Prominent business owner, Gabriel, dies
MID-CITY Bob Gabriel, the long-time prominent insurance company owner who, along with his wife Louise, was the face of Santa Monica philanthropy for the past half-century, passed away on Thursday. He was 84 years old.
Gabriel died after a battle with cancer on Thursday afternoon in the company of his family at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center.
The Santa Monican founded the Bob Gabriel Insurance Company, located in Mid-City, in 1954, but was perhaps best known for his service to the city, donating both his time and money to various nonprofit organizations, including the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum, which his wife Louise founded and presides over.
“Santa Monica was his family and his home,” said Gabriel’s daughter, Susan Gabriel Potter, on Friday. “He was loving, sensitive, compassionate and really dedicated his life to his family and to his community.
“He’s irreplaceable,” she added. Gabriel supported a long list of organizations and city-affiliated committees, from the City Council, which he served on from 1971-1973, to the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce to the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau of which he was the director.
“They truly loved the community and put their hearts and souls into it both professionally and personally,” said former City Councilmember Denny Zane.
Zane served on the City Council from 1981-1992 and often worked with Gabriel whenever he would speak before the dais as a representative of the Chamber of Commerce. Though the two did disagree on issues over the years, Zane notes that Gabriel was always courteous and treated him with respect.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 15, 2007. Read the original PDF.