Gary Warner, beloved and loving son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandpa and friend, born August 9, 1950 in Oceanside, NY died Tuesday December 4, 2018 at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY.
He is predeceased by his brother Guy Warner (2017). Gary is survived by his wife Dorothy (Dotsy); 4 children: Katie, Kerri, Maggie and Maximilian; and 8 grandchildren: Anthony, Trevor, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Isabella, Maximilian, Lindsay and Maclain. He was also very grateful for his sons-in-law, Vinnie and Pete, as well as his daughter-in-law, Kaitlyn.
After graduating from Longwood High School in 1968, Gary attended CW Post on a full scholarship for football, but transferred to East Texas State University (now Texas A & M) after an injury left him unable to play. After college graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Business administration, he returned to Long Island to start his own landscaping company, Four Seasons Services. His return to New York was also motivated by the desire to court his sister’s best friend, Dotsy. Perhaps it was her youthful smile that drew him back or the way she looked in her bikini when she jumped from the diving board into the pool of his parents’ backyard. But something about her drew him back, and eventually, he was able to win her heart.
After their marriage on April 17, 1982, Gary and Dotsy bought their first piece of property in Coram, NY. It was here that Gary would begin building his dream, a home where his future children could each sleep in a room of their own and they could gather to create lasting memories together. While the house was being built they lived with Gary’s mother in the main house where he had grown up in Port Jefferson. They were blessed with their first daughter, Katie Marie, on January 26, 1983 and their 2nd daughter, Kerri Lynn, only a short while later on March 29, 1984. It wouldn’t be another 3 years until the dear M & M twins, Maggie Beth and Maximilian, would be born on August 1, 1987.
Over the next several decades, Gary continued to build on his dream and the house that he had made, always working to grow with his growing family’s needs, especially those of his dear youngest daughter Maggie. From a new house wing to a roll in shower to an elevator shaft, there was never a project that he wouldn’t try (or finish), but his goal was always the same – to create a place where he could share joys with those he loved. Gary’s hard work showed through his tough exterior, but underneath his calloused hands and sometimes unshaven face, was a selfless man with hope in his eyes and love in his heart.
In 2008, Gary was further blessed with his first grandchild, Anthony, through the marriage of his daughter, Katie to Vinnie. He then went on to enjoy the births of his 7 other grandchildren over the next 10 years. He adored his grandbabies, and some of his most favorite things to do were holding them tight or counting the piggies going to the market on their toes.
In the last few years leading up to his death, Gary was burdened by the weight of his illness. He quickly saw that many of his plans would not easily come to fruition, but this challenge only made him work harder. Even after losing his leg, he was still too stubborn to let it stop him from working around the house, always working, always pushing for more.
Gary was a man of dreams, and he shared them with his family and friends. His house became a place where family would often gather for parties and holiday affairs. There was much laughter, good times and unforgettable memories. All that knew him understood that Gary didn’t have much, but it wouldn’t stop him from giving you the shirt off his back if he thought it could help. He will be tremendously missed, but his dreams will live on in the people who knew and loved him for the man that he was and truly wanted to be.
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