Gary Bastarache
August 12th, 2013
He left us way too early. Gary leaves behind his wife Christine, whose marriage was built on love, laughter, friendship, respect and trust. Also Christine’s two sons Joseph (v) and Anthony, wife Ashley, granddaughter Bailie, Grandson Camden. He treated them as they were his own. Gary’s father Walter and his mother Grace sadly said goodbye to their only son. He loved you both dearly. Two sisters April (AL) son Jake, Jeffery Cheryl (Jim) Kirk, Brooke and Rachel. Gary’s son Andrew (Amanda) whom he talked about endlessly and loved every day of his life. Granddaughter Ava who sadly will never get to know what an amazing and wonderful man her grandpa was.
Gary’s life was about being positive even when it was really hard. Loving his family and friends and not judging, making sure there was laughter in everyday of his life and others.
Gary had another true love aside from his wife Christine and that was the love of playing his guitar with his friends in the Straight Goods Band with Ed (Susan) Dave (Mary) and Lydia anytime anywhere. Gary loved playing the Giggle Dam New Year’s Eves with his Giggle Dam family. He loved you all.
Gary loved to play MechWarrior with Dave Mc . Gary didn’t have a hands free phone so I taped the phone to his head, we laughed about it for days and it still puts a smile on my face.
Many thanks to all at the Langley Memorial Hospital Dr. Adamson and the hospice team for giving me all the things I needed so Gary could pass at home as he had wished and I was proud to do.
And a special thanks to all the posties who were there and still are, Gary would have been very pleased.
By Gary’s request there will not be a service but at a later date we will have a celebration of life.
Thank you Gary for being my shining star, my angel and my knight in shining armor, with all my love, your wife, Christine.
Messages:
What a wonderful friend Gary was to me! Great guitarist, good sense of humour and he put up with April and I so much without even a snarl. Meet you on the other side my friend. Love and hugs b
Goodbye Gary! Thank you for being a part of our family, an Uncle to our daughters, an angel with a gift of music, a comedian, a storyteller, and so much more but mostly for being such a great friend, always. Christine, thankyou for bringing so much joy and happiness into Gary's life, god knows he deserved it. He never let us forget how much he loved you and the family you you shared with him. I hope all of the Angel's he now resides with enjoy his company as much as we did. God bless....
Truly saddened to hear of Garys passing. He was a great guy wonderful guitar player. Remembering the times in Base Borden our band St.Vitis playing at 0-61 hanging and enjoying our teen years. Thanks for the memories Gary you where one of the great ones and will be remembered for the joy you brought to others.
So many good memories of Gary. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to Base Borden and was never without his guitar. I saw him again at one of the school reunions and he was as funny and engaging as ever. His tributes reflect a man who was loved by all and that includes those of us who knew him as a teenager in Borden. My condolences to his sisters and to his wife and family. May he rest in peace.
Christine & everyone who wants to come...we are having a little celebration of life for Gary tomorrow from 1-4 at the Cloverdale Legion. This is put on by all of Gary's postie friends. Christine...I just realized that this might be the only way to get a hold of you so I hope this gets to you!! Sue
I hung out with Gary (Crew as he was known back then) as teenagers back in the late 60s in Borden. Played in a band with him and was amazed at his musical talent. He was a great guy and I have nothing but fond memories. Rock on Crew.
"Quickly"... Will miss those infamous words before your wonderful stories my friend. Gary's wit, humour and laughter will forever bring big smiles & chuckles to me. His gift of playing guitar - scatting with his trusty strat with eyes closed - will be forever etched in my mind. He truly mesmerized me with his playing. Watching him & Ed come up with our own Straight Goods twist on music was enlightening and often educational beyond belief. The 'mojo' we had was, and is, the bond that we will have forever. Feel so fortunate to have known this man & the wonderful wife he met, Christine. She is an absolute angel....now she her own. Love and miss you buddy. Play on Twanger, Mr. Jiggs has missed you....
I am so sorry to hear about Gary. Gary was a wonderful human being who was full of kindness and understanding. He was one of the first people I met when first started my career working with Canada Post. It was a difficult time for me and Gary...well...you know him....was right there making me feel better. In a way...he was my "rock" when I needed one and was finding myself in tears due to frustrations and harsh learning curves. I thank you Gary from the bottom of my heart for helping me through some rough times. You will be sorely missed.
Gary, I told my sister I wanted a man just like you, and that I was jealous that she met such a wonderful guy. Gary where ever you may be I will always remember the smile you put on my sisters face and no one will ever take that from her. I know your love for Christine is genuine. Chrissy, Thank you for bringing such a wonderful guy into our family, Gary's laughter and the love of music was very special. when we would get together for holidays at tinas house some of US would congregate into one of the boys room and listen to Gary play the guitar and sing. Gary is my sisters night in shinning armer, angel. You will be truly missed but never forgotten thank you again Gary for the light you shinned on all of US......Father god please take good care of Gary "oh yea I was wondering how the fence came loose but I think I know how. A Picture is worth a thousand words. your sister Jessica
I had the pleasure of knowing Gary for many years. What an extremely popular guy and a very talented one as well. He was a great musician and many might not know what a tremendous athlete he was. We had so many laughs over the years at the post office and on the golf course. Gary was also the MC at my wedding. My wife Billie and I could not have chosen a better person to MC. Gary went above and beyond the call of duty and did everything to make the day very special for us. Gary will be missed by so many people. Condolences to Christine and family.
Big hugs for you Christine. I was so upset to hear the news that Gary had passed. He was truly one of a kind. I will miss watching him play with his band and I will especially miss the way he could tell a story! He would always say -to make a long story short- but it would still end up being a long story and yet I would still enjoy every word. He had so many friends who loved him, who will miss him, and who will never forget him. We were all blessed to have known him.
Dear Christine, We are sooo sorry to hear of Gary's passing. What a wonderful man who loved life. We truly enjoyed the little time we had with him. So positive and fun. You will be in our thoughts and prayers as you embark on this new walk in life. Our love to you, Ron and Nettie
I am deeply saddened and still fighting the anger over Gary's passing. I met Gary soon after Chrissy and Gary started dating. We spent the day chatting it up and watching Final Destination. I thank you Gary for all the happiness you brought my sister. Gary was an amazing and talented man we lost way too early. It was an honor to be there during Gary's final time. I met so many amazing family, friends, and neighbors of Gary and Chrissy. He is truly loved and greatly missed. I am grateful Gary left me his amazing smile. My thoughts are with you Chrissy, I am always here for you. Much love, Angel
My dear sister-in-law, Christine, I can't begin to imagine how you got through this ordeal and wish I could have been there to support you. Gary was the greatest brother a little sister could have and my role model in the truest sense. He taught me the basics of honesty, respect and of course, practice makes perfect, as we all know from his legendary ability to play guitar. I would compare him to Jimi Hedrix on stage, Nolan Ryan on the mound and probably Wayne Gretzky on the ice. His family, old and new, meant the world to him and he wished he could have spent more time with them all. Luckily he had you to ground him and keep him safe. Thank you for making it possible for him to leave us with dignity surrounded by those he cherished most. I am sure Mr. Jiggs will be very happy to see him. We send you more love than you know and our eternal gratitude for the selfless care you gave him till the end. I am sure he is now your guardian angel and looking after all his nieces and nephews and grandchild, Ava, and anytime you hear a Jimi Hendrix song, he's probably up there jamming with him. We are anxiously looking forward to seeing you when you are able to make the trip out our way. May your memories keep you warm at night and the wonderful times you shared keep him alive forever in your heart. And when you look up at the sky tonight, look for the brightest star up there, because that will be him. Cheryl, Jim and family.
Hey you got a minute, point of interest, ………….. Gary had such humility, he always made you feel special and gave you his full attention. “A great man is always willing to be little.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Gary’s life can be measured by all the friends and family who loved him. His passing has left a whole, that will be felt for a long time. I will miss Gary’s wonderful guitar playing, with his eyes closed, watching and listening to the music flow out of him was a pleasure. The loving and brave way that Christine cared for Gary is a testament to the man and their strong love for each other. Good bye my friend.
Hey you got a minute, point of interest, ………….. Gary had such humility, he always made you feel special and gave you his full attention. “A great man is always willing to be little.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Gary’s life can be measured by all the friends and family who loved him. His passing has left a whole, that will be felt for a long time. I will miss Gary’s wonderful guitar playing, with his eyes closed, watching and listening to the music flow out of him was a pleasure. The loving and brave way that Christine cared for Gary is a testament to the man and their strong love for each other. Good bye my friend.
Chris, we are so sorry to learn of Gary's death. You two always looked so happy together, as stated previously, it was evident your were greatly loved.
Hi Christine Although I didn't know Gary well whenever I did bump into him in our condo complex he was always so upbeat and cheerful. One could tell that you were the love of his life and the bond you shared was a beautiful thing. He was such a talented musician. I was lucky to see him play at that little pub and was blown away. I like to think he is up there playing his guitar for the angels...
Thank you Christine. It is so sad. Gary was a great guy and a wonderful character to be around from the moment I met him. His humility always struck me. As a guitarist he blew me away with his knowledge and ability yet he would always say "I wish I could play like you Brad" ... he could play circles around me in his sleep yet he was the kind of guy to always praise anyone but himself. So I'd just like to say "That guy could really play". You could tell he loved it. I hope he gets a smile out of that. I had and always will have a great respect for him as both a player and a person. One of the rare really good guys. I will miss him very much. All the best and much love.
I feel so lucky that Gary was a part of my life. He inspired me. He made me laugh. Gary was generous to a fault. He always put others first. His guitar playing was unique. He played solos like he told his stories. A real professional when it came to playing gigs. Gary would invariably make me smile with a clever guitar part. Private jokes between us on stage. I will really miss that. I will miss him.
To Christine; You supported Gary in all of his last wishes, and no one could have loved him more, or done more for him in the end, I know because I witnessed it myself and he told me. Since he made it a priority to capture on camera and film many of his happiest moments in life, they will now bring comfort and joy to us. He will be forever in my heart. To Gary; May the music of the angels Be the sweet sounds that you hear. As you're rocked in heaven's cradle May you never shed another tear. I'll wear your memory proudly, My only brother...my true friend. May my love for you reach heaven above Until we meet again. Love, April
Anna and I will miss Gary very much, what I remember the most about Gary was that man he could talk, I would find a way to get out of a conversation with him. Now I will miss the sound of his voice telling how much he liked my Harley. Chrissy you were very very lucky to have such a great person in your life and he will be missed greatly by all of us...I love you and cant wait to see you Your Brother Tony
Christine, I hope that you remember me....I am Tammy's cousin, Luetta. We have attended all the birthday parties held at Ashley and Anthony, and now Tammy's home in Smith Valley. It was a blessing to know Gary the short time I did and the few times I saw him. It was very apparent how much he loved and cared for Anthony, Ashley and of course Bailie and Kamden. May God keep you close as He welcomes Gary home. Enjoy your time with Anthony and Ashley and the kiddos. Hugs and God bless you, Christine. Luetta Mann
Hi Christine, I was greatly saddened to hear of Gary's passing. I loved watching and listening to him play guitar. He was a fantastic player, very inventive, quite an inspiration. He will be sorely missed. Steve
To my beloved brother-in-law, Brian and I will miss you, you were truly an amazing guy who Brought laughter to our hearts (even when you talked too much). I want to thank you for giving my sister what she has always needed, Love. You will be in our hearts always. We miss you Jennifer and Brian Johnson
God Bless you Christine! My Love,Prayers, and thoughts have been with you and Gary for months. Ashley called the day Gary passed away.We all cried and felt very blessed to know Gary.My memories will be Gary and his video camera:) Always capturing the moments in life. Feel very blessed to know you were greatly LOVED by a WONDERFUL man. He truely cared and loved you Christine. That was very evident.My Love and hugs til I see you:)
Sorry to hear about Crew. I just happened to be thinking of him and April from our Borden days.