Gary was, in a few words, a family man. He was a father, a husband, a grandfather, a brother, a friend.

Gary welcomed more than 200 foster children into his home over the years. It wasn't just the foster kids that Gary welcomed — his door was open to everyone. He left the door unlocked, making everyone feel right at home. You never knew when you'd wake up and go downstairs to find Great Uncle Al crashed on the couch. All his kids' friends knew the door was open and would just stop in – even after the kids had grown and moved out. There was always room for one more at the dinner table.

Gary lived for his family. He went to every sporting event (even practices), videotaping football games, softball games, cheerleading. You name it, he taped it. He never missed a game. He was his kids' biggest fan!

He taught them how to ride bikes, shoot BB guns, bait a hook, drive a stick shift. He fixed their cars and their fishing poles. He played "work up" and "flies and grounders." He walked his daughters down the aisle. He held great pride in his heart when his son enlisted in the service.

With his family, he played hours (and hours) of pitch and taught his kids to "shoot the moon." Don't be afraid to take a risk!

Gary was always there for his family. When his son returned home from his post in Germany, he brought with him a young wife. Gary welcomed his son and his new wife into his home until they were able to get settled into an apartment back here in the United States.

Gary protected his family from all things bad. Once when the kids were little, Gary read them a bedtime story about "Mr. Green Nose." Mr. Green Nose was a monster with a big green nose. In the story,

Mr. Green Nose threw rocks at kids with his tail, but Mr. Green Nose learned that to make friends you had to be nice to other people. His youngest daughter was about four at the time and thought the story was about Mr. Green Hose. Since their bedroom was in the basement, his daughter spied Mr. Green Hose in the window well and was afraid. Never fear, Gary went outside and wrestled the Green Garden Hose to the ground so his daughter wouldn't be afraid to go to sleep.

Gary was never afraid to share his love with others. He openly expressed love and affection with hugs, kisses, jokes, laughter and advice. He also had a quiet wisdom about him. He shared with his kids some words of advice:

"Never go to bed angry. Always leave on a good note. It could be the last time you see that person, and you wouldn't want to end in an argument."

When his daughter was going through a boyfriend breakup, he hugged her and told her he loved her and said this, too, would pass.

He told her, "If he can't be nice to you, someone else will. It's his privilege to date you. If he doesn't see it that way, someone else will. Be patient, the right man will come along. Don't settle."

When it came to marriage, he told his kids, "A marriage is like a plant. If you water it, it will grow. If you don't water your plant, it will shrivel and die." He would often say to his kids… "Have you been watering your plant?" That was his way of asking, are you nurturing your spouse?

When it came to work, he told his kids, "Don't pick a job just because it pays well. Do what you love because you'll have to do it every day for the rest of your life. If you love it, you'll be good at it. And if you're good at it, the money will come."

Anyone who met Gary, knew he could fix just about anything. What most people didn't realize, though, is that Gary was a great inventor. He truly loved building things. Who, but Gary, would design and build a camping kitchen? Or a cabin that ran off car batteries and a

generator? The real invention here was the control panel that was created from recycled car parts — a car starter and electric window openers! You just flipped a switch and the batteries started the cabin's generator, which ran the lights, the heater, even the water heater.

When Gary's mother was declining in health, he invented his own "call for help" button that she wore around her neck. With the push of a button, his mother could dial Gary for help.

When the family dog was ailing, Gary built him a heated doghouse so he would stay warm in the winter. And just to be fair, he built the cats a cathouse, too.

When his daughter asked him to build her a loft for college – she kept asking – what's taking so long? He said, well this isn't just any loft – it's got a mirrored vanity with electrical outlets for your hair dryer and curling iron. It's got more outlets for your computer and your alarm clock. And most important – It came equipped with THREE phone outlets!! This was the loft of lofts. Other students asked for the architectural plans so they could have one built, too.

Gary built his family's home on the acreage from the ground up. And when it came to playing, he made rope swings for the kids, helped them build snowmen, taught them to ride a motorbike in the field, showed them where the mother cats kept their newborn kittens,and helped them make the best mudslides into the river. He once made homemade stilts so he, his daughter and his granddaughter could all walk on stilts together. He even made his granddaughter homemade jump ropes so they could play double-dutch when she visited.

In his lunchbox Gary carried with him, everyday, notes from his family so he could always have them near.

Gary lived a good and full life. We're all proud of him. We loved him very much. He is greatly missed.