I only met Gary once, in El Salvador, on the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Monseñor Romero. I was at the Camino Real, walking through the lobby to catch a taxi to take me to mass at the cathedral. Halfway to the door, a twisted little man with a cane went whizzing by me and grabbed the only remaining taxi. When I eventually arrived at the cathedral, I happened to sit next to him. In view of his size and the setting, I decided not to punch him. We chatted and this little guy turned out to be Gary.

Later he and I joined our mutual friend Gene Palumbo at the hotel, for talks long into the night about life, the church, and good hooch. Never has a person I met only once made such a strong and lasting impression on me.

What a life force! It's a good thing God doesn't need to worry about competition, or Gary would give Him a run for the money. God bless you, Gary. Or should I say Gary bless you, God. Thank you both for letting us share this man for nearly a century, although in my case it was more like 100 minutes.

Adios, dear friend,
Doug Cassel