Gary Aldrich

Gary was born in Sacramento on January 2, 1938, to father Orville Aldrich and mother Kathleen Aldrich. He spent his childhood in the Curtis Park neighborhood in Sacramento, then moved to Oroville, where he spent his teenage years attending Oroville High School. Gary was an avid outdoorsman and spent his free time swimming and fishing in the Feather River (in the era before the Oroville Dam). He met Lyn, the love of his life, at Oroville High. Gary and Lyn married in 1961. Gary also continued his passion for baseball at Oroville High and later with the Oroville Olives. Eventually, the towering young lefty pitcher’s wicked curveball caught the eye of major league baseball scouts.

Gary was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1959. He set off on a 5-year career that would see him travel across the country to play in Virginia, Georgia, Iowa, North Dakota, New York, North Carolina and, finally, Reno, Nevada. In the midst of all his baseball travels, he served a brief stint in the Army at Fort Ord. After his retirement from baseball, he started a busy softball career, playing for a variety of teams in leagues all over the greater Sacramento region during the next few decades.

Gary was an outstanding dad and role model for his three sons, Brian, Eric and Matthew. He taught his sons how to swing a bat, field a grounder, throw a curveball, sink a hook shot, hike to hidden lakes, find good fishing spots, work on cars and do a perfect cannonball. Gary coached his sons (and their friends) for many years in the Del Campo Little League and had a positive impact on all the players he coached.

Gary graduated from Sacramento State College in 1967. He had a 33-year career at Aerojet General in Sacramento as a stress testing engineer. Gary was always gregarious and outgoing and developed many lifelong friendships through his work. He was an avid golfer and would proudly display his two hole-in-one trophies to anyone who stopped by the house. He loved fishing and took many adventures to lakes all over Northern California in search of great fishing spots.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother Lane Aldrich and sister Joyce DeLano. He is survived by his wife Lyn; his brother Bruce (Mary Ann); his children Brian (Lisa), Eric (Tracy) and Mathew (Jennifer); grandchildren Jeremy, Allison, Noah, Taylor, Aidan and Dylan.

Per Gary’s wishes, no funeral service is planned. The family will notify friends and loved ones in the future when a celebration of life is scheduled.