Gary Eyerly
October 03, 2015
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Service Details
Gary Lynn Eyerly
Johnston
Gary Lynn Eyerly, 77, died Sunday, October 4, 2015 at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, October 8 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa. Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 9 at Union Park United Methodist Church, 2305 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa with burial at Oakwood Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.
Gary, son of Ralph and Jean Eyerly, was born December 9, 1937 in Macksburg, Iowa. Upon graduation from Macksburg High School, he felt called to enlist in the U.S. Army where he served two years in Germany as a court reporter. After his service, he graduated from UNI (then known as Iowa State Teachers College). Later he received his Masters Degree in Education and Specialists Degree in Administration from Drake University. He began his teaching career in Omaha in 1962. Upon moving to Des Moines, he taught Business at Roosevelt High School. Gary was then Vice Principal at Weeks Middle School, Vice Principal at East High School and Principal at Hiatt Middle School before retiring in 2003. He also worked part time at Sears Credit Central for many years.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1958 Gary married his childhood sweetheart, Beverly Wood. They would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary this year. Gary and Bev were blessed with three daughters, Jody, Pam, and Angie. As the girls were growing up, they enjoyed many family vacations together. A favorite was the annual fishing trip to Leech Lake in Minnesota that now includes spouses and grandchildren.
Gary was a role model for his family, students, and coworkers. He was generous, courageous, and selfless. His loving concern was always for everyone else. He enjoyed coaching his daughters’ youth athletic teams, and after his retirement, volunteering with his church friends for Bidwell Riverside. Many evenings and weekends were spent watching his daughters’ sporting events and activities at East High School and later his grandchildren’s at Johnston High School. Tailgating and attending Iowa State games were favorite events. Gary and Bev enjoyed many travel experiences in the United States and abroad with their sisters and husbands as well as with good friends.
Faith was an important part of Gary’s life. He was a long time member of Union Park United Methodist Church and enjoyed singing in the choir and in the congregation. He felt God’s presence through all of his health struggles and demonstrated courage and determination to get well.
Gary is survived by his loving wife, Bev, and his three daughters, Jody Bass (Doug), Pam Schultz (Rick), and Angie Nichol (Steve) all of Johnston, Iowa; his ten grandchildren, Ryan Bass, Nick Bass (Christina), Eric Bass, Sarah Kleen (TJ), Aaron Schultz, Alissa Schultz, Katelyn Schultz, Alex Nichol, Austin Nichol and Abby Nichol; his three sisters, Carol Shinn, Marge Eyerly, Lois Pals (Dale); his sisters-in-law, Judy Cameron, Janet Carlson (Ernie), and Barb Buckles; many other supportive and loving extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Jean Eyerly, his mother-in-law, Marie Wood Groomes, and his brothers-in-law, Jerry Shinn, Ken Buckles, and Richard Cameron.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Union Park United Methodist Church, the American Cancer Society, or a charity of choice.
Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com
Heather Clinton, former teacher at Amos Hiatt Midd
03/13/2021
Dear Family,
I've been searching for Gary to check in on him and see how he's doing on and off for years. I'm so sorry to find that he has passed. My sincerest sympathies for your great loss. He was so wonderful. He was fantastic with our kids and staff and treated everyone with kindness and had pure joy for each person's success; even the small ones. He let me run free to provide programs for the kids and fostered my love of creating and developing kids and people into who they want to be and to dream higher than they ever believed possible.
Gary was not only my boss, but my mentor and friend. I will truly miss him.
Sending so much love to you and your family. He always spoke so lovingly of family.
Wishing you all the best.
With Love,
Heather
612-351-0111
palscollaborative@gmail.com
Judy Burns
10/09/2015
Though seventeen years have passed since I left Amos Hiatt, thoughts of Gary sometimes pop into my mind. These memories have a common thread-- Gary's caring, compassionate nature with its underlying gentle humor. I am grateful to have had a decade working for this remarkable man. My thoughts and prayers are with Bev and family.
Allan Demorest
10/08/2015
Gary was truly a fine man and a fine principal who took responsibility for his school and his students. My deepest sympathy to his wife and family.
Judy Davis
10/08/2015
So sorry to hear of your loss. We had been praying for Gary a long time in BSF. it was an honor to do so. Know your faith will carry you through this rough time. It is a new journey, Bev and Jodie, but God is faithful and will be there every step of the way. Hugs to you both.
Ken Wilcox
10/07/2015
Bev, we are so sorry for your loss. I will remember Gary as an outstanding student and athlete in high school, but even more in the positive way he related to his peers. He was a role model to me then and continued to be as I followed his career as a teacher and school administrator. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Ken and Lottie Wilcox
John Logsdon
10/07/2015
What a great human being and loss for us all. I worked with Gary for 30+ years at DMPS, the last two years as a teacher at Hiatt. He was a caring person who always saw the positive side of any situation. If I was in Des Moines, I would attend the services. It was an honor to know him.
George Elliott
10/07/2015
To the Eyerly family . I was so sorry to hear about Gary . Gary was a great person and a great neighbor !
Laura Folsom
10/07/2015
To the eyerly family,,I am so very sorry for your loss. What a cool guy, just so full of love and patients. What a steller man, loving, father, my deepest sympathy.
Daniel McCain
10/06/2015
Gary was a special person I had the great opportunity to work for as a teacher at Hiatt Middle School. He was a kind person that cared about his staff, students and family. I wish his family well and may God bless you.
John Morgan
10/06/2015
Many years ago, Gary was enrolled in my classes. He was always a good, diligent student and much more. He was a natural leader; a leader who led as much by his actions as his words. He constantly demonstrated his intelligence and integrity. His capacity to lead held sway in the classroom as well as the basketball court and baseball field. It was certainly no surprise that Gary carried those same qualities through his entire life. No doubt Bev and the family have lost much, but there is great consolation in remembering that Gary's example has been a great gift, not only to his family, but to countless others as well. John Morgan
Jim & Calleen Kerner
10/06/2015
Bev and Family we wish to extend our deepest sympaties on the passing of Gary, he was a great insperation in our lives, he will never leave our hearts. May God be with you at this time. Calleen & Jim
Ruth (Dovin) Lunsford
10/06/2015
I am so very sorry for your loss. I worked with Gary at Sears Credit for many years. Gary was so loved by all of us. I write this with tears falling as I can not tell you how much I thought of him. He was such a gentle soul that knew how to make everybody around him feel valued. He made work enjoyable, and he sure did know how to make us laugh.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends.
Rest in Peace Gary. I will hold my memories of working with you close to my heart as I have done all these years. You were truly one of a kind and I am so very blessed you touched my life.
Rich Safris
10/06/2015
Gary has just left us but the truth is with Garys passing I feel the loss of a generation of principals who understood teaching and teachers. A generation that depended on the human factor to get the job done that didnt need to look in the manual to do what was right or give a test to determine if kids were learning. Gary listened more than he talked, did more than he thought, and supported his teachers even when it hurt. If he wasnt standing between you and trouble you could be sure he had your back. In short Gary was a man whose actions spoke louder than his words a rare commodity in education these days.
Gary Eyerly was my principal at Hiatt Middle School, what passes for a fairly tough middle school in Des Moines Iowa. Hiatt is a high poverty school , with lots of other problems piled on top. He hired experienced teachers because he knew the job and he wanted teachers who needed a challenge and wanted to work in an inner city school. He didnt take the left over teachers we so often hear that are found in inner city schools and in doing so he assembled a staff that stayed and worked together often in difficult situations. I remember during my interview to be hired at Hiatt I said, this is where I want to be. and his almost immediate answer was , You're hired. His leadership was quiet but firm, in short he was a principled principal . He believed in leadership, he believed in discipline, he believed in his teachers and the kids they worked with. He made teaching fun even when it was anything but fun. He always seemed to be there when you needed him and on the other side of the coin I believe his teachers were there for him when he needed them.
Oh, he was human of that there is no doubt, He could be angry but it usually ended with a laugh. He made mistakes two memorable ones, one occurred when he casually threw a box of candy into the bleachers during an assembly trying to give it away but instead caused a 5 minute melee. Apparently because all those middle school kids were in a permanent state of starvation. And most memorably for me was when shortly after hip replacement surgery he was kidding with a kid about who was fastest and then threw down his crutches and raced a kid down the hall , just because. Later he said that little race set him back about a month in his recovery.
He always had something for his teachers on teacher appreciation day and yet he didnt need to because we knew we were appreciated.
I guess the easiest way to say it is, he understood that in education and life , You get what you give He gave compassion, understanding, and strength to all of his teachers and students. (there may have been a few exceptions in the student area) I hope we gave it back
Rest in Peace Gary what you had is what we so dearly need in modern education and yet can no longer seem to find. You will be missed here on Earth but Im guessing that heavenly baseball team can always use a home-run hitter with a 750 average.and the newspaper clippings to prove it!
Gary Marchant
10/06/2015
Shortly after moving to Des Moines to attend college, I worked part-time with Gary at Sears Credit. He was a great & caring man with good sense of humor.
Alyce Burnett
10/05/2015
Feel our Lord's presence and peace in your hearts as He is glorified through it all. We at BSF lift your entire family up at this time of loss.
What an example of a Godly father Gary was...as he modeled our heavenly Father's love on this earth!