Obit of McAhren, Gary Ray - Delaware County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 23 Jul 2006 Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::McLaughlin Cemetery--Delaware County OK The Grove Sun Daily Gary Ray McAhren 1944-2005 Grove, Ok. - Gary Ray McAhren, 61, was born February 19, 1944 in Pratt, Kansas, the only son of Eugene and EstaLee McAhren, He passed away Sunday, April 17, 2005 in the Pryor hospital Pryor, Oklahoma as the result of a motorcycle accident. Gary had been a farmer/stockman for the first half of his life with his Dad in Liberal, Kansas, where he was a graduate of Liberal High School. He then completed a two-year course in auto mechanics in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. In 1963, he married Lois Jean Schaffer and together they had three children: Bob, Jay and Neesa McAhren. Gary and the children, ages 12, 9 and 7 married Linda Joann Pickering on Gary's birthday February 19, 1978, and together, their family was complete. At the time of his death, Gary and Linda had been married 27 years and 2 months. Gary went to work for Boeing Wichita in 1987 where he was in transportation as a forklift operator and a friend to everyone. Gary ultimately worked there over 15 years receiving many awards and recognitions for perfect attendance, safety ideas and jobs well done. While still working for Boeing, a fascination with auctioneering Gary had all his life, turned into a reality when he attended and graduated from Missouri Auction School. Using auctioneering as a second job, he worked first for Dent Worrell of Worrell Auctioneers-Realtors, and later for Bob McBride of McBride Auctioneers in Wichita, Kansas. Except for riding his bike, Gary loved the auctioneer business more than anything else he had ever done, often doing charity auctions for churches and other worthwhile organizations. Due to arthritis, Gary underwent total hip replacements on both hips which forced him into retirement from Boeing and any full-time job, and with the kids all raised, Gary and Linda decided to move to Grand Lake, where he had always wanted to live when he retired. They chose to make their home in Grove, Oklahoma and moved from Augusta, Kansas to Grove, December 6, 2002. Linda became manager of the Grove Senior Citizens Center, assuming her duties the first of February, 2003. Always supportive of anything his wife did, Gary very quickly became her best volunteer, from delivering meals to the homebound to assembling new treadmills purchased by the Center. Gary was soon loved by all the Seniors he referred to as his "family" and was proud to turn 60 so he could be a member of the Center as well as a volunteer. Gary was a huge fan of the Playmakers Theater group in Grove where he delighted in building sets behind the scenes while Linda performed out front. He was her greatest fan. Gary is survived by his wife Linda, of the home, three children, nine grandchildren and friends that outnumber the stars. He will be missed. Gary never liked the idea of people sending flowers to a funeral. He said he knew the florists would not be happy with him, but flowers were temporal, he said, just like us, and he much preferred something more concrete as a gesture of love in his memory. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Gary's memory at: Independent Baptist Church, P.O. Box 450723, Grove, Ok. 74345. Funeral services will be held at 2;00 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at Independent Baptist Church. Burial will follow in McLaughlin Cemetery. Visitation is at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday at Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home, Grove. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Delaware County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/delaware/delaware.html