Gary Allan Elliott, age 78 of Charles City, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, November 25, 2022, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer at MercyOne North Iowa Hospice Inpatient Care in Mason City.
A funeral mass for Gary will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Charles City with Reverend Tom Heathershaw officiating. Burial will be at Sunnyside Memory Gardens in rural Charles City at a later date next summer.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 pm on Friday, December 2, 2022, at Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home in Charles City and will continue one hour before the funeral mass at the church on Saturday.
Gary was born on July 13, 1944, in Charles City, the son of Laurence “Bud” and Blanche (Rouse) Elliott. The youngest of four children, Gary enjoyed growing up on the farm outside of Colwell, Iowa.
Gary received most of his education at the school in Colwell until it closed. He completed his high school education by graduating from Charles City High School in 1963. While in high school, Gary enjoyed playing basketball and baseball.
After high school, Gary worked on the farm for a while until he began working at White Farm Equipment. However, in 1965, he joined the army to help the war in Vietnam. Although he never left the United States, Gary trained soldiers in Communications before they were sent to fight. He was honorably discharged in July of 1967 and went back to his job at White Farm. He retired due to the closure of White Farm Equipment in 1993.
On September 13, 1969, Gary married the love of his life, Mary Heying, in Alta Vista. To this union, they were blessed with three children, Emily, Colby, and Joshua. They resided in North Washington until 1977 when they moved to Charles City.
Gary was an avid lover of all sports whether he was participating, coaching, umpiring or just attending as a spectator. You could regularly hear him cheering on the Chicago Cubs or the Iowa Hawkeyes from his living room chair. He was an avid hunter with his brother, Mel, his sons, nephews, many cousins and his grandson. He regularly hunted turkey, pheasants, deer, and coon as well until an accident in 1971. After the kids came along, he coached girls’ softball and became an umpire for high school softball and baseball until his knees couldn’t handle it anymore. In the summers, you could usually find him on a golf course until about five years ago when he finally put the clubs away for good. Gary was a regular spectator and enjoyed attending all of the grandkid’s events including choir and band concerts, Christmas programs, dance recitals and all sporting events. During the weekdays, you could regularly find him playing cards with his sister and friends.
Gary is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary, his children, Emily (Chris) Lane of New Hampton, Colby (Darcie) Elliott of Charles City and Joshua (Sarah) Elliott of Ames; 11 grandchildren: Tanner, Mason, Koryn, Ashten, Ava, Makenna, Emma, Nolan, Taylor, Enora and Calvin; one sister, Laurna Schlader of Charles City, and one sister-in-law, Arlie Wilson of Charles City; along with many nieces and nephews.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Blanche Elliott, two brothers, Mel and Ken Elliott, a brother-in-law, Gene Schlader, and two sisters-in-law, Darlene and Arlene Elliott.
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