Gary Manning Held

Gary Manning Held, 70, of Oklahoma City, passed away October 24, 2022 following a stroke. He was born July 15, 1952 to Carl and Rita Held. He grew up in a large Catholic family that included brothers Billy, Mark, Brad, and Tim and their sister Tina.

The following is life according to Gary so all facts and details should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. Growing up, he attended Saint Pat’s grade school where he made quite a name for himself. His time there included what he described as daily “wood shampoo’s” that consisted of the nuns using their rulers to deliver corporal punishment, which were probably much deserved. Growing up in a large family often leads to a survival of the fittest mentality. A childhood treat included a walk to the local grocery store after he saved up enough money to purchase a full-size box of Cheese-Its for himself. As you can imagine the Cheese-Its had to be consumed entirely before returning home as anarchy would surely ensure if they had to be shared. Gary attended high school at Northwest Classen where he wrestled, formed lifelong friendships, and met his future wife, Judy. While in high school he earned the nickname, Shark from his time working at the local pool hall. Some of his close friends still called him that to the day he died. He attended Central State University for a short period of time, but eventually his creative side became too strong of a pull, and he left to become a carpenter and later a hairdresser to the stars of Oklahoma City for the next forty years. Shortly after his brief stint in college, Gary and Judy married in 1972. They had two children, Buck and Calley.

He was known in his younger years for his “Hollywood” good looks. This led to some local modeling gigs as well as an audition for the movie Last of the Mohicans. The issue with this audition was that Gary was not Native American, however the sizable part specifically stated the actor must be an authentic Native American. Gary was not deterred, he showed up for the audition with his long hair, tanned skin and went for it. His creativity not only extended to his career of hairdressing it also included many hobbies. He renovated his hair salon that he worked at on Western Avenue for over thirty years as well as his family residence where his children were raised. He often built customized parts for his Harley motorcycles or Jeep. Some projects went well and others did not. As often is the case with creativity the attention is lost in the details. While he was an expert furniture builder, one could not be bothered with exact measurements. This led to a bed he designed for Calley’s room that would not fit through the front door to get it into the house. This was just a minor hindrance. It’s safe to say emotions ran high which often led to Gary’s innate ability to combine some of the most colorfully explicit words and phrases you’ve likely never heard. He quickly sawed the bed in half and miraculously it fit through the front door. An avid do it yourselfer, he slightly overextended himself at times. This included (but let’s be honest is probably not limited to) the chopping down of a tree that did not fall the way it was supposed to, the creation of a basketball goal that was four inches too high because why buy the kit with the pole in it when you can make your own, and changing one’s own oil that did not go as planned and ended up costing a lot more money than necessary due to the crushing of his high dollar Georgio Armani glasses…..this would be the last time he ever changed his own oil.

While he loved all food, his first choice would always be a Frito Chili pie, hot links from OnCue, and wings from Hooters much to the detriment of his stomach. His other weakness were Uncle Billy’s chocolate chip cookies. On one such occasion, he hid a batch from his family under his bed, so that they would not have to be shared. He did not account for the fact that a certain English Bulldog named Gabby would later find these cookies and devour every single one of them.

His creativity extended to other passions as well. In young adulthood he was an avid boxer and participated in several martial arts. He had a brown belt in both Taekwondo and Aikido, and enjoyed bodybuilding. He would watch self-defense videos and practice his new moves on Buck and his unsuspecting friends. If you ever surprised or tried to scare him, he was known to deliver a roundhouse boot to the chest from time to time….and he would not take lip from anyone! Gary also loved Rock and Roll music. He loved going to concerts and playing his music loud. He even played three different instruments over his life time, but none very well. Some of you may have received a happy birthday saxophone rendition in the late 80s-early 90s that was a few keys off….but hey it was the thought that counted. Gary will be remembered for all of the hilarious and outlandish stories and shenanigans he got himself into that we all know and love.

How do you sum up a man like Gary Held. He lived life to the fullest, unapologetically with reckless abandonment at times, which eventually took its toll on him both physically and mentally over the last 8-10 years of his life. He battled with some mental health issues that may have caused him to burn some bridges and fray some relationships along the way. I truly believe if he was here with us today fully restored of mind, body, and soul, he would make amends with some of you that he lost touch or fell out of favor with. Gary was far from perfect like most of us, but he never pretended to be. He was fiercely loyal to his friends and family, and he demanded that same loyalty back. He would be the first to volunteer to help a friend in need. Gary should most be remembered for treating everyone equally and with respect regardless of background or social standing. He could command a room full of people far more successful in business and public stature than himself, but he was probably more at home conversing with the cashier at his local 7-11…..which he frequently brought plates of food up to when they worked on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. He will be greatly missed by all.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Judy Held; son Buck Held (Reagan); daughter Calley Duty (Derek); brother Bill Held (Patricia); brother Mark Held (Yvette); sister Tina Gentry (Steve); sister-in-law Suzie Jenkinson; sister-in-law Cindy Graves (Greg); along with many nieces and nephews. His most treasured moments were spent with his grandchildren Halston, Hudson, and Harrison Held and Naomi Duty. His heavenly welcoming committee included his parents, Carl and Rita Held, his younger brothers, Brad and Tim Held, nieces, Stephanie Jenkinson and Nicole Gentry, his brother-in-law, Steve Jenkinson and one of his best friends, John Hardwick.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Gary's name to Elara Hospice or the nonprofit of your choice.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00pm, November 21, 2022, at the Church of the Servant, 14343 North Macarthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73142.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.billmerrittfuneralservice.com for the Held family.