Francis Gregory Gause Jr., decorated veteran, stockbroker
F. Gregory Gause Jr. of Rehoboth Beach died Monday, March 31, 2025, in the presence of family after a brief illness. Greg was born in Wilmington July 27, 1930, and, aside from his stint in the Korean War, lived in Delaware his entire life. He graduated from Salesianum School in Wilmington in 1947 and from University of Delaware in 1951. After his military service, he pursued graduate studies at 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 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. 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 from 1970-92.
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 VFW, but also volunteering as a cantor at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church for over 20 years. He served as president and vice-president of Rehoboth Beach Homeowners’ Association and on the board of 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 VFW. His love of history led him to a lifetime 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 VFW, for which his family is extremely grateful. He is survived by his five children, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 29, at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends and family may visit beginning at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Autism Delaware, autismdelaware.org.
Visit Greg’s Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
