IN MEMORY

OF

GARY ALAN YODER

August 12, 1939 – October 30, 1995

 

 

 Kathy Bryson (Pizar) notes:  As far as we can find, no newspaper obituary was published for Gary.  He died in San Luis Obispo, CA and it is believed he was estranged from his wife.  Survivors or children could not be confirmed.

 

Personal Reflections:

      Janet Krider (Duncan) and Judy Burnett (Goodson):  " He lived in California, then sometime in the ’80s, he and his wife moved back to Manhattan.  He sang all kinds of music and had a lot of equipment for backup.  Viv [Vivian Manly (Johns)] thinks of his style as like the forerunner of what are now singing DJ’s or karaoke.  He was very good … had a wonderful style and could sing any Country/Western song.  We [Janet and Pat Duncan] went over to their house once with Viv and Denny and we all sang together …. it was so much fun.  I sang harmony with Gary and his wife on all the old songs.  We had a ball that night.  After that, Viv and Denny thought of how good Gary was when they had an anniversary party.  They hired Gary to play for it.  Viv said he was terrific …. sang everything.  He played guitar … as he had that night over at his house.  Anyway, we believe that Gary and his wife moved back to California after this.  And it was sometime later, in California that he took his life."

     "My other vivid memory of Gary was in Mrs. Sykes’ class when he wrote the most stunning theme on drag racing … the suspense of waiting until just the right second to change from first gear into second gear or momentum would be lost, the competition, the adrenaline coursing as well as the cars … amazing.  I told him and he seemed embarrassed.  He always seemed like a shy loner to me in high school.  Of course, Mrs. Sykes liked the essay very much."

 

 

 

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