We had a Wake for him from 3-5 PM and 7-9 PM on Friday, June 14 at the Fleck Funeral Home in Laurel, MD. Throughout the Wake, we were playing a CD (created for the occasion – classical music wasn’t really his bag) of many of Gary’s favorite songs (listen to this playlist on Spotify):
- Yesterday, When I Was Young – Roy Clark
- I Like Beer – Tom T. Hall
- Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell
- Perhaps Love – John Denver with Placido Domingo
- The Most Beautiful Girl – Charlie Rich
- To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before – Julio Iglesias with Willie Nelson
- Seasons in the Sun – Rod McKuen
- The Year Clayton Delaney Died – Bobby Bare
- Coward of the County – Kenny Rogers
- New York, New York – Frank Sinatra with Tony Bennett
- Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
- Finnigan’s Wake – The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem
- Cat’s in the Cradle – Harry Chapin
- Unchained Melody – Marty Robbins
- Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
- Luckenbach, Texas – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
- American Pie – Don McLean
- What Made America Famous? – Harry Chapin
- Burning Bridges (Theme from Kelley’s Heroes) – Mike Curb Congregation
- The Candy Man – Sammy Davis, Jr.
- Danny Boy
On Saturday, June 15, we had a funeral service for him at 10 AM at the St. Mary’s Church in Laurel, MD.
Following the church service, we threw a going away party for Gary at his hangout, The Greene Turtle, in Laurel, MD. He always said he would want us to celebrate his life, rather than mourn his death.
Gary was cremated with the following:
- Sheet music for the piano for “See You Later, Alligator”
- Autographed baseball from David Wells
- Yankees World Series 1998 baseball cap
- Inscribed copy of Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants by Shawn Collins
- 2002 Yankees media guide (he wanted it for Father’s Day)