GARY A. MEACHER

GARY ALLEN MEACHER, age 65. Beloved husband of Patricia “Gail” for 43 years; devoted father of Natalie DeRosha (Gary), Gary E. (Mia), and Tyler; cherished grandfather of Kylie, Zachary, Max, Carmine, and Dakota; caring grandson of the late Mable Ann Meacher, dear brother of Renae (deceased) and Randy; born to Earl and Barb (deceased).
 

Gary proudly attended St. Edward High School while working to support himself and pay for his tuition. He was an active, high scoring member of the bowling team. Gary graduated class of 1975. In his younger years he worked a variety of jobs, including time spent at Motorola, Warner and Swasey, and Alcoa.
 
Gary fell in the love with the girl who lived two doors down when he was just 18 years old. Their story is much like a novel written about forbidden love where the bad boy steals the heart of the innocent girl, counting down the days until they could run away and be together forever. Gary and Gail were married at the courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio on August 3, 1979 and have been together ever since. Life hasn’t always been easy and they certainly had their share of ups and downs but the one constant that has always remained is how deep their love for each other was.
 
Gary and Gail have three children. Their first born and only daughter, Natalie (whom the family calls "Sissy"), is a daddy’s girl through and through. Sharing a very special bond that only a father and daughter could, Gary truly was the first love of her life. They were equally stubborn peas in a pod, but if there was ever someone who could persuade Gary to do something he didn’t want to do it was Sissy. He trusted her opinion and later came to rely on her to be his voice when he struggled to find his own. 
 
Gary E.'s fondest memories were times spent with his father drowning worms at any number of Lake Erie fishing holes. "Little Gary" (as he is affectionately called), even caught a record breaking Fish Ohio Walleye on one of those fateful fishing trips. Gary E. attributes his first realization of the value of art to the moment his father proudly hung his kindergarten painting of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the living room wall.
 
Their youngest, Tyler, bonded with his father on many levels. As a child, he had the same haircut as his dad until he was older and it was no longer cool. Tyler grew out his hair so Gary decided to let his hair grow out too, to be cool like Tyler. Tyler also shared his father’s love of gaming and cooking. Tyler often tagged along with Gary while he was working, learning how to take care of patients and later found himself utilizing those skills to help care for his dad. 
 
With his wife, Gary owned a beverage store on W. 52nd and Bridge Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio for a few years called G & G Beverage. Later, Gary took a position with the Cleveland Public School District as a bus driver. He worked several years for the district while also attending Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) full-time. Gary graduated from Tri-C in 1997 with an Associate's of Nursing Degree becoming a Registered Nurse for the state of Ohio. He found a passion for home healthcare and treated his clients as if they were family. In 2015, Gary pushed through a winter storm to get to his clients, which unfortunately resulted in a debilitating injury that would no longer allow him to practice nursing.
 
Gary loved the simple things in life like weekends at the camper in Port Clinton, fishing for walleye and perch on Lake Erie, playing the lotto (always determined to hit it big one day), and taking trips to casinos all over the map—from the Bahamas to Lake Tahoe. He was a lifelong Cleveland sports fan always waiting for next year. He had a passion for collecting gemstones and loved late night infomercials. He was incredibly smart and always eager to learn more. He had a quick-witted, sarcastic, often inappropriate sense of humor. He was a very outspoken man who never left you wondering what he was thinking. His laugh was contagious, with a smirk that could persuade you to do anything—always the charmer. 
 
On Christmas Day 2015, Gary suffered a massive stroke that changed the trajectory of the rest of his life. True to his stubborn nature, he fought through and went on to live the final seven years of his life in spite of his new found restrictions. His family remains grateful for every moment spent with him after that terrible turn of events. 
 
On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, his body was finally resting in peace and free from all the things that ailed him. It was time to cash in his chips.

Join us in celebrating the life of Gary Allen Meacher with a memorial service 7:00 pm, Monday, August 8, 2022 at the funeral home. Watch via Livestream at https://boxcast.tv/view/meacher-go5b8l5aqkbigaxag2bg

The family will receive friends MONDAY 5-7 PM at the A. RIPEPI & SONS FUNERAL HOME, 18149 BAGLEY ROAD, MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OHIO (WEST OF I-71)
 
In lieu of flowers, donation envelopes will be available.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.