Gary Donald Henry Sr.

Mr. Gary Donald Henry Sr., of Ellijay, formerly of Woodstock, passed away at the age of 81, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, at home surrounded by his family and loved ones.

He was born Oct.  24, 1939, in Buford to Adolphus and Hester (Duncan) Henry.

While the void this great man is leaving will be hard to fill, his many accomplishments in life after growing up and going to school in Tucker, will be remembered fondly. Although he was never deployed, he was enlisted in the army, as well as the reserves. He worked at Lathem Time as a sales manager until he became semiretired to try his hand in the self-employment field.  He played baseball at a high level, and was a never-ending source of guidance with his wealth of knowledge of the game and persistence in the sport for his sons. You would always see him in the stands as he was always there to encourage and support all aspects of his children’s lives. After his family, his other great loves were the Atlanta Braves, hunting and fishing.

It goes without saying that he was the greatest man we ever knew, and what we have tried to use as a template for our lives. He struck an imposing figure at first glance, but those that knew him, found out his depth of conviction and fierce love of family and friends. We will miss his grin and raised eyebrow looks most of all. While it seems short to the family, his 81 years of life was a blessing.

He is survived by wife, Rita; sons, Gary Henry Jr. and wife, Kelli, James Henry, Jason Dupree and wife, Jessica, Derek Henry and wife, Jennifer, his daughters, Lynda Henry, Jennifer Ginsburg and her husband, Bobby, and his 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, at Bernhardt Funeral Home.