Paul Harris DeSoto

“Harbor Pete”
    

Born December 26, 1929 – Passed November 16, 2011

Click here to download Memorial Leaflet

In October, Paul entered the hospital to undergo heart surgery.  He subsequently developed congestive heart failure which ultimately took him from us.  After a courageous four week battle, Harbor Pete, as he was known to all, passed away peacefully at Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro, surrounded by his surrogate family.

Harbor Pete was born in San Bernardino, one of three children, and raised in Long Beach.  At 16, he left high school, ran away from home and enlisted in the Coast Guard.  His one major regret was that he did not stay in Scouting long enough to become an Eagle Scout.  He made it as far as First Class.  He was even a Scoutmaster in Vietnam for two Scout troops where he was stationed and a Scoutmaster for disabled children.  He was honorably discharged from the United States Coast Guard in 1968.

In 1990, he became the ranger at Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Sports where he worked for three years. He returned in 1999 to join the Craft Center to teach Woodcarving, Leather tooling, and more. 

Harbor Pete will forever be remembered by his devoted brother, Gabriel Gomez, along with countless other friends and family whom were blessed to know him.

Harbor Pete touched the lives of many young people who came to Cabrillo Youth Center to camp or take Scouting badge classes.  He was a talented artist with a brush and with the medium of leather.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to Cabrillo Youth Camp or any other youth organization to purchase equipment in his name for the youth to use.  In accordance with his wishes, Harbor Pete will be cremated and his ashes disbursed in the places he loved.

If you have any photos or other memorabilia related to Harbor Pete that you would allow us to use for his celebration, please forward them to admin@cabrilloyouthcamp.org or drop them off at the center office.

God Saw You Getting Tired
God saw you getting tired,
When a cure was not to be.
So He wrapped his arms around you,
and whispered, "come to me."

You didn't deserve what you went through,
So He gave you rest.
God's garden must be beautiful,
He only takes the best

And when I saw you sleeping,
So peaceful and free from pain
I could not wish you back
To suffer that again.

~Author Unknown

He is Gone

You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

~ David Harkins