Gary was born on March 2, 1944, in Dighton, Kansas, to Delmar Mumma and Juanita Watkins. His formative years were spent on the farm, where he was raised by Delmar and his stepmother, Helen.
He left western Kansas to attend business school, where he discovered his love of sales and working with customers. That started a long retail career that ended with him being the go-to person for opening new stores and rescuing ailing ones throughout the Midwest for the Gordmans’ chain.
Gary was a loving and generous husband, father, brother and friend. He helped raise many of the people in his extended family, supporting them in many different ways and never thinking but the best about them. To his neighbors, he was the person who mowed their yards in summer or shoveled their driveways in winter. He made amends for the one mean thing he ever did – yell at one of his young employees – by marrying her May 11, 1985, and spending the happiest decades of his life with her.
Gary was preceded in death by his father Delmar and his stepmother, Helen; his mother Juanita and his step-father, Robert DeMent; sister Kay; and step-brothers Robert and Larry. He is survived by Sarah, his beloved wife of 35 years; sons Garrett (Angie, Taj and Zinash), Ft. Collins, CO; and Aaron (Sage, Dighton, Chase) Mumma, Cincinnati, OH; siblings Vickie (Johnny) James, Manhattan, KS; Dan (Chris) Mumma, Dighton, Kan.; Michael (Linda Collier) DeMent, Leawood, KS; and by many others, including nieces and nephews, who loved him dearly and will miss him greatly.
