On Thursday, March 16, 2017, 11 days shy of his 75th birthday, Gary passed away peacefully in one of his favourite places, Bucerias, Mexico. He was fortunate enough to spend his last couple of weeks soaking up the sun by the pool, walking the streets of Bucerias, meeting with old friends and visiting with family.
Gary will be missed by Robbin, son Graham, daughter Jodi and husband, Jeff, and their children Amber, Eddie, Aspen and Ryder; Lisa, Scott and their children Wyatt and Kassidy; and Randy and Catherine. He also leaves behind special family members and numerous friends.
Gary, known by many as “Dusty”, was born and raised in old St. Vital. He was a well-known realtor, having been in the industry for over 45 years. Gary was active in many sports in his lifetime. He played football for the St. Vital Bulldogs in his younger days and spent years playing hockey for The Bugs, continuing to play the game well into his sixties. He also enjoyed playing golf throughout the summer.
Gary had a great sense of humour, the knack for telling a good joke (over and over again), and who could possibly forget his John Wayne impressions. He never had a bad word to say about anybody, he gave everyone a fair chance. Gary was always a huge music fan and loved a good party, but he also loved walking the dog, cutting the lawn….daily, and could easily be found wearing shorts, sitting on the front doorstep in late March, trying to catch the first warm rays of the season.
If there was something that Gary was determined to do recently, it was to plan another trip to Mexico, something he did on March 1st of this year. Some of us were fortunate enough to have spent some time with him there. He was happy and at peace and you could tell he was exactly where he wanted to be.
If Gary has left this world and his life is defined by his fight with illness, you have forgotten who he really was, a person who loved this world and this life. Gary was a good soul, generous towards the people he cared about and valued his relationships with his family and friends. He had many true friendships and will be missed by all.
As per Gary’s wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no formal service. There will be a private family gathering at a later date.
