Andrew Gula

Andrew Gula was born September 21, 1941 in Berwyn, IL to Adam and Mary Gula. He spent his early childhood years growing up on an alley in Cicero, IL. It was a time when people had iceboxes, and deliveries of milk and ice were made to folks every few days. Pretty early in his life, Andrew's cousins came to live with he and his family for a period of time. It was then that his cousins gave him the nickname "Butch." Andrew "Butch" became a hard worker early in his life making jelly doughnuts and delivering newspapers.

At age 17, Butch as everyone still called him, wanted to see the world so he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He traveled to many places and saw the world as he served on board the Navy Destroyer, USS Laffey. One of the things that Andrew "Butch" Gula became notoriously well known for was his ability to mimic the sounds of the various horns, alarms and whistles heard onboard his ship. This ability would later bring tremendous laughter and joy to his family and friends for many years to come. The stories he would tell, and the sounds he would make would be repeated for years and years to follow.

While Andrew was serving his time in the U. S. Navy, his mother, father and sister moved from Illinois to California. Andrew's father, Adam Gula, was able to purchase a gas station in Redwood City. Shortly after serving his time in the Navy, Andrew "Butch" joined his father to help manage the gas station. The gas station, Adam's Redwood Shell, became a well-known, highly reputable business as he owned and operated it for the next thirty years. Ready to retire in the early 1990's, the Gula family sold the business and moved to Rocklin, CA.

Some people called him "Butch." Some called him "Andy" and some of us called him "Dad." Everyone called him a great guy and a lot of fun to be around. Andrew "Butch" Gula is survived by his sister Joy Karen Somersett and Dwight R. Somersett, his cousins Anita Thalhammer, Marie Grams, Loretta Cobble, Walter Gryzoski, his son David Charles Gula and Karen Gula, his daughter Carol Marie Gula, his son David Adam Gula, his granddaughter Lauren Mae Beruvides and Erik Beruvides, his granddaughter Audrey Deni Gula and his grandson James Andrew Brandetsas.