Dates
Gary Wayne Hudson left this life on July 1st at the young, but OLD age of 46. I can say that because although I only had 2 years on him, he never let me forget how ancient I was. Before we get to the meat and potatoes of this obituary, let’s get some housekeeping out of the way. Gary was born on Feb 20th, 1979, to Joseph Clay Hudson (deceased) and Carolyn Young. He was blessed to have an extended family, to include his dad, Lenny Young (deceased), Step-Mom Kavina Hudson and siblings: Christopher Hudson, Kristina Gaitan, Danielle Damian, Clinton Hudson, Rebecca Antunez and Joseph Hudson Jr. When you add in the parents he inherited via marriage: Todd Bryan and Trudy Bryan (deceased), Charli Hajek and Heidi’s crazy crew of siblings: Jamie Bryan, Shelly Ross, Kristy Meehan, William Bryan and Lexi Eldred, let’s just suffice it to say, he had a motley crew family and we ALL loved Gary, but none more so than the love of his life, Heidi.
The meat of Gary’s life – his family. Heidi and Gary met as Sophomores in high school, were married on July 11th, 1998, and have been together ever since. They opened their home and their hearts to many foster children and adopted two of them: Sierra Marie Hudson and Zachary James Hudson. Gary loved these children and cherished his role as a dad, very rarely one to say no, these kids meant the world to him. Over the course of their marriage, Heidi and Gary overcame many trials always coming out together and stronger in their love for each other. Their marriage was one of those that was often coveted, not because it was perfect, but because they continued to work at it and genuinely loved each other day in and day out.
The potatoes and all those delicious sides that Gary or Gare-Bear as he was affectionally known to some, loved to top his plate with. Gary lived a full life. He was a gifted mechanic, held several different roles in the oil field, a plumber, a welder, a hunter, a fisherman, a woodworker, an avid motorcyclist with a couple of trips to Sturgis under his belt, a rancher, a livestock owner, and an all-around good guy. Gary was gifted at barbecuing and smoking meats, if you never had any of his brisket, sausage, or chicken, well – you missed out. What stands out most about Gary was that he was the one you called when you needed anything, no matter what it was, no matter what time of day or night, no matter where you were or where he was. He was dependable in a world that doesn’t know the definition of that word anymore.
Gary’s passing has left a hole in the hearts of the many, many lives he touched. The fond memories we all have reiterate the fact that he was one of those rare, good souls. To know him, was to have a genuine friend and the world is a bit darker without his light shining in it. Gary, I hope you are surrounded by those we lost before you, and that you are smoking some of your delicious brisket, kicking back with a beer, probably blushing at all the emotions coming from your friends and family. One final lesson Gary taught us, don’t forget to taste the lemon cake before you crumble it over your chili. But even after you do, enjoy it to the last bite.