Harry M. Gamarel
Harry Gamarel Obituary
Harry M. Gamarel (1951-2020)
“the measure of a life is laughter/it never sings alone/and it lingers in our souls/long after it's gone”
Harry Michael Gamarel passed peacefully on October 13, 2020. That day light rain and mist moved quietly through the morning hours in Belford and Monmouth County, New Jersey where he lived with his devoted wife Lynn. Like that quiet morning, Harry was an extraordinarily gentle man. His deep affection and boundless compassion seemed to rise from a quiet place. Even his passions rose from a tranquil and innocent depth. It gave Harry youthful presence and enthusiasm that swept others into his ideas and plans, even the occasional crazy ones.
Harry was born on May 25, 1951 in Newark, New Jersey. In his twenties, he became co-owner of Gamarel Electric with locations in Hillside and Irvington. Later in life, he fulfilled his passion for teaching children. Harry was an educator and directed Hobby Quest in South Central New Jersey. It was a very successful after-school program and Harry instructed students in aviation. His youthful sense of wonder and adventure inspired his students.
“He did everything for us,” said his daughters Kristi and Kate. He closely followed their lives, taking great pride in their work and accomplishments in New York and Florida, in San Francisco, Savannah, Providence, Detroit, and Ann Arbor. They recall his great passion for animals and how he made room for them in all of their homes: dogs, cats, birds, a donkey, and a few horses. Harry also loved outdoor exercise. He was a bike rider and a very skilled swimmer. He was a voracious reader and a music devotee, especially for Bob Dylan.
Harry's spirited sense of humor was infectious. “He made everyone laugh,” Kristi recalls. He was quietly irreverent too, always questioning authority. He became concerned with the direction of our government and was increasingly politically engaged over the years. Harry worked at the election polls. He recently dropped his ballot in the official ballot box in Middletown, determined to avoid any delay in its being counted and to maneuver around those who wish to suppress the mail-in vote.
Harry is survived by his wife Lynn Gamarel, his daughters Kristi and Kate Gamarel, former spouse Maureen Gamarel, his sister Susan Cohen, his nieces and nephews Sari Taft, Brian Cohen, Steve Taft, Lisa Cohen, and grand nieces and nephews Hannah Taft, Graham Taft, and Jaxson Cohen. The family held a private service.
- Lovingly written by Dr. John Ripton
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to your local SPCA or the Trans Sistas of Color Project (TSoCP). To send donations to TSoCP, please go through the Ruth Ellis Center website at the link below and place in the message box "For Trans Sistas of Color Project."
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