I first met My Sweet Man, back in 1976 at Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School. I met him again a few months later at a mutual friends home. He sparked my interest from the first moment I saw him, and he said the same was true for him. A few weeks later that mutual friend brought Gary over to speak with my Dad about a job in security. That night he asked me out to breakfast the next morning. WE wasted 8 long years of dating and break-ups and make-ups before finally deciding that together was where we were meant to be. We married On Oct, 11, 1986, just 6 days short of our first date, which we continued to celebrate with breakfast at the same restaurant every year, until the restaurant went out of business, but we still celebrated Oct 17th with breakfast every year! Gary was a member of the Rumson First Aid Squad and then became a member of hte Shrewsbury First Aid Squad when we married. Between the two, he served for 15 years. He owned his own business, Howard Services, and did lawn service and snow removel.  He did this until he came down with Lyme disease in the summer of 1988. He then became a Snap On Tool Dealer and sold tools in our area for many years. In 1990 he became Licensed Motor Vehicle Inspector and worked at the Eatontown Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. Later on he worked for Pep Boys, first as an associate in the Hazlet store and then went on to become the Parts Manager in Ocean Twp. It was a job he very much enjoyed, and we worked  sometimes too hard at. Sandly it was that job that was his un-doing. He gave his life for his job. He was a wonderfuln husband and a beloved father to our beautiful daughter Heather Noel, who was born on Christmas Day in 1988. He was there for every single doctor's appt, school play, schol game, teacher's meeting. He even coached the girls basketball in Tinton Falls. He never missed a moment of Heathers growing up. And he was always there for me through all my medical maladies, making sure I saw the best doctors and got the best care, and making sure I got back on my feet! Togehter we enjoyed the compansionship of many sweet animals, our beautiful Dixie Bean, or first. She was a tiny little black & white kitten and she snuggled her way into his heart. Then along came Samantha, a part calico cat, that ran into my office, as a stray. I told her she would have to win over Gary to come home with us and Samantha climb right up his arm and snuggled under his chin. Then, when we bought our first home, it came with a black and white cat, Sam. He quickly worked his way into our hearts. Then I wanted Heather to have a dog, and he drove us all the way up to the North Shore Animal League in Long Island, where we found Brandi, ore brindle colored, Border Collie Greyhound, who was a rescue puppy. Three weeks later, along came Tinkerbelle, a tiny kitten, who had crawled up into the engine of Gary's truck. She became Hesather's cat and grew up as close friends with Brandi. Along the way we had to say good bye to some, one by one. Then Jazmine came into our lives, a sweet with kitten, who became Gary's cat! She enjoyed sleeping on him at night. WE then adopted Chance, our Russian Blue, and Zack, whom we first fostered. I had all intentions of fostering, but Gary knew I would never et him go. Zack waited for his Daddy to come home from work every night. As soon as he would hear the truck, he wanted to go out and run to Gary! zack could not understand what happened when Gary's truck came home but Gary didn't. He would no longer eat. He began to shake uncontrollably. Not knowing what to do, I took Zack and Jasmine to the funeral home to view Gary's body. Zack, sniffed at him and stopped shaking. Jasmine, jumped into the casket, attaching herself on him and laying down, to sleep on her Daddy. It was truly heartbreaking seeing them. But I thibk it made Zack understand, as he came home and started eating and them decided he could sleep up on the bed with me. Jasmine, however, did no longer want to be in the bedroom she had spent 16 years in. Life has been very hard for all of us, without Gary. Never in my life, did I ever think I would have a life without my Sweet Man in it. Our world  ended and so did life ss we knew it, when Gary died. He is Gone Too Soon....