Gil Lugo

Gil, one of the original 8 founding members of the Annual Shenvalee Hacker&pos;s Holiday of Leisurely Exercise (ASHHOLE), passed away quite unexpectedly after our last Fall Classic in 2011.

To many of us, Gil was the voice and a main organizer of the Fall Classic. His communication was the portal through which all of us received our information on the upcoming outings. As an Executive Committee member, he took his role seriously and many times the success of the Fall Classic fell in his lap. He was the one who secured the rooms; tee times; and was largely the interface between ASHHOLEs and Shenvalee golf resort. In the early years of the Fall Classic, all ASHHOLEs would caravan from the IBM facility at Kost Rd, Mechanicsburg and Gil volunteered his pickup as the main transport for all clubs, coolers, and grills.

Gil never met a stranger, always greeting old friends and new acquaintances with a warm smile and a bold handshake (ladies got a hug), He loved life and enjoyed the relationships he built over the years with people from all walks of life. His passion for golf was undeniable, always willing to join a foursome, giving his best each time he took to the links, yielding no quarter and expecting none from others. His passion for the game and the friendships he fostered were evident by his excitement in preparing for the Fall Classic. The final score was important, but not as important as the enjoyment of sharing the game he loved with his friends. We all remember his Chi Chi Rodriguez ( his Puerto Rican idol) imitation when he holed a difficult putt. There were many occasions when Gil got a good belly laugh whenever JB or Danno would remind him that he was the token Puerto Rican of ASHHOLE and thanks to him, were were in full EEOC minority utilization compliance.

Our Fall Classic has prompted several traditions over the years that Gil enjoyed which included the Friday Night Banquet, the Saturday Night cookout, poker games, and having a good scotch after Friday's round and martini at our Friday Banquet.

Gil always participated in all the humor in our Friday night Banquets, including, having fun with the Shenvalee staff.

Gil was a friend of us all and fit in whether he was in a golf cart or on the back of his horse. He truly enjoyed the camaraderie that was present each year at the Fall Classic. GIL'S Roots

Gil was born on July 3, 1943 in Brooklyn,New York,son of Frederick and Pauline Lugo. He later joined the Air Force when he was eighteen, ranked A2C and stationed in Alaska. After the service, he was hired by IBM and was assigned to the 38th Street office in New York City. On his first day at IBM, he wore a dark suit and wing tip shoes and on his last day in 2005, he also wore a dark suit with wing tip shoes. As a native of Brooklyn, Gil was passionate about his roots. He loved all the NY food of pastrami on rye, corned beef hash, and knishes all washed down either a crème soda or a Schaefer beer while enjoying his passion of listening to NYC DooWoop music. Of course, he always enjoyed his mom’s favorite Mexican family recipes which included rice and beans.

Gil’s last IBM assignment came when he relocated from the Pittsburgh branch office to Mechanicsburg in 1987. Later that year, at a Christmas party, hosted by fellow IBMer, Nancy Marks, Gil met his future wife, Jane Patton and they were married a year later.

Jane presented Gil with his first horse Rusty in 1988, which prompted her to refer to him affectionately has the Brooklyn Cowboy.

Jane’s influences prompted him to take up horseback riding, driving a tractor and learning other farm chores.

Our friend Gil was more than an avid golfer and Barnhand. Gil was a loving son to his mother Pauline, the respected sibling of each of his sisters and brother(s) and all of their extended families. Gil was a good father to his two children and a steadfast mentor for Jane's son's Ken and Keith, always there for support and fatherly advice. In later years Gil enjoyed his grandchildren and looked forward to quality time with each of them.

Gil served many years on the Board of Directors for the Wellsville Frontier Days and a horse club in Wellsville which included serving as President. He also served on the Supervisory Committee of Americhoice Federal Credit Union and as President of the Cranberry Township Fire Department. Gil's fire department jacket still hangs in the barn shop as a reminder of all those days with the fire department.

Gil retired from IBM in 2005 after 37 1/2 years of service. He immediately began spending more time on his golf game, riding and tending the farm in Dillsburg.

A few years back, Gil and Jane decided to move farther south to Parsons, TN, where they planned to raise more horses in more moderate climate. Gil loved his partner/wife in life, Jane. The pictures of them together around the ranch or out riding in the cold Wyoming morning highlights the devotion he had for their relationship. They worked hard together each day building their new home and land into the dream Ranch they shared together. The blessing of their relationship will be forever lasting.

Gil’s horse, Rusty, sadly passed away earlier in 2011, so after last year's Fall Classic, Gil and Jane were enroute to Texas to purchase his new horse, Hayes (above), when he was stricken and died on Sept 29 in Dekalb, Texas with his boots on.

He was laid to rest at the Fort Hood cemetery in El Paso, TX where his father, 2 uncles and his brother are also interred. Jane recently visited the cemetery and laid 2 golf balls at the base of his marker ( above), in remembrance, to his love of the game of golf. Let us all reflect in our affection for Gil and his passion for a sport that we all cherish. Each of us will maintain our own memories of Gil, remembering the great times shared through the years at work and play. Each time you start a round of golf, take a minute to remember his warm smile and his eagerness to play the game. It was a great ride Gil, .......Happy Trails... A special heartfelt thanks to Jane for material and pictures used in this tribute.