I read something the other day, that within three generations of our passing, it will be as if we never lived; that we were never here.  
We will exist in the memory of no other person.
I am pretty sure that will not hold true in the case of Gary Alan Lehner.

Gary had the rarest of qualities in that this man had such a way about him.
I worked with Gary and work life there, well, it was a very bleak place.
Never, did I  ever, not see Gary have the quality of being able to seperate us from all of it.
It was like he was his own torch and could just light up a place by his very presence.

That quality of a person, I have to believe that has a way of echoing through time.
So for his family that would know this light better than all of us, I send my most sincerest sympathy.

What I have learned about the passing  of people closest to me is that in time, you come to realize they never go away completely.
Their memory lives inside of us.  And in Gary's case, my feeling is that in time, when the people who were closest to him gather, there will come a time of far more laughter than tears, or better tears from all the laughter.
For you Dennis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2caT4q4Nbs  

You did it well Gary.

Sending all of my love to Sharon, Kristin, Erin, Mark, and the rest of the Lehner family.

I feel privileged to have known Gary, and it was always such a joy when I got to see Gary and Sharon, whether it was visiting you at your home with Kristin or attending family events like Kristin and Rob's wedding.

I am very glad that Gary's great sense of humor was brought up multiple times today because that is what I remember most about him.  He could brighten anyone's day with one joke or a silly anecdote.

Gary was incredible for many reasons, but for me personally, it is mostly because he and Sharon brought Kristin into the world, and ultimately into my life.  Kristin is my best friend, and she changed my life for the better, forever.  Therefore, I have Gary and Sharon to thank.  You raised three fantastic children because of what truly wonderful people you are, and I am blessed to have met you all.

Love,

Cody

Sharon and family, I met Gary at the Episcopal church in downtown Memphis, serving the needy. What I first noticed about Gary was how familiar he was with the process of preparing the meals. To me, it was obvious that Gary really knew his way around that kitchen and had a heart for those less fortunate. He was a special soul. Right after losing my job at FedEx in 2009, Gary invited me to a St. Luke men's gathering. Always the servant, Gary put down the jokes that day and offered a sincere ear (and a beer), making special space for me. I loved that about Gary.

Angela and I miss seeing all of you, especially our goddaughter Rowen. 
Kristen and Rob, we send our love.
Mark, your eulogy was remarkable and memorable. Thank you!

Gary will be missed. 
Love to all,
Steve

Gary,
The miles you allowed us when Erin and I were new drivers gave us freedom to have fun and at the same time provided boundaries that allowed us grow in relatively responsible ways. I smile thinking about those freedoms now as I watch us all as adults trying to successfully parent teens and young adults.  You made a loving impact on all of your family and all your friends and theirs.  You will be remembered fondly forever.
Sharon Erin Mark Kristin and your families, 
I am so very sorry for your loss.  I know your memories will be wonderful and sometimes sad at the same time but treasure them always.
Much Love,
Jen Schneider

My deepest sympathy to the whole family. I know how much he will be missed and how much everyone loved Mr. Lehner.  Cheers   Rest In Peace and may peace be brought to your hearts soon. ❤️

Gary was one of a kind. He was always there to support...
always there with humor. Another good one gone to the Dream World.
My thoughts go to his family and loved ones.

So sorry to hear of your great loss.  I have been a close friend of Dennis since high school.  I see the similarity between these two brothers.  Our prayers go out to you Sharon, Dennis, and the entire Lehner family.  Blessings and comfort.Mike

I grieve with you all and wish Gary’s family and friends peace in countless happy memories of him. I got to know Gary at church and he had a strong and astutely reasoned faith. He showed the love of Christ in his hard work and unmitigated friendliness. He always made me feel good about myself and hopeful about whatever was to come. This world’s loss surely will be heaven’s gain.

Sharon & family,  We are so thankful to have known Gary and we always enjoyed his humor and smile.  Both of you were a great help at church.  My kids loved the Sunday's with cinnamon rolls after service.  We enjoyed working with you also and have missed you around here. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all.  Peace to you and yours.

We are so shocked and saddened to hear of Gary's passing. He was such a funny, kind and generous man. We have such great memories from St Luke's and from Mission Jamaica with Gary. Sharon, Kristen and family, we will keep you all in our hearts and prayers. We are both so very sorry for your loss. There just are no words. With all our love,
Scott and Sharon

Sad to hear of Gary' passing. I will remember him as the smiling face in church. I am sure he is smiling in heaven

We were on the HS football team together and I can appreciate his long term commitment to coaching youth sports and the benefits it gives the kids growing up. My condolences to his family, may peace be with you and the many friends who were lucky enough to be in his presence and honored by so many people. Bob Hurtt Southeast Buffaloes 68

We are sad about Gary passing on, he and Sharon were good friends to us and many more at St. Luke, Memphis.

I grieve with you all and wish Gary's family and friends peace in countless happy memories of him. I got to know Gary at church and he had a strong and astutely reasoned faith. He showed the love of Christ in his hard work and unmitigated friendliness. He always made me feel good about myself and hopeful about whatever was to come. This world's loss surely will be haven's gain.

Sharon and Family,
We are so very sad to hear of the passing of Gary. He was such a wonderful sweet man. Gary would always leave us laughing. St. Luke was a better place with all of you there. Rest in The arms of The Lord Gary. 
Dan and Sandi Oakley 
And family.

Sharon and family - this news was shocking to hear and my heart is deeply saddened.  Gary called on my company and we had many opportunities to eat lunch and talk about our families.  Gary was also a very close friend and fellow st Luke member.  We missed you both when you moved away but always hoped we would see you both again. I know now that heaven will be that place.  May God’s peace and comfort hold you tightly and know that Gary, you and your family were well loved.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Richard and I are both so saddened by losing Gary. And we are so sorry for his loss to your family. Sharon. And all of you.  Love and strength in Christ.
June and Richard Morgan

We’re so sorry for your loss. It’s really hard when this experience touches home. Our wish is for wonderful memories and peace for you and your family.

So sorry to hear about your loss.  We will be praying for the entire Lehner family that they find peace during this trying time.
Coach Lehner helped shape many young boys through his coaching.  I am proud to say I played for him.
You will be missed Sir.  
God bless you and the family.

Phil and I send our prayers for God's comfort at this for Sharon and family.

Sharon and family--
What a shock to see the news about Gary's passing.
I remember him with that chuckling smile and personality those few times we were together. My heart and prayers are with you.

Sharon and family,
It was an honour to know and work with Gary for the past 6 years at Grizzly. He was a truly positive and uplifting spirit, and had such a beautiful sense of humour.  I will think of him very often and will miss him indefinitely.
My deepest condolences to you all.

Sincerely,
Shelley Berar

Gary and I were very good friends during our High School and College days attending both Butler Junior College and The University of Kansas and stayed in contact over the years. Everyone loved Gary, a fun person to be around with a huge heart. He was so proud of his family it meant everything to him. I'm so sorry. I have posted this obit on our High School Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/groups/583435361752014/?ref=group_header

Wanted to again send you our most sincere condolences, and to let you know you are all in our thoughts and prayers.   Warm regards, Mike and Sheri Ward

Gary was a great friend and fun loving guy.  Fond memories from our high school days.  My prayers are for your family.

Dave and I were saddened to learn of Gary’s passing.  Gary and Sharon are some of the finest people we knew through St. Luke and we missed you so much!

To my dear friend and colleague. You will be missed but never forgotten. Your spirit and simle will always be in my memory and heart.

My deepest sympathy to your family.

Armen Singh

I had the pleasure of working with Gary at Grizzly Seals,  and looked forward to his visits "up North" .
He always had time to help , to talk and offer advice and I learned a lot from him about customers - and life !
Gary was truly a humble and giving man , and I - like all his coworkers - will miss him a lot . Especially his laugh .

Sharon Mark Margie and family, 
I’m so sad to hear this. He was such a nice man.  Prayers for you all in this time of sadness
Aunt Jean and Uncle Mike

My deepest condolences to the entire Lehner family. Gary was a wonderful man and I truly enjoyed working with him. My thoughts are with you all during this difficult time.
Amy McMurtry

I hit enter without including his daughter Kristin in my condolences

I will see Gary in heaven one of these days. I know he loved the Lord and his family.

My heart hurts so bad after reading of the passing of one of the finest men that I have ever known! We coached little league football together on the South Everett Chargers where I leaned on Gary for his knowledge of the game. He invited me to play with him in a church league, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, that I had a blast playing in! One of my greatest memories with Gary was during a football practice. We were trying to teach the men how to properly run a draw play. In the past I was a quarterback while Gary was a college lineman. In a draw the quarterback fakes a pass and hands off to the fullback for a run. While I did my part the best I could, as I handed the ball to Gary he completely ran me over! With stars in my eyes I asked him why did he do that to which he replied, if you're going to give the ball to a lineman then you need to realize the excitement we have. The kids got a huge laugh and I got one of my greatest memories. My deepest condolences to his wife Sharon and children Mark and Erin. I know you are now in heaven looking down on your family with nothing but love! RIP my friend!

Please accept my heartfelt sympathies for your loss. It is an honor to serve your family.

OBITUARY

Gary Alan Lehner

Passed away on 1 MAY, 2020

Thompson Funeral Chapel

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