John Robert Ghysels

John Robert Ghysels

December 7, 1962 December 9, 2015



John Robert Ghysels, 53, passed away in Pleasant Hill, California on Wednesday, December 9th, 2015. Born on December 7th, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut, John was the oldest of three children born to Tom & Marilyn Ghysels. He was a beloved son and a loving brother & uncle. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.



Shortly after his birth in Connecticut, Johns family moved to Albany, New York for work-related reasons. The family would return to Hartford for a short time before moving across the country to Hacienda Heights, California in 1969. As John grew up, he attended La Subida Elementary School in Hacienda Heights before graduating from Los Altos High School in 1981. He went on to attend Cal State Fullerton where he earned his Bachelors degree in Business in 1986. He earned a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Chapman University. His career spanned over 25 years in the insurance industry as a CEBS (certified employee benefit specialist). His focus was on health insurance for businesses and school districts. He enjoyed his work and was successful.



Johns Catholic faith was a very important component of his life throughout the years. He was baptized on December 23, 1962 at St. Johns Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut. He received his first communion and also his confirmation at St. John Vianneys Church in Hacienda Heights, California. He even spent a year in seminary before deciding that his real ministry was better-suited towards working in business.



When asked what word best described Johns life, compassionate, was the term that most quickly came to his fathers mind. He worked hard to be compassionate towards others in his life, his mother, Marilyn, describes. And as an uncle, he was a hero to his nieces and nephews: He loved technology and always made a point of bringing some new gadget to show & entertain them with. He was always affectionately called fun Uncle John.



Among his other interests, John was an avid historian. He loved history pertaining to World War II, and was also the self-appointed historian for his family. He also enjoyed honing his skills as a photographer. His work primarily focused on outdoor photography, mostly taken while he was hiking in some adventurous landscape.



John is survived by his parents, Tom & Marilyn Ghysels; his brother, Stephen (Elizabeth) Ghysels; his sister, Catherine (Todd) Borowski; his nieces and nephews, Taylor, Rio, Madison, Nicholas, Paige & Thomas; and many other loving friends.



A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, December 19th, 2015 at 11:00AM at St. Brunos Catholic Church, Whittier.