Sunday, September 22, 2013
I met Gary in 1976 when I was attending TJC and working there as a custodian on the graveyard shift. Gary was also a custodian. He had a beard and long, black hair that he kept in a braided pony tail. I left to begin my career and Gary stayed, moving on to becoming a maintenance engineer at the school. But we remained friends for the rest of our lives. Gary was a college dropout, but by choice, not necessity. He had a very sharp mind and was knowledgeable and articulate about many subjects, especially history and science. He would probably attribute this in part to his Catholic education and his appetite for reading. Gary was the best bowler I have ever seen and probably could have been a pro. He was also an excellent golfer and played the guitar in a band and for his personal enjoyment. Gary loved the national parks and introduced me and Rachel to the magnificent beauty of Yosemite in 1996 when we met in San Francisco and drove there to hike and see waterfalls. We had a wonderful time. Gary was so familiar with the park, it was like having our own personal guide. Later in the 90’s we traveled together to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in 2001 we hiked the waterfalls of North Carolina and Tennessee. Gary did not father children of his own, but he was like a father to my daughter, Rachel. Gary was at the hospital with my Mom, Dad, and my cousin, Pat, when Rachel was born. When she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1994, Gary was there for her first craniotomy, her second in 1995, and her third in 1997. He was there for her high school graduation in 2001 and in Texas for her college graduation. In between these occasions, we shared many holidays, birthdays, and vacations together. We celebrated Gary’s 50th birthday at my home in Sugar Hill, GA, on January 1, 2012. The holiday exception was that Gary reserved Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day for his parents and, after his Dad died, for his Mom. Gary was a very special son. He helped his parents with things around the house as they grew older. But, more importantly, he spent wonderful times with them traveling around the country admiring the beauty of our national parks into their golden years. It has now been 12 days since I talked to Gary on the phone. That is the longest time in probably years that I’ve went without talking to Gary. Sometimes our conversations were short, “You doin’ okay?�, “Got any rain lately?� variety. And sometimes they were long discussions about things like the state of the (nosy) government, the latest family dilemma, or “Is there life after death?� I believe there is life after death. I believe that that life is the REAL life and this is just some sort of ethereal birth canal that we all pass through. I believe that Gary, his parents, my parents, and many other loved ones are on the other side now, the peaceful, beautiful side, the new earth with the heavenly hosts. And someday we will all look upon the face of God and be united forever. Gary, I miss you more than words can say. You were a true friend, a person of the utmost integrity, a beautiful soul. I know you are free now and in a state of bliss that is unknowable to those still bound to our earthy bodies. Thank you for always being there, for always being honest, and for your constant love. Mary
