Gary McNamara, a longtime resident of Malibu, died on Oct. 31at age 78. He was born in Hollywood to Verne and Elma “Jo” McNamara and had an older brother, Steven.
Gary was the beloved husband of Carol Ann McNamara. They lived and raised their family in Malibu, in the hills of Malibu Park for 43 years until they lost the custom home they built together, taken by the Woolsey Fire in 2018–heartbreaking to so many in the community! Gary and Carol have been residing in Ventura for the past three years.
“Gary left our world too early,” a loved one said. He was surrounded by his wife Carol and three daughters, Sarah, Kati and Kari, during his departure.
Gary loved his family, the home he built and every part of Malibu. He was an amazing son, brother, cousin, uncle, brother-in-law, father-in-law, husband and loving father to his daughters, and was known by many as “Mr. Mom”! Family and spirituality was everything to him. Gary was still a very active person, involved in planning the rebuild of his Malibu home, was still working as a contractor for 50-plus years in the electrical microwave engineering industry as an subject matter expert in his field.
He also enjoyed astronomy, camping, being in nature, especially the beach, hiking, bird watching, sailing, cars, reading, amusement parks, sports, food, animals, tinkering, inventing, golfing, aviation, cooking, bowling, making music, building, and trips with his family. He loved playing with his grandchildren, Kaden and Emma, and was an avid animal lover.
“He was a humble man with a kind and loving heart, always keeping life simple,” a loved one said. “Gary was a sweet warm light in all of our lives, and was always about family. Gary will be missed by so many family members, friends, and colleagues.”
Gary’s family will be celebrating his life in late spring 2022. You can visit gmacsales.com to continue celebrating his life and learn about the date and time of his celebration that will be held in Malibu. We encourage those who knew him to share their stories and pictures, as the family lost everything in the fire. We hope you will find solace in celebrating this kind-spirited man.