Gary Lucien Gartner

Gary was a proud fifth generation Houstonian, born on the 21st of September, 1946 to Dorothy Jean (Effinger) and Donald Heywood “Budde” Gartner. He was a graduate of Memorial High School class of 1964 and earned his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1969. In 1965, he met the love of his life, Susan Elizabeth (Isberg) Gartner. They married in 1967.

Gary was a self-described “Texas Boy” who loved sports, including golf, and was an avid fisherman. Susan cultivated in him a love of travel, starting with a reluctant vacation to New York City that flourished into semi annual trips to Paris throughout their marriage. They eventually found an apartment they loved to lease again and again, with a balcony view of the clustered chimneys and charming rooftops framing the most beautiful city in the world.

In 1982, Gary was one of the founding members of Space Services, Inc., a pioneering force in the race to privatize space. SSI was the first private company to launch a rocket into space carrying its own private satellite. Gary's initial efforts over 40 years ago persist today through programs such as Name A Star and Celestis, the successor to SSI, offering memorial spaceflights for cremains or DNA to various destinations including Earth's atmosphere, Earth orbit, the moon, and deep space.

Throughout his life, Gary nurtured his love of the outdoors. Gary loved the summers he and Susan spent at Martin’s Ranch in New Mexico, where they forged some of their most long lasting and beloved relationships. He nurtured his love of fishing, taking trips to Padre with Glen and her family and organizing fishing trips with friends, all of whom tell story after story; unbelievable hauls, trout that got away, and how Gary turned fishing into an opportunity to exercise one of his other passions: philanthropy.

Gary had a gift for being inspired and sharing that inspiration with others. When he lost his brother Don, Gary committed to carrying forth Don’s charitable legacy into the future. His neighbor and mentor David Hannah Jr. helped to focus and expand this effort. Gary went on to inspire others, tirelessly linking helpers to causes. He was a catalyst and a connector with an innate sense of how to fit a motivation with a need.

He devoted several years to Habitat for Humanity, helping to lead the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Houston in 1998 when 4,000 volunteers built 100 homes in one week. His work with Habitat ultimately led to his greatest volunteer passion, Houston schools.

From a humble start packing shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for school children, Gary helped build a coalition that developed Wraparound Services, a community school initiative that supplied services to thousands of children and families at HISD. As of last year, that initiative comprised over 300 full-time staff and has resulted in an estimated 1.7 million interactions with students to provide them services.

Gary was a believer in the power of possibility. When people pointed out a roadblock, Gary would say, “Don’t say it can’t be done. Believe it can be done and work on figuring out how.” Gary embraced every challenge as an opportunity, every setback as a lesson, and every success as a chance to uplift others. Gary will be remembered as a champion of positivity, hope, and belief in your own power to change the world. If living life well means leaving the world better than you found it, then Gary lived the very best life.

Gary is preceded in death by his brother, Donald Heywood Gartner, Jr.; Sister-in-law Meredith Ingram Gartner, and sister-in-law Christine Smith. He is survived by his wife Susan; sister, Glen Gartner Waltrip; brother, Harvey Gartner; brother-in-law Blair Waltrip, sister-in-law Katherine Isberg Turner, brother-in-law Greg Turner, brother-in-law John Isberg, sister-in-law Linda Isberg, along with 7 Gartner and 6 Isberg nieces and nephews and 8 Gartner and 15 Isberg great nieces and nephews. Gary is also survived by his adoring dogs Sadie and Annie.

We would like to thank all of Gary’s family, friends and caregivers for filling the past 6 months with good conversations, storytelling, laughter, and even tears.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Gary from four o’clock in the afternoon until six o’clock in the evening on Thursday, the 28th of March, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 29th of March, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, where Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr. is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in Gary’s memory may be directed to The Gary Gartner Scholastic Fund, YMCA of Greater Houston Endowment Foundation, P.O. Box 3007, Houston, TX 77253 or online at https://ymcahouston.org/give-form; or to a charity of one's choice.

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