Obituaries

What would you call a life filled with so much love, with so much joy, warmth, and laughter your mouth literally hurt from smiling so much? For Gary Lindsay, well, he’d just call that a typical Tuesday.

Gary was born in 1943 and lived a full life each and every day. A life with so many varied experiences, charged with so much energy, and filled with so many thrills one might be tempted to quote a line from the song Born to Be Wild about him “smoking lightning” or “lookin’ for adventure'. But that wouldn’t really capture him. It’s the line in the song “take the world in a love embrace” that nails it.

Because Gary did just that. He took the world in a love embrace and held on tightly. Held on to the embrace for those he adored, including his wife of 35 years Diane, his children Debbie, Kim, and Carol, his grandkids Chad, Kyle, Tori, Tara, Devin, Ryan, Elizabeth, Emily, Jackson, Carter, and Karly, his great grandchild River which he got to hold, his first wife Kathy, his step kids Valerie and Eric, his full extended family, and even his pets Tigger the cat and dogs Peanuts, Heidi, Mickie and Naomi.

He took the world in a love embrace when he served in the Marines in Memphis in 1961 and at Camp LeJeune until he was discharged in 1965. And again in a love embrace when he thrived in a corporate setting, starting in an entry level role and climbing up to Manager of Welfare Benefits at Keystone Steel and Wire in Bartonville, IL. And yet again when he opened up Lindsay’s RC Hobbies in Litchfield, IL to foster community and provide people a place to hang out, get away, and have some fun.

Gary’s best days were filled playing in the sun with family, friends, and his oh-so-many toys. Boats, cars, motorcycles, and every RC vehicle imaginable only began to scratch the surface. Basically, he loved anything with a motor. Yet here’s the thing. For Gary, it was never really about the toys. It was always about the joys. The joys brought to others. From bonfires in Lindsay Park, camping at Kentucky Lake, to family boat trips on the Illinois and Chicago rivers and on Lake Lou Yaeger, to racing downhill in his Honda Big Red side by side surrounded by shrieks and laughter while letting go of the steering wheel to show how his driverless steering worked, he loved things that would lead to thrilling experiences for himself and others.

Gary, we love and miss you. And when we look to the stars, we’ll think of you as you “explode into space, like a true nature’s child”.

We’d say rest in peace, but we have a feeling you’re having too much fun for that.