Obituary of Gary Leon Lavelle

Gary Leon Lavelle, 88, of Palm Springs, California, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 28, 2023.

Visitation services will be held at Higgins Funeral Home, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ, on April 10th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Gary is survived by his son, Darren (Michelle) Lavelle; his grandchildren, Ryan Lavelle, Harrison Lavelle, Kate Lavelle, Sam Boxleitner, Lee Boxleitner, Dennis Lowe, Cara Lowe, Shelley Holcomb, and Alex Holcomb; and his great-grandchildren Claire and Wyatt Lavelle.

Gary is preceded in death by his wife, Mitsi.

Gary was born in King City, California, to Sidney and Evelyn Lavelle on November 29, 1934. He was part of the first graduating class of Culver City High School in 1953. After high school, he joined the United States Naval Reserve and studied Theater Arts at Hartnell College in Salinas, California. Gary enjoyed a wonderful career in the motion picture industry as a film cutter spending most of his time in the negative room at Color by Deluxe in Hollywood, working on legendary productions like M*A*S*H and Star Wars.

Gary was a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and USC Trojans. After retiring, Gary and Mitsi moved to Palm Springs, where they enjoyed the weather, long walks with their dogs, and most of all, working as docents at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Gary’s memory may be made to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens:

https://livingdesert.donorshops.com/products/DON-MEMORIALS/memorialgifts

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

47900 Portola Avenue

Palm Desert, CA 92260