Gary Lynn Taylor

Wilson - Mr. Gary Lynn Taylor, 62, of Gainesville, Texas departed this life for his home in Heaven on Friday, February 11, 2022, at his residence in Gainesville, Texas. Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, February 17, 2022, at the Wilson Assembly of God Church with Bro. James Gunter, Zane Gray, and Mark Taylor officiating. Interment services will follow at Hewitt Cemetery.

Gary Lynn Taylor was born in Wilson, Oklahoma on November 20, 1959, at the Rector Clinic on his mother's 27th birthday. Shortly thereafter, he was taken to his home a block away to meet his sister and three brothers.

Erbie Jackson Taylor and Dorothy Lee Thomas Taylor moved their young family to the old town of Hewitt, Oklahoma, where they made a home on the SE corner of what is now Hewitt and Dillard roads. Despite his mother’s efforts to keep him safely contained at home, Gary quickly took to shadowing the three older boys who happily initiated him into the brotherhood. One particular initiation involved “teaching” him to swim by tossing him into J.D.’s pond; but even at three years old, Gary was strong enough to make it out and pass the sink-or-swim test. At the age of five, his brothers left him at the cemetery a half-mile from home, in the dark, to see if he could make it back home on his own – he did. He soon progressed to bareback donkey rides, quickly learning to hold tight to their donkey, Cricket and took his first test-drive in a homemade, brick laden stagecoach – downhill on a dirt road. Due to the absence of electronic devices, he and his brothers enjoyed spending their time constructing their own toys and tools needed for their daring and imaginative adventures. It was this upbringing that led to Gary's adventurous spirit.

Gary attended Wilson Public Schools from kindergarten until he graduated with the class of 1978. His wit, charm, humor, and high level of intelligence garnered many friends during those years. He excelled not only academically but also in his many extra curricular activities: track, football, basketball, FFA, 4-H, Beta Club, yearbook committee, and student council. He achieved many honors, such as the Oklahoma Honor Society, the Masonic Award, the Merit WHO's WHO, the American Legion Award, and the very prestigious Best All Around and Mr. WHS. He began his writing career in the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society for High School Journalists. He was a standout football player, earning the nickname of “Hatchet,” and had been scouted by SOSU, NEO, and OU. Unfortunately, his senior football season was cut short due to a football related injury. He went on to play one season at NEO in Miami, Oklahoma, then attended OU and graduated from SOSU with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Literature and a minor in Art. He was a talented cartoonist, still-life artist, whittler, and sculptor. Gary partially funded his college education by publishing cartoons in the weekly student newspaper. He also created western cartoons that were published in True West and other magazines.

In his teens, Gary learned to play the guitar and banjo and enjoyed playing bluegrass, blues, and folk styles. As a young adult, Gary performed for area churches with a group of other young men in a loosely formed band. He passed on his love of music to his children by playing and singing his favorite songs. He enjoyed a wide array of music, but his lifelong favorite artist was Don Mclean. He attended countless concerts alone, with friends, and later with his daughters.

During his youth, Gary’s older brothers introduced him to weightlifting. The boys would gather around a single weight bench in their large, communal bedroom to push each other in friendly competition. In high school, Gary found the weights at the school gym to be “too easy,” so he added fellow classmates to the ends of the barbells and lifted them as well. His passion for weightlifting led him to enter and place in various bodybuilding competitions, such as Mr. Texas and Mr. Oklahoma, between 1979 and 1987. He even had the pleasure of meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger during competition. From 1986 to 1988 he owned and operated The Reflex Gym in Duncan, Oklahoma where he had personally trained many clients. He continued to lift weights at Bosco’s Gym and run at the Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville, Texas for 30 years without missing a day; if he did, he was spending time with his family and had a plan to make-up for it later.

On August 28, 1987, Gary married Pennye Jackson at the Wilson Assembly of God. The couple first resided in Duncan where Gary worked for Halliburton as a technical writer. They soon welcomed their firstborn, Garin Matthew in 1988. In 1989, Gary and Pennye moved to Gainesville, Texas where he worked for Weber Aircraft. The family welcomed their first daughter, Whitney Nicole, in 1992. In 2003, they completed their family with Caitlyn Grace.

Gary found his niche by working as a freelance writer specializing in technical writing and editing work. During his 30 years as a writer he worked with Raytheon, Alcatal, Huawei, ICF, Hilton Hotels, Dallas Child Magazine, and Goldstein Communications Group-his latest employer. His writing covered a myriad of subjects including oilfield business, airline manufacturing, telecommunications, medical releases, and foster care. He was also the editor for a variety of books including the autobiography of drummer James McLester, which he also co-authored. Other works included articles for Treasure magazine, and the recording of his uncle’s WWII memories. He taught computer science in the Continuing Education classes at North Central Texas College for a time. Gary was in the process of writing a children's fictional series as well as an adult fiction novel. He also used his talents to help family with resumes and college papers, wrote numerous plays and speeches for his three children, and painstakingly constructed the obituaries for his mother and father.

Gary was a devoted and selfless father whose children gave him great pride as they each excelled in their own interests. He was actively involved in both their homeschooling and activities, often volunteering as a leader for 4-H and Boy Scouts of America events and excursions. He personally saw to raising and breeding show rabbits so that his kids could compete in national shows for 29 years. He was also a volunteer teacher for the local homeschool community where he taught art classes.

He loved mysteries, hidden treasures, and anything relating to Elvis, Bigfoot, or intelligent life. He taught his children to be inquisitive and ambitious. He nurtured their imaginations with years of original bedtime stories filled with colorful characters brought to life with his voices. He enjoyed spending time with his family, siblings, and friends watching movies, going to live concerts, or just sitting down with a cup of coffee for a late night chat. He was a well-loved uncle to his many nieces and nephews. Gary will always be well loved and deeply missed by all those who knew him.

Gary’s faith in God was important to him and he was guided by that faith. He was raised in the Pentecostal faith and was baptized at the Ardmore United Pentecostal Church.

Predecessors in death include Gary’s parents, Erbie Taylor and Dorothy (Thomas)Taylor-Shores , Curtis Shores, sister-in-law, Lois (Way) Taylor, and nieces, Kerri Dawn Taylor, and Jessica Jackson.

Survivors include his wife, Pennye and daughter, Caitlyn of the home in Gainesville, Texas; daughter, Whitney of Oklahoma City, and son, Garin of Denton, Tx; sister, Janet Asbury of Wilson; brothers, Jackie Taylor and wife, Brenda, of Canon City, Co, Roger Taylor and wife, Laurie, of Wilson, Ronald Taylor and wife, Melinda, of Wilson; nieces and nephews, Mark Asbury and wife, Erica, Marisa Asbury, Christopher Taylor and wife, Rie, Michelle Pham, Joshua Taylor, Lori Manthe and husband, Jason, Lindsey Bryant, Daniel Taylor and wife, Danica; great nieces and nephews, Seina and Noah Taylor, Kai Davis, Holly Davis, Kristian, Ashton, Sage, and Arabella Pham, Sebastian Harrison, Nathan, Cheyenne and Annistyn Manthe, Brayden and Ava Bryant, Amory and Evie Taylor; great-great nieces and nephew, Elly, Dovey, and Hutch Moore, and Clovey Fukino; aunt, Veletta Alderman and husband, Ray of Roanoke, Va.; uncles, RD Thomas of White Deer, Tx, and B.J. Thomas of Garland, Tx; along with a host of cousins; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Gene and Virginia Jackson of Courtney; sister-in-law, Regina McClendon and husband, Rob of Edmond; brothers-in-law, Paul Jackson and wife, Kim, and Randall Jackson and wife, Bonnie, all of Courtney; nieces and nephews, Courtney and Sarah Jackson, Braden Jackson and wife Alyssa, Addison, and Ally Jackson; and great niece, Kendall Kate Jackson.
He will be missed by pets, Harley, Layla, Meeks and Charley.

Pallbearers will be Christopher Taylor, Joshua Taylor, Mark Asbury, Daniel Taylor, Chris Bryant, and Braden Jackson.

Honorary pallbearers are Charles Ricky Stevenson, James Hayes, David Hull, Johnny Meloy, Bobby Lerkins, Jim O’Dell, Curtis Fowler, Danny McCall, Nathan Wallace, Jason Carlyle, and the Class of ‘78.

Family visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday evening at Alexander Gray Funeral Home of Wilson.

Condolences may be sent online at www.alexanderfuneralhome.org