Obituary for Gary Leon Laird
Gary Leon Laird was born in Tipton, OK on March 6, 1935. He was the middle child of 5 born to Mitchell and Floye Hasley Laird. He had three sisters, Janet, Carol, and Helen, and 1 brother, David. They all attended school at Tipton. Gary had polio after his Junior year at Tipton. His parents were told by the physicians that he might never walk again, but those doctors didn’t know Gary’s determination and grit. Not only did he walk again, he returned to the football field and the Tipton Tigers won their first state championship that year. Gary was the first college graduate in the family and one by one each of his siblings followed his lead. He and his brother both attended college on football scholarships and Gary started every game except the first one. He received his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree at SWOSU at Weatherford. This began a long career of teaching science classes and coaching football, basketball, and track in western Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Gary and his wife Jean had a son, Scott, daughter Gayla and 2 infant daughters. Gary moved to Hollis in 1994. There he met Joreta Burge. After dating 2 ½ years, they married in 1996. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at a very young age and was always active in churches everywhere he lived. He taught Sunday school classes, drove vans for children and senior adults, and loved to sing in the choir.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents, the mother of his children Jean, 2 infant daughters, his son Scott, his sisters Carol Parks, Janet Yager, Helen Honsinger, and their husbands, and his brother David.
He is survived by his wife Joreta, daughter Gayla, 3 grandsons, 1 granddaughter, 3 great grandchildren, 3 stepsons and their families, many nieces and nephews and many friends.
The Laid family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2020, Harmon County Funeral Home, Hollis, Oklahoma.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 20, 2020, at First Baptist Church, Hollis, Oklahoma with an interment to follow at Fairmount Cemetery, Hollis, Oklahoma.
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Gary and his wife Jean had a son, Scott, daughter Gayla and 2 infant daughters. Gary moved to Hollis in 1994. There he met Joreta Burge. After dating 2 ½ years, they married in 1996. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at a very young age and was always active in churches everywhere he lived. He taught Sunday school classes, drove vans for children and senior adults, and loved to sing in the choir.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents, the mother of his children Jean, 2 infant daughters, his son Scott, his sisters Carol Parks, Janet Yager, Helen Honsinger, and their husbands, and his brother David.
He is survived by his wife Joreta, daughter Gayla, 3 grandsons, 1 granddaughter, 3 great grandchildren, 3 stepsons and their families, many nieces and nephews and many friends.
The Laid family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2020, Harmon County Funeral Home, Hollis, Oklahoma.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 20, 2020, at First Baptist Church, Hollis, Oklahoma with an interment to follow at Fairmount Cemetery, Hollis, Oklahoma.
To send flowers in memory of Gary Leon Laird, visit the Tribute Store.
Previous Events
Funeral
Saturday
21
Nov
2:00 PM
First Baptist Church
201 E. Jones Street
Hollis, OK 73550
Cemetery Details
Location
Fairmount Cemetery
Hollis, Oklahoma
Hollis, OK 73550
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