Former Truckee resident and master sushi chef Gary Flood, 51, died July 17 from head injuries suffered after being struck by a vehicle as he was making his way in a crosswalk in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was in town to celebrate his daughter’s 19th birthday. A memorial service was held Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Pacific Gardens Chapel on Cayuga St., in Santa Cruz.
Gary Flood, or ‘Floodie’ as friends called him, enjoyed fresh food, playing drums, and shooting hoops. In Moonshine Ink’s formative years, he wrote a an insightful and thoughtful food column, entitled ‘Flood on Food.’ Floodie was an incredibly talented sushi chef – his creations were unmatched in flavor and quality. Perhaps he was most known for this talent in the public sphere but those who knew him saw a man with a huge heart and deep soul. Whether it was with his food, his music or his laugh, Gary touched the lives of many with a lyric wit that balanced wisdom and humor.
Left behind to celebrate his life and mourn his loss are his son, Benjamin; daughter, Madeline; and their mother, Christine McCormick. Also mourning his loss but grateful for his life are his mother, Virginia Nadine Flood; his brothers, Reginald and Kenneth; his sister-in-law, Carol Wheeler-Flood; his niece and nephew, Ginny Flood and Lucas Flood.
Here are two testaments to Gary Flood’s life:
Touched My Soul
Gary Flood was an easy man to love. If you were lucky enough to be touched by his divine food, contagious laugh, insightful words or his amazing soul, you were more than lucky. Gary literally fed the souls of many. I was blessed to work with Gary for a couple years at Soul Sushi. He was a simple man, yet complex, just like his food. Whether I was serving, managing, or even making sushi it was a life changing experience. Gary had a way of simply believing in people, yet matter-of-factly pushing you to express your creative talents, even when you didn’t think they were that fantastic. Gary was the person who held up a ‘mirror’ and if you didn’t like him, it’s because you didn’t like yourself. I will miss our deep talks about life, love, and ‘hammers’ while prepping for the day’s work, reverse sake bombs, the fall flower, his ribs, and everything else that comes with having him in your life. Gary truly was the best boss, mentor, friend, and father figure one could ever dream of having. I have yet to meet someone who could reach your soul and palate all in one bite!
~ Sara (Haycock) Sperry
In Honor and Love of Gary Flood:
On most any given day at Soul Sushi & Barbecue, someone would ask how the business name came about. The standard answer usually led one to believe that mostly, it was because of the BBQ side of the menu, the ‘soul’ referring to ‘soul food.’
My experience, however, proves a different meaning. How do you put your own soul in to food? How do you use flavors to convey your soul to others? For Gary Flood, food was the highest form of communication, one soul to another. I watched countless people (mostly women) flock to this beautiful man as he laid down wisdom and love through his food.
Gary was the food sage of psychotherapy. His amazing ability to listen and truly be present with a person was seen not just with words but also with food. He combined flavors, the combination of which had some mystical, magical power to help each person heal or grow or problem solve.
There are many of us who will forever miss his for this very reason. For me, Gary was a best friend, mentor, role model, father figure, and personal hero. He lived his life in the moment with an authenticity I have never seen matched. He loved easily, without hesitation, expecting nothing in return; and he had a knack for making each person in his life feel like they were his best friend. I had the privilege of spending countless hours with Gary as his student and friend, and I will forever be grateful for the time I had with him. I learned much from Floodie and they are gifts that I will always have: unconditional love, balance, action, initiation, acceptance, and most of all, flavor.
I think Floodie was an angel. His spirit and contagious smile will live on and on with all of us who love him. Here’s to you, Floodie!!! I will always miss you.
~ Jen Fluharty
