Gary George Sheffer, 77, of Glen Arbor passed away May 26, 2022 at Munson Medical Center with his family at his side.
Gary was born on December 27, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of the late Buddy Sheffer and Harriet "Jean" (Gauthier) Sheffer. Gary resided in the Traverse City and Glen Arbor area his entire life.
On June 20, 1964, he married Velma "Val" (Wheelock), who survives. Gary and Val were high school sweethearts and later married at Long Lake Friends church.
Gary graduated from Traverse City Central High School with the class of 1963. As a young man, Gary started working trimming Christmas trees while in high school and was also a proud member of Future Farmers of America.
Gary worked at Farm Bureau Services before starting Apple Fence Company Inc. in 1982. One of his proudest accomplishments was working side by side with his son Scott to make Apple Fence a thriving business. Hard work and a strong desire to succeed define this successful man.
An outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed all the seasons, Gary loved to take hunting trips. No matter where he went, his most treasured trophies were the relationships he made. His excursions included Alberta, Africa, South Dakota, Tennessee, among others. He counted his hunting counterparts as true friends and additional family, and many visited him in Michigan.
Gary could always be counted on for a hand up, never a hand out. He had a job to do if someone needed it, and his generosity deeply impacted many lives over the years. He was an outside-the-box thinker who could solve any problem.
His life was all about others. Gary would always make the person he was talking to feel like they were the only one in the room. The details of his loved ones' lives were more important to him than his own. There were many times a front porch chat could last for hours. It gave him great joy to connect with others and invite them to enjoy the life he created, whether at The Lodge, Lake, or Tamarind Bay. He made a great life for himself and shared it with others.
Eventually, Gary gave up on the cold winters and hibernation and headed south to the sunshine. In addition to Northern Michigan, Key Largo Florida at Tamarind Bay held a special spot in Gary's life. Florida friends turned into extended family, and he cherished time spent with them. Some of his favorite activities there included fishing, corn hole tournaments, boating, happy hour, and Wednesday night fish fries. The fish fries were a community event with spectacular food that left many visitors feeling pleased to attend. Gary would often lend his fisherman skills to gathering enough fish for the event.
Gary was not a man of many words, but his words always had powerful meaning. Sometimes just a point of his finger was all that was required to understand what he meant. When he would get that twinkle in his eye and crooked smile on his face, everyone knew that there were shenanigans happening! His sense of humor was as strong as his willingness to help others. When his wife Val expressed that she wanted a "rock" for their anniversary, Gary arranged to have a boulder delivered to their yard. He got her the biggest "rock" he could find!
Gary is survived by his loving wife of nearly 58 years, Val; his children Scott (Anna) Sheffer of Grawn, Kris (Eric) Zimmerman of Marco Island, FL; his siblings Barbara McCaffrey, Michael Sheffer, Gloria Schroeder, KanDee Sheffer (deceased), and Rick Sheffer of Traverse City; grandchildren Nicole (Adrienne) Zimmerman of Phoenix, AZ, Andrew Zimmerman of Allenhurst, GA, and Alison Zimmerman (Tyler Doehring) of Grand Rapids. He leaves great-grandchildren Nolan King-Zimmerman, Maxwell Zimmerman, Sophia Zimmerman Doehring.
He was preceded in death by his parents Buddy and Harriet "Jean"; his sister KanDee; his sister-in-law Jenny Sheffer.
Family and friends will gather for a Celebration of Life on July 9, 2022.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to a charitable organization of their choice.
Please share condolences with Gary's family at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .
Arrangements are with the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home.