Commander John Patrick Gately passed away on October 19, 2025, at his home in Huntington Beach, California, due to natural causes. He was 72 years old.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 19, 1952, in Queens, New York City, to John and Bernadette Gately, John moved with his family to Bayshore, Long Island, New York, shortly after. The family relocated again to Torrance, California, in 1960. There, John attended St. James grade school in Redondo Beach, serving as an altar boy and working as a paperboy for the South Bay Daily Breeze. He excelled academically and played the trumpet as first chair in the school band, performing reveille each morning at assemblies.
John joined his brothers in the Torrance Area Youth Marching Band, holding first chair and participating in parades, including marches on Main Street at Disneyland and halftime shows for Los Angeles Rams games.
From 1967 to 1971, John attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, where he shone in academics and athletics. He maintained a 3.5 GPA, scored multiple touchdowns in football, and ran a sub-10-second 100-yard dash—a notable achievement for a high school athlete at the time.
College and Entry into Military Service
John began his college studies at San Diego State University in 1971, pursuing a degree in nuclear physics. His education faced interruption when he received a draft notice from the Army on August 5, 1971. Already accepted to college, he secured a deferment by joining the U.S. Air Force Reserve Pilot Training program after excelling on their pilot exam. He was sworn into the Air Force, contingent on completing his degree.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Physics from SDSU in 1975 and obtained a pilot’s license during his studies. With the Vietnam War’s end, the Air Force released him from pilot duties, and he received an honorable discharge after four years of service.
Continuing at SDSU for a master’s degree, John worked as a civilian contractor at the Naval Ocean Systems Center in Point Loma, supporting propulsion engineering for Submarine Squadron Eleven as a nuclear physicist. This role inspired him to enlist in the Navy, where he served aboard the USS Implicit and later transitioned to naval aviation.
Naval Career and Achievements
In 1980, John entered Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, emerging as a commissioned officer (Lieutenant Junior Grade) and selected for jet pilot training—a distinction for the top 5% of candidates. He completed flight training in Beeville, Texas, earning his wings in 1982.
As a flight instructor with VT-26 “Flying Tigers,” he trained pilots in the Buckeye for two years. Transferring to NAS Lemoore, California, he trained with VA-122 “Flying Eagles” on the A-7E Corsair II before joining VA-22 “Fighting Redcocks” in June 1985. During his three-year fleet tour, he served as Quality Assurance, Personnel, and Training Officer, completing deployments to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN 65).
In September 1988, John took shore duty with VA-122 as an instructor pilot and Safety Officer. Following the squadron’s disestablishment, he transitioned to the FA-18 with VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” and joined VFA-146 “Blue Diamonds” in January 1992 for his Department Head tour, serving as Operations, Safety, and Administration Officer. He deployed to the Arabian Gulf aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and contributed to Operation Southern Watch.
Promoted to Assistant Air Officer on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in March 1994, John completed another Arabian Gulf deployment. He advanced to Commander in 1995 and became Executive Officer of VFA-195 “Dambusters” in 1996 aboard the Carl Vinson. In 1998, he assumed command of VFA-195 until his retirement in 2001.
Throughout his Navy tenure, John amassed over 4,700 flight hours and 830 arrested landings on aircraft carriers. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy Commendations with two Gold Stars and Combat V, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, and multiple Air Medals.
Post-Retirement Life
After retiring in 2001, John settled in Huntington Beach near his parents. He soon joined World Airways as a captain, flying the MD-11 to transport troops and equipment globally in support of U.S. operations until 2014. In this civilian capacity, he earned the U.S. Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal from the Air Mobility Command for contributions to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, adding over 6,400 flight hours.
John fully retired in 2014 at age 62 to care for his parents, who passed away in 2018 and 2022. In his later years, he enjoyed gardening, home repairs, coin collecting, and restoring his 1967 Cougar.
Family and Legacy
John is predeceased by his parents, John and Bernadette Gately. He is survived by siblings Joseph (Carolyn), Jeanne, Jeffrey (Jaime), and James (Dawn), along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was laid to rest with military honors at VA Miramar National Cemetery on November 25, 2025.
