Birth date: Dec 20, 1942 Death date: Mar 22, 2018
Gary George Ruttan, age 75, of Grand Haven passed away Thursday, March 22, 2018, at Heartwood Lodge North Ottawa Care Center after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born December 20, 1942, in Lansing to George C. and Read Obituary
Dana,
How many times I have thought of you and Gary over the years and wondered how you were doing. We get so busy in life that it takes death to remind us of all the people and the time that have passed. In reading over the amazing notes from others who have known and loved you I am reminded of the caring individual you always were those many years ago when we worked together. I still bring to mind Madame Goulash and Gypsy Noselee when I need a good chuckle. I hope the memory will make you smile as well. I am sad for your loss of Gary yet am confident that he has found peace. May you also. Bless you and your whole family. Steve and I are still in the phone book. Would love to get caught up.
Rose Redmond
Dana,I send you hugs filled with comfort and prayers. I must tell you how much I admire your strength and your love for Gary... You took the vow of in sickness and in health to the max. ... Such a beautiful thing.
I remember that million dollar smile of Gary's, and how friendly he was to us lyounger classmates! I'm sure he was one of my many crushes when we were in school!
Blessings to you and the family.... ❤️
Ida Jo Dmochowski Mahaney
Dana, I was so sorry to hear about Gary. Pat and I have great memories from the Kandu years. We will never forget your house raising experience that we had the privilege of participating in. The fact that Gary could get so many people together to lift logs, although the short ones between windows weren't too hard, is a testament to how many people liked Gary. As I get older, I am increasingly realizing that memories of friendships is what is valuable. I am glad that Gary and you are a part of those memories.
Dana, Sorry to hear about Gary Passing and your Loss.
Gary was one of my first four friends at five years old. Roger Bates (RIP), Gary Ruttan (RIP) and Lee Berry (RIP) in the same Neighborhood.
We would explore the Northside of Williamston together. Nothing got by us.That was our whole world.
When I saw the Movie "Stand By Me" There We were all four of us on one of our adventures. Not exactly but very similar. A movie about childhood Friendships.
One of Gary favorite items was his 1962 Chevy Impala Convertible, Silver with a red interior. We would go to washington avenue in Lansing , Known as "the Gut" drive back and forth looking for a good time , then out Saginaw street to Sully drive in for a burger. Then head back to Williamston and the security of our Homes.
In 1961 we got a new choir director, Mrs Fossett and she was asking for volunteers for the choir. All of the Senior football team joined choir. with Gary being our quarter back.
We sang all of the broadway musicals. one of the best classes we had.
When I went to the Movie "I Can only Imagine" last week. I received a god wink from Gary when the Mark sang "oklahoma" one of the same songs that we had sung in 1961.
Great time with a great guy.
Lee & Judy Hatt
The smile said it all!
Gary had that bright, beautiful smile all the years I knew him. He was one of the nicest guys I had ever known. Funny, teasing, but serious about his sports! He loved life and knew how to live it! Although I hadn’t seen him in many years, I’m sure he never changed! RIP Gary!
Pat (Van Tassell) Host
Dear Friends of Gary,
I am so grateful to all of you for sharing your memories of Gary, what a gift you have given me!
The love, support and prayers that have come our way have been a blessing, it is a great comfort to me to know that so many people cared for Gary. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dana
Dana - It's always hard for me to find the right words that could possibly provide some comfort to those who lose their loved ones. I'm not sure there are the right words, but I can say that I know that Gary's quality of life during those many years of dealing with Parkinson's was as good as it could possibly be because you were there to love him and care for him. All any of us could ask for is to have someone like you to share our lives with knowing that you would be there for us in our greatest time of need.
The part of my life I shared with Gary was during our youth when we were in high school, a time that our classmates often refer to as the "Happy Days". We were more like a family than classmates and that feeling for many has lasted through the years. Gary was one of the family and now when we begin to lose our family members from those days we all feel diminished, but those of us left continue to keep and share our memories of our mates from those wonderful times past.
Gary and I played basketball each school year beginning with our 7th grade team. We also played football together and were on the track team together as well. I know I've said it before, but my memories of sharing our lives as young athletes were all good. I always felt at ease with Gary as my teammate. He was a steady performer and you could count on him to make the right play at the right time. He was a team player as we all were. When we won the team won and when we were beaten it wasn't because we didn't give it everything we had. I remember one football game when we were really outclassed by Haslett during our senior year. We played hard, but were literally beat up by a better team. Late in the game we were huddled up with hands on our knees waiting for Gary to call the next play. I looked around at the guys all scraped up and battered, but not willing to concede defeat. Some had tears coming down their faces. At that moment I felt so proud to be part of that team. As beat up as we were we made Haslett beat us because we wouldn't give them anything. What a great shared life experience it was for all of us.
Gary takes his place in the pages of history and heritage as we all will soon enough. He leaves behind his loving family and many others like me who were fortunate to share some of our lives with a really good guy.
Sympathy and Respect
Richard Dana
My fondest memories of Gary were of the many times we spent together, often just the two of us, mostly just hanging out at his house, often in the basement. As I remember them, Gary’s parents were somewhat older than mine, and his mom was the quintessential grandmother figure to me, warm and welcoming, and Gary was much like her in that regard. He had a way of including everyone around him in whatever was going on, and if you were the only one there, you got his full attention. I remember once being there when he had just shot a raccoon and he was cleaning it while I watched. It was my first such experience, and him talking about cooking it and eating it added a whole new dimension to my view of hunting that I had never thought of before. He introduced me to fried egg sandwiches. When he suggested them for lunch I couldn’t quite grasp the concept; fried eggs are for breakfast, but in a sandwich for lunch? They’re really good, by the way, I still have one now and then, and always remember Gary when I do. I remember that Gary had a huge crush on Ann Margaret, and for a while she took up a lot of our down time.
Gary was always friendly and cheerful, and what we used to call “salt of the earth”, who seemed to go through life unfazed and untroubled, and a good friend, certainly to me. When I visited with him in Grand Haven probably twenty-five years ago, we spent a nice afternoon together getting caught up and recalling old times and he hadn’t changed a bit. Apparently Gary died as he lived, and those of us who knew him are the better for it, including having shared the example Dana has shown us of unconditional and selfless love. God bless them both.
Gary was a wonderful brother-in-law, and a beloved uncle to our children. His easy-going manner and giant heart will be missed. We love you, and know you are dancing with the angels, Gary! -Larry and Becky Gezon
