Michael Anthony Gengler

Michael Anthony Gengler, 60, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025. Michael was born on August 31, 1965, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Natividad and Kenneth Gengler.

As the son of a Navy family, he spent his childhood in South Carolina, San Diego, Mississippi, and Florida until his father’s military service relocated the family to San Pedro, California, right before his senior year of high school.

Michael graduated from Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California. He went on to receive his Culinary degree at Cerritos College. Michael pursued a thriving career in the culinary field, serving as Executive Chef, General Manager, and Food Service Director. For the majority of his career, he worked for Compass Group, making an impact in several locations throughout Southern California. His most recent position was in Compass Group’s division, Chartwells, which serves schools. He was the Food Service Director at Wiseburn Unified School District and DaVinci Schools. He was loved and respected throughout his career, as he consistently strived to serve with excellence.

Michael was a loyal man who adored his family and loved spending time with them. He was always content with a quiet afternoon at home surrounded by family. He was extremely proud of his children's accomplishments and was their number one fan. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, especially back to his birthplace of South Carolina. He planned to retire there one day and enjoy a full-time southern life.

Michael was a huge fan of both football and baseball. You could always find him cheering on his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees. He dedicated many years to the local youth baseball league- Heartwell Baseball. He served as Coach, Player Agent, and VP of the league. He loved coaching his sons and helping to instill a deeper understanding of baseball, as well as building the character of the players he coached. His heart lay in his position as Director of Buddy Ball- a league for players with disabilities. Michael poured his heart into this work, wanting to create a meaningful baseball experience for the children and young adults.

Michael is survived by his wife, Bridget; sons, Ryan, Christian, and Peter; daughter, Grace; sister and brother-in-law, AJ and Geoff Erbeck; niece, Savanna; and father, Kenneth Gengler. He is further survived by a large extended family of in-laws who adored him. He is preceded in death by his mother, Natividad Gengler.

A funeral mass to celebrate Michael’s life will be held at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Buddy Baseball at www.heartwellbaseball.com, where Michael served as Director. His dedication and love for this community made a lasting impact, and your contribution will continue the work he cared so deeply about.

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