Gabriel A. Gutiérrez
September 12, 1937 - January 13, 2021
Honorable Gabriel A. Gutiérrez passed away peacefully surrounded by family at home in South Pasadena, California at the age of 83.
Gabriel is survived by his wife Ana María and four sons: Javier, Felipe, Andres, and Gabriel Fernando and seven grandsons. He is preceded in death by his first wife Gayle Eileen and son Jaime.
Gabriel was born on September 12, 1937 in Los Angeles, California to Jose Arturo and Maria Elena. He graduated from St. Agnus High School and went on to attend Santa Clara University where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1964. At Santa Clara he met and married Gayle Eileen Standring, a public health nurse, in 1966. Over six years, the couple welcomed five sons and Gabriel became an avid Gray-Y and Little League coach. His sons remember him as a devoted and loving father who guided and encouraged them to pursue their goals.
Gabriel joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1965 and moved to Washington D.C. in 1968 to serve as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. He returned to Los Angeles in 1969 and joined the law firm Sillas & Castillo as a partner in private practice. In 1972 he was elected Commissioner/ Judge Pro Tem for Los Angeles County and was appointed to the Municipal Court in 1977 and the Superior Court in 1979 by Governor Jerry Brown. Gabriel served as Supervising Judge of the Northeast Juvenile Justice Center from 1981-84 and Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court from 1985-87. From 1987-97 he was assigned to the Civil Trial calendar for Los Angeles Superior Court Central and also served on assignment to the California State Court of Appeals, 2nd District. After retirement, Gabriel stayed active providing arbitration and dispute resolution services through ADR.
Gabriel was awarded “Trial Judge of the Year” CAALA Alfred J. McCourtney Memorial Trial Judge of the Year, 1998. “Judge of the Year” Pasadena Bar Association, 1995. “Award of Honor” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 1987. “Judge of the Year” Constitutional Rights Foundation, 1986. “Hispanic Leaders Award” San Gabriel Valley, 1980 & 1983. “Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession and the Mexican-American Community” Mexican American Bar Association, 1980. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) Achievement Award, 1975.
Gabriel met his current wife Ana María in 2011 and proposed to her in Venice, Italy while navigating in a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs renowned as a romantic place to declare one’s love with a kiss. Even though Ana María was totally surprised, she said ‘Yes,’ and loved how romantic he was. They married in 2014 and together they enjoyed traveling and entertaining friends and family in their home. Gabriel served on the Board of Trustees for Mount St. Mary’s University since 2012, was an active parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church in South Pasadena and enjoyed his membership at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena. Gabriel was also a true sports fanatic and loved rooting on the Dodgers, Rams, Lakers, and Loyola High School Cubs where he never missed a football game and announced the varsity basketball games.
A funeral mass and celebration of life will be scheduled later in the year when it is safe for family and friends to gather. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dolores Mission (https://www. dolores-mission.org) where Gabriel sponsored the educational goals of the school and mentored many students for over a decade.