Gregory Dugay Filbin

Greg Filbin, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away on October 12, 2021. He was 74 years young.



Greg was born on February 12, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, and he was the only child of Peter and Elaine Filbin. At the age of 8, his father passed away, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, John Romanick, in Montebello, California. He graduated from Montebello High School in 1965 where he was a member of the wrestling team. He also took judo and karate lessons at The Bruce Tegner Studio in Hollywood, CA and achieved the level of brown belt.



At a very young age, Greg was an avid reader. He always spoke of wanting to live his life like a great book and then later in life sit on the front porch and reminisce about his extraordinary adventures. Each summer, starting at the age of 18, he traveled with friends or even by himself throughout the United States, Hawaii, Europe, Middle East, India, Bermuda, Mexico and Central America down through Panama. He graduated from Cal State LA in 1969 with a degree in Anthropology and went on to get his Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology. He had such an interest in people and their cultures around the world.



Greg met his love, Carol Johnson, on a blind date in 1974, and from that time on, they were inseparable. They married on May 31, 1980. They enjoyed traveling to some incredible places such as Mexico, Cancun, Cozumel, Canada, etc.



They had three children: Scott, Sean and Kelli. Out of all things in life, he was a proud father and played a very active role in his children's lives. He enjoyed going to all of their games and activities and loved watching them grow up and succeed in life. He was very active in Indian Guides and Princesses where he was Nation Chief for all three children. Greg was so excited when he became a grandfather and got to meet his first grandson, Landon.



Greg began his career in commercial insurance initially with State Compensation Insurance Fund. He worked in several areas including auditing, underwriting, sales and fraud investigations. He formed many lasting friendships there. Colleagues would say it was always a privilege to work with Greg, and no matter what the job was, they would have a good time completing the work that needed to be done. He later moved on to work at Brakke Schafnitz Insurance Brokers and then West Comp Insurance Services. Eventually, he returned to the State Compensation Insurance Fund and retired in 2013.



Greg had many interests. He loved the outdoors, hiking, camping, bike riding, golfing, dancing, traveling and also what he called "urban exploring". He even took pilot lessons and was a life member of the Elks. Greg was a real "foodie" and loved trying all types of food from all around the world during his adventures.



Greg had a real passion for life, family and friends. He loved spending time with family and had many life long friends. He always made an effort to show he cared very much for others and no matter the situation, he was always able to see the good in people. He was proud of his Irish heritage and maybe it was the Irish gift of gab as Greg loved telling stories. He will always be remembered as having a smile on his face.



Greg is survived by his wife, Carol Filbin, children: Scott (& Ashley) Filbin, Sean Filbin and Kelli Filbin of Newport Beach, CA, and one grandson, Landon. He was preceded in death by his father, Peter, in 1955, mother, Elaine, in 2002, and stepfather, John in 2002.



We will have an intimate graveside service at Forest Lawn Covina Hills, the final resting place of Gregory Dugay Filbin. His memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Trinity United Presbyterian Church: 13922 Prospect Ave. Santa Ana, California 92705.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gregory's memory to: Trinity Presbyterian Church https://trinityconnection.com/give/ or American Cancer Society https://donate3.cancer.org/