Gary Spies (Left: Olson Funeral Home. Right: Lake Region Healthcare)
Fergus Falls, MN – Last Saturday (January 11th), the Fergus Falls community lost an incredible man. Gary Spies, longtime owner of Service Food and a pillar of the community, passed away at the age of 82.
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.”
Due to the fire at Our Lady of Victory Church earlier this week, Gary will be put to rest following a Mass of Christian Burial service at First Lutheran Church at 1 p.m. Monday, January 20th, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m.
In honor of Gary’s legacy, Morning Talk on KBRF will be hosting a special Tribute Show Monday, starting right away at 9:10 a.m. Hosts Mary Dolan and Dave Bishop will be joined by former Mayor Ben Schierer, former President and CEO of Otter Tail Power Company John McFarlane, and former Vice President of Otter Tail Power Company Mark Helland to talk about Gary’s life and the sense of community he left behind.
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