We got this news from Matt Wirwicki this morning. RIP Gary.
It is with great difficulty and a heavy heart to provide the news that Gary passed away this morning at 1:00. Gary's contributions to the selfbow community were endless. Everyone of us here have benefited in some way from Gary's influence and passion for the selfbow. Since early Spring, he's had a tough and sudden decline. He's now in a better place.
:pray: :pray:
How old was he Pat
RIP
Sorry to hear about your friend, Pat. Was it covid related?
Gary was in his 70's but had a stroke about a year ago. Unfortunately he'd been going down hill since spring.
I met Gary many years ago at the Kentucky Classic but really got to know him better at the Tenn. Classic. Gary was a selfbow builder extraordinaire that gave so much to the selfbow building crowd. He will surely be missed.
Dang, Gary is one of my bowyer heroes. I could never express how much he influenced my bowmaking. Picture Dean Torges, Jim Hamm, Gary Davis, Ron Harris, Joe Mattingly, Jim Fetrow, and countless others are hopefully sitting around a stave, arguing about the best way to make it into a bow. My generation is so fortunate to have them bridge us into this one. I will never forget how he was at the first MOJam.
3 impressions, Gary with the heatgun, Gary with the bandsaw, and Gary schooling the neophytes like Keith and Rusty :)
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Messed up the Rusty pic :)
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...and Gary with a Dr. Pepper in his hand talking and talking and talking.
And he was a maestro with a bandsaw. What a great teacher. Sorry to hear this but he is no longer in pain.