I have been so touched by emails I’ve gotten over the course of the last two months. Many have said what they thought of Gary and the impact he had on their lives. I felt it would be a wonderful thing to share what others thought of this man I loved so much and give some insight into why the last 14 years of my life have been so wonderful.

Gary could be shy when meeting a person, especially if they were male. Women he took to instantly and was more himself than with anyone else.

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I would love an address for gary’s mom, 2 sisters, you and your parents. I would like to write to his family and tell them how much gary meant to me and how  lucky i was to have met him, which was a true stoke of luck when you think about how random it is that we meet anybody

I have never taken to anyone with such ease. I have never heard anyone laugh so fully and with such joy. I have never been so grateful that someone “I didn’t need” showed up in my life……. and showed me wrong.

Sile Z

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Gary was a wonderful person, and I am glad to have known him in some way. Your love and care for each other was inspiring, and a gift + honor for me.

words fail me … just know that you are both loved by so many of us

David H

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I’m really sad to hear about Gary.  You guys had a powerful partnership. I have several happy memories of spending a night at your home in the mountains, with you and Gary and the dogs and chickens all bouncing around,  friends dropping in and out, the river casually singing as it passes by and the mountains overlooking everything with quiet satisfaction.  It was a wonderful quirky family space you’d created.

John S

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When I imagine myself in your shoes, I feel despair. Just a giant, sucking blackness, and nothingness so vast that I can’t even wrap my mind around it.  I very much envied the closeness between you two.  I think it is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed in my life.  To experience that is so rare and I am not sure which is worse- to feel as if you have lost it, or to never experience it at all.  For some ppl, to never experience it is to live with that empty nothingness always.

Lisa M

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You accepted Gary for who he really was. You took him in and gave him all the love and acceptance that anyone could ever hope for. His family may have given him life in the beginning but it was you who gave him life in the end.

Michelle P

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Thank you for being a wonderful loving friend, I knew when I first met you and Gary that the love the two of you have was something like I would hope to have in this lifetime, perhaps I will one day have someone who loves Me as much and a as great as you two have shared.

R. Genz

Tags: Death, family, Gary, Gary Tenace, gay, gay rights, GLBT Gay Lesbian Bi Trans