, Gil returned to upstate New York. He married Shirley Gunsalus (Brach) in 1964 and they had two children, Mark and Kristen. For 35 years, Gil worked at International Business Machines (I.B.M.) in upstate New York and then in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Gil was an outdoor enthusiast whose passions included camping in the Adirondack Mountains, canoeing, kayaking, cycling, and nature photography. He competed in numerous triathlons, the National Capitol Marathon, and the 1996 Boston Marathon. He completed the Adirondack Canoe Classic – a 90+ mile canoe race – four times. In his retirement, he spent a number of years in Morrisville, North Carolina and then eventually moved to The Villages, FL, where he enjoyed golf and archery.
Gil was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 42 years, Shirley Gunsalus. He is survived by his son, Mark Gunsalus of Elk Grove, CA; his daughter Kristen Cowan (Jonathan) of Evanston, IL; and three grandsons, Benjamin, Ryan, and Toby Cowan.
A private inurnment will take place in Poughkeepsie, NY at a later date. Arrangements by Baldwin Brothers Funeral & Cremation Society-Spanish Springs 352-430-1449, The Villages, FL. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.baldwincremation.com.
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