Gary "Bigdad"L. Rempe

Gary "Big Dad" Leon Rempe

AGE: 74 • Orwell, NY

Gary Rempe (aka "Big Dad"), 74, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, New York, having lived thirty years longer than the medical community predicted. But that's just what you'd expect from Gary because that's how he lived his life. He always exceeded expectations.

Born in rural Plainville, Kansas to Martin and Florence Rempe on May 21, 1938, Gary was the youngest of nine children and named after Gary Cooper, a favorite actor of his family. Gary spent his vibrant curly-headed youth in the vast open beauty of the Great Plains working hard on both his family's farm and on the farm of Wayne and Tat Slimmer. He experienced many adventures growing up, which would later serve as cherished bedtime stories for his family. By the time he entered high school, the depression had ended, and lots of local oil resources meant boom times for Plainville and its high school.

Nicknamed "dad" by his high school classmates, Gary led his class as its President for three years, captained championship football and basketball teams, and to top it all off graduated Valedictorian of his class. In high school, his football team lost only one game in the entire four years he played. During his senior year, a beautiful sophomore named Kathryn Jones caught his eye. They fell in love and married a few years later, raised four admiring children, and remained married until he passed away 52 years later.

His hard work and success in high school paid off when, upon graduation, he was awarded a prestigious W.B. Ham scholarship to attend the University of Kansas. There he was accepted into the top fraternity on campus, Beta Theta Pi, and played Division 1A college football and basketball his freshman year. After KU, Gary went to work for John Deere and continued to work for them until he retired 25 years later. Gary won numerous awards while at John Deere, which enabled him and his family to enjoy many wonderful trips together.

Gary also excelled as a father and especially enjoyed building and flying model airplanes and playing games with his kids. And no matter how far he had to travel, even in the dead of winter amid fierce Northern New York storms, he always attended his children's school activities, helping to spur them on to ever greater achievements. He was an ardent sports fan, often seen leading the crowds during close games. He was also elected to his school board where he worked to improve the local school system.

Gary will always be remembered for his quick wit, wonderful sense of humor, business and community leadership, intelligence, loyalty to family and friends, sports-fan enthusiasm, piercing blue eyes, his ardent love of history, playing cards, crossword puzzles, and holding together the bass section in church choir and at lively family gatherings.

Gary loved his family and friends and was loved in return. He knew when to take life seriously and when to have fun. He will be deeply missed and never forgotten by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. His spirit will live on through our shared stories and laughter.

He is survived by his adoring wife Kathryn Rempe, his four children Patience, Gary, and Mark Rempe, and Suzanne Griggs, and his eight grandchildren: Caroline, Philip, Greg, Clara, Brock, Josie, Pierce, and Mea.

There will be no calling hours.
Services will be private.

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