Lasting Memories
Gael Efron
Sept. 27, 1941-Jan. 3, 2017
Urbana, Illinois
Gael Efron (nee Rafferty), 75, of Urbana, Illinois, died on January 3, 2017, with her family by her side.
Gael was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 27, 1941, to Mary J. and James Rafferty.
In 1947, her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Gael lived for most of her life. Upon arriving in California, Gael enrolled in the Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Atherton, CA.
Following Sacred Heart, Gael studied at Seattle University and at the Acedemia di Bella Arti di Peruggia in Italy, where she lived for two years. She completed her training as an artist at the San Francisco Art Institute.
With this training and her native talent, Gael found success as a professional artist. She excelled especially at painting and illustration. Gael showed and sold her work throughout Northern California, always filling her paintings with her unique vision of beauty in the natural world.
Gael was preceded in death by her mother and father, as well as her sister Joanna Malvino. She is survived by her son Miles (Jessica) Efron of Champaign, Illinois, and her siblings James (Gloria) Rafferty (Astoria, OR), Rosemary Rafferty (Palo Alto, CA), Jean (Kevin) Magee (Las Vegas, NV), and Mimi (James) Halstead (Pasadena, CA), as well as many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Bradley Efron of Stanford, California, her former husband with whom she maintained a close friendship.
March 22, 2018
July 18, 2017
Gael was my best friend Mimi's older sister. She was lovely and so creative. I remember her drawing us the "facts of life" as we all were in our early teens. We didn't believe what her drawings depicted. Such innocent times. Miss you Gael and thanks for the education!
Feb. 18, 2017
Gael was an incredible artist and a wonderful friend. We had a lot of good times together. I will never forget her.