When I received news (humanly speaking bad news, Divinely speaking good news) of Gary’s Home going, the Lord took me back in my mind to my early days with Gary. We went to the same high school, Whitmer High in Toledo Ohio, and were both very active members of Lewis Avenue Baptist Church. At Whitmer I remember Gary as very active in speech and debate kinds of things, something for which I was forever envious of him! He had a way with words. He had a way with people. He was a bit “nerdy” in high school, but I suppose so was I and that might have been one of the things God used to bring us together as life long friends. Gary was an outstanding student, always near the top of his class. I admired him.

At LABC, we both grew to love the man God had sent to shepherd the flock, Pastor Les Hobbins. Many times we shard with each other the countless blessings (and sometimes frustrations) Pastor Hobbins had been to each of us personally. Gary loved his pastor very very much! It was also at LABC that Gary came to know one of the Christian school teachers, a young lady named Sherri who became his life long companion! Through all the years of sharing with our joys, challenges, blessings and frustrations together, I have NO memory of Gary ever expressing dissatisfaction with Sherri. He loved her dearly and was just thrilled that God had blessed him someone who loved him just as he was.

I remember when I learned Gary was “in the computer business”. My first thought was “oh no!, he’ll get all the business in the computer industry, leaving me with nothing!” I knew from experience that whatever Gary put his hands and mind to do, he would be the best in the field! If Gary put his mind to it and believed God had lead him to something, he did it! No obstacles or discouragements would keep Gary from doing what he knew God wanted him to do. He was a gifted communicator, outstanding business man, highly intelligent, and possessed unbelievable people skills! Whether Gary was with his friend the Governor of Georgia, or a missionary headed to the field, or someone I brought down to Atlanta to meet him, Gary made them feel welcome and special.

My most cherished memory of Gary was that of “an angel of mercy”. Several times in our lives, our paths went different directions. He went to Tennessee Temple, I to Bob Jones. He lived in Toledo, then Atlanta, I in South Carolina. But Gary had this uncanny sense of just when to contact me. Sometimes it might be a year or two without hearing from him and then wammo, like a lightning bolt from the sky, Gary would appear. Just wanting to check up on me and see how I was doing. God used Gary in some very special ways in my life.

When I was preparing to work on my masters degree at BGSU in Ohio and was making plans to marry the love of my life, Karen Thurston, I needed a place to live. Gary came to me “out of the blue” and said, “Hey Danny, I need a roommate in McClure Ohio. Interested?”. What a blessing! McClure Ohio sat right between BGSU and Grand Rapids Ohio, the place Karen took her first teaching position (Bethany Christian School). I moved in with Gary until Karen and I got married. This of course led to Gary being part of our wedding, a most memorable event.

During the first year of our marriage, Gary came through many times to help us in times of need. The event God has used for the past 27 years to remind Karen and me of God’s goodness in always providing for our needs, came in the winter of 1981. We were living in an old farm house between McClure and Bowling Green Ohio. It was a most cold and snowy winter. The house was heated with propane or heating oil. The tank had to be filled, but we had no money! I was a poor graduate assistant and Karen was teaching. I think our combined wage for the year was around $10K or $12K. I was very concerned about how we would be able to pay the heating bill. Well, once again, Gary, “my angel in mercy” stepped in, but in a most unusual way!

A few weeks prior he had come to mee and asked if I would right a computer program to predict how long it takes to grow a radish. You see, McClure just happens to be “The Radish Capital of the World“! And of course Gary worked for George Weasel, the owner of the TemCole Radish Company. And George wanted to know how long it takes to grow a radish under certain growing conditions. So working with Gary, I developed one of the world’s first computer programs to answer this most important question! (we’ll in the radish capital of the world, you better believe radishes are pretty important! )

Back to the heating bill. The day the bill bill was due, Gary called me up and said, “Hey Danny, stop by and I’ll give you a check for the work you did”. Wow, that was God’s way of using Gary to remind me how the Lord uses relationships in this life to glorify himself and accomplish his purposes on the Earth! What a blessing. Gary was right in the middle of it all, being used by God to be a blessing to Karen and me. Reminds me of how God used Joseph in the early days of Jewish history to be right was God wanted him to be in order to be a blessing to the children of Israel! Gary was our “Joseph”.

Gary always expressed interest in my children. Calling or emailing to see how they were doing. And he as always there to provide financial support to assist and encourage them in the various summer ministries and mission trips the Lord has allowed them to be involved in. He has helped Sara when she served as a counselor at Camp Ironwood in California. Jonathan on his missions trip to Australia. He even helped me on a ministry trip my family I took to help Harvest Ministries in Guam.

Ashley and Trevor, your father would always talk of you during our meetings. He was most proud of both of you. He mentioned many times how inadequate he felt to be your father, but it reminded him of his need to pray and ask God for wisdom and directions. He loved you both dearly!

Sherri, you were the love of his life. Never did I ever hear him talk of another. He was so proud of the impact you were having on his children as well as so many others through your teaching ministry. He loved you dearly!!

Gary, I shall miss those unexpected phone calls, text messages and emails, but every time the Lord sends an angel mercy my way, I shall be reminded of my life long friend and angel of mercy, Gary Stewart! To God be the glory!!

Your Life Long Friend,

Danny Boy (the name Gary always used for me)