Fergus Falls says goodbye to a local legend.
Hundreds packed First Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls to pay their final respects, to Gary Spies. Gary passed away January 11th at the age of 82. The Funeral Mass was moved to First Lutheran due to fire damage at Our Lady of Victory.
Former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer reflects on how Gary touched the hearts of many, “He was everything that we all, I think, would want to be. You couldn’t be around Gary and not be a better person for it. Just watching his example of how he treated his fellow human beings, I mean, he genuinely and deeply cared for other people. And he lived like that every day of his life. Every second of every day of his life.”
While Gary was a successful businessman, having taken over the Service Food grocery store from his parents in 1976, and worked on and with many companies and organizations in Fergus Falls, he was most known for his compassionate and giving heart. Schierer says, “There’s also so many ways, hundreds and hundreds of ways, that he was constantly touching people’s lives that nobody ever knew about. That’s what was so special about Gary. He was just so generous with not only his resources but his wisdom, his time, and just his energy, his compassion. He was just the most generous person I think any of us will have the pleasure of meeting.”
In honor of Gary’s legacy, Morning Talk on KBRF hosted a special Tribute Show this morning. Hosts Mary Dolan and Dave Bishop were joined by former Mayor Ben Schierer, M-State President Carrie Brimhall, former President and CEO of Otter Tail Power Company John McFarlane, and former Vice President of Otter Tail Power Company Mark Helland to talked about Gary’s life and the sense of community he left behind.
Click HERE for a link to the KBRF Morning Talk tribute show.