Gregory Gomez IV, 22, of Glen Carbon, Ill., born Oct. 13, 1985, in Natchez, Miss., died Saturday, July 5, 2008, at Abancay, Peru.
Being from a military family, Greg has lived in the following cities; Deepwater, N.J., Greensborough, N.C., and Topeka, Kan.
Doing what he loved to do, Greg Gomez died in the South American Country of Peru doing missionary work for the Lord. Greg graduated from Edwardsville High School in 2004. While at Edwardsville he played football all four years and ran track for two years, he was the center of the two consecutive state champion runner-up football teams. Greg was also an avid guitar player. He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, Ill., where he was very active in all aspects of the church including the Youth Praise Team. Greg loved to serve the Lord, and share the word of God all around the world also doing multiple missionary trips in Mexico. He graduated from the University of Mississippi this past spring with a mechanical engineering degree. He was the president of ASME - Association of Mechanical Engineering, active in the Baptist Student Union where he was a member of the leadership team for four years. He was also a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity where he was pledge master, vice president and chaplain. While at Ole Miss, He spent two spring breaks helping the refugees of Hurricane Katrina. He also attended North Oxford Baptist Church. Greg recently passed the board exam for Mississippi Professional Engineers, and recently accepted a position at Nestle Purina in St. Louis, Mo., as an entry level engineer. Greg was an avid runner competing in three half marathons and was to run in a full marathon upon his return.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Frank and Lupe Garivey.
Surviving are his parents, Gregory Gomez III, and Elida, nee Garivey, Gomez, both of Glen Carbon, Ill.; two sisters, April (Chris) Bloxsom-Gomez of Topeka, Kan., and Dr. Jenifer (Jason) Lewis of Portland, Tenn.; and his paternal grandparents, Dr. Gregorio and Ofilia Gomez Jr., of San Antonio, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested all memorials may be made to Ole Miss BSU Gomez Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 292, University, Miss., 38677.