Francis Gregory Gause Jr.'s Obituary
F. Gregory Gause, Jr.
F. Gregory Gause, Jr. of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, died on March 31, 2025, in the presence of family, after a brief illness. Greg was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 27, 1930, and, except for his stint in the Korean War, lived in Delaware his entire life. He graduated from Salesianum School in Wilmington in 1947 and from the University of Delaware in 1951. After his military service, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School before leaving to become a stockbroker, a trade he pursued in Philadelphia for over three decades.
As an ROTC student, Greg’s bachelor’s degree came with a commission in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. He was deployed to Korea, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Leaving active duty in 1953, he remained in the Army Reserve until 1988, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His military service was a formative element in his life, of which he was very proud. He was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7447 and the American Legion Post 5, in Rehoboth Beach. Among other offices, he served as chaplain in both organizations. In that capacity, during patriotic holiday ceremonies, he offered invocations and benedictions which became locally renowned for their eclectic wit and erudition.
In 1956, in the best decision of his life, Greg married Patricia Reybold of Delaware City, Delaware. They raised five children in the suburbs of Wilmington. Pattie Gause was a high school math teacher who left the profession when her children were young and returned to it when they had all learned to tie their own shoes. She taught at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, from 1970 to 1992.
In 1988, Greg transitioned to a stint in the Delaware Attorney General’s office, investigating securities fraud. He enjoyed sleuthing out and exposing dishonest brokers. In 1992, he and Pattie moved to the house on Bayard Avenue in Rehoboth Beach that he had inherited from his maternal uncles. Unlike his wife, he never really liked going to the beach, but he threw himself into local affairs, not only with the American Legion and the VFW, but also volunteering as a cantor at St. Edmond’s Roman Catholic Church for over 20 years. He served as president and vice-president of the Rehoboth Beach Homeowners’ Association and on the board of the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society. He was also a part-time employee of the City of Rehoboth Beach’s grounds crew for two decades. On many afternoons he could be seen mowing the grass and tending to the trees in various city plots, including the islands on Bayard Avenue.
Greg was a student of history, which made him a valuable ally in trivia games and an engaging, though sometimes discursive, companion at the bars of the American Legion and the VFW. His love of history led him to a life-time hobby of coin collecting, which occupied more than a few hours of his leisure time. After he stopped singing as a church cantor, he took up the more secular musical practice of karaoke, displaying his skills at various local watering holes.
After Pattie died in August 2020, Greg found comfort and companionship in his circle of friends at the American Legion and the VFW, for which his family is extremely grateful. He is survived by his 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 11:00 AM at St. Edmond’s Roman Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, where friends and family may visit beginning at 10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Autism Delaware, (https://www.autismdelaware.org).
Please sign the virtual guestbook located on the tribute page.
FLORIST NOTE : PLEASE DELIVER ALL ARRANGEMENTS BY 3:00 PM ON MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2025, TO OUR LEWES LOCATION.
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