ROCKPORT — Gerald Louis Sabatino died peacefully in his sleep of cardiac arrest on October 3, 2017. A long time resident of Camden and Rockport, Gerald was born in Nuremburg, Germany, on October 31, 1949. His father was a high ranking member of the U.S. military. The family lived for many years in Europe and Japan.

Gerald was a graduate of La Salle Military Academy on Long Island. He attended the American College in Paris and graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in biology.

Love brought Gerald to Maine in the person of Camdenite Elizabeth Stancioff. They married and started the Eating Gallery, one of the first restaurants to appear at the advent of Maine’s developing and now flourishing food scene.

Eventually, Gerald and Elizabeth moved to California and began catering, feeding everyone from the L.A. Rams to President Gerald Ford.

After Elizabeth’s untimely death, Gerald started “Chefs on Fire”, a catering company for the Hollywood industry.

He embarked on the then revolutionary idea of providing good, healthy and fresh food for shows like Will & Grace, Just Shoot Me and many films and other productions.

Gerald returned to Camden in 2000. He met and married Marika Kuzma, the former owner of Aurora Provisions in Portland, in 2006. Together, they built a respected and flourishing café and catering business. They hosted many luminaries, including former First Lady, Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and former President Barrack Obama, one of the highlights of Gerald’s life.

They have lived in Rockport, overlooking the harbor for 14 years. Gerald loved traveling, especially the West Coast and Europe, wherever food was fresh and plentiful. He was a talented chef who delighted in cooking for friends and family.

He was an accomplished musician and writer, including numerous semi-autobiographical screenplays. He was greatly loved for his wit, humor (especially corny jokes) and his expansive kind and loving personality. For all those he touched with his life, he will be missed.

Gerald is survived by his wife, Marika Kuzma and the Kuzma family; two fathers-in-law, Gregory Kuzma, Dmitri Stancioff and the Stancioff family; two brothers, Vincent and Jay Sabatino and many beloved nieces and nephews on all sides. He was predeceased by his first wife, Elizabeth Stancioff, and a dearest brother, Tom Sabatino.

A gathering of family and friends with take place on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at Union Hall in Rockport at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Full Plates Full Potential, www.fullplates.org, an organization to help end child hunger in Maine. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.