Gabriel Beau del Castillo Mullally bounced into this world at 9:17 AM on Thursday, December 11, 1997, two weeks late with no time to lose. At six months old he had undergone two life saving operations, at one and a half he was speaking two languages, at three he was playing the piano, at four he was playing hockey and starting school. Gabriel was gifted, many things came naturally and easy to him, and the things that he loved the most, like music, gaming and playing pool, were the things at which he excelled.

Gabriel grew up fast and strong. He loved people. He was fiercely loyal to his friends, kind and generous to one and all of them. By all accounts he was an amazing pool player, a natural peacemaker who loved to dance, though he seldom did. He was a dreamer, passionate about life, about love, about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. Gabriel had a brilliant mind, he was intuitive and incredibly insightful about people and human behaviour. He could make us laugh, and he can sure make us cry.

Gabriel studied a lot of things - usually three things at once - getting lost in music, gaming, basketball, karaoke, the arts, business, science, history, anything that caught his interest, his mind constantly turning out ideas and critical analysis. He was a talented writer who could express himself both in words and music, music that swoops and soars as he once did.

After successfully navigating the perils of adolescence and a short stint at the University of Waterloo, Gabriel was in love, he had a job that gave him confidence and purpose. He was a full time second year student at Metropolitan University studying business law with big dreams for the future. He was finally on his way to becoming. What exactly, we will never know, but we do know it was going to be spectacular.

Just before dawn on Sunday, February 5, 2023 Gabriel was taken from us far too soon.

Gabriel is survived by his mother, Maria del Mar del Castillo and her best friend, Jill Purdy, his father, Guy Mullally, his sister, Paloma del Castillo Mullally, his girlfriend, Petra Norlock, and his grandmother, Maureen Mullally.

Loved by his many aunts and uncles: Marta, Magaly, Lindy & George, Rita & Frank, Oswaldo & Miriam, Eveline, Alvaro & Evelyn, Andy & Sandra, Toby & Sharon, and Terry. His cousins: Raquel, Andres, Alvaro, Gael, Alvaro John, Joseph, Daniel, Rebecca, Matthew, Lucas, Sofia, Roslyn, Bronwyn, Grant, Derek, Minnie and Kitty. And friends too numerous to mention but you know who you are.

Gabriel’s death was tragic and senseless, but his brilliant light will shine a path out of the darkness. Whenever we listen to music, every time we hear a cueball crack, we will see in vivid colour, Gabriel dancing in jubilation and smiling just in front of us.

A Celebration of Gabriel’s Life will be held at The Toronto Hunt Club, 1355 Kingston Road, Toronto, on Friday February 17, 1 - 4 PM.

Donations in remembrance of Gabriel should be made to Covenant House Toronto.

“Immortality, take it, it’s yours!” - Achilles, Son of Peleus