Gary William Northrup

Gary William Northrup of Valrico, Florida passed away peacefully Wednesday March 12, 2025 at the age of 65. Born in Dubuque, Iowa on August 24, 1959 as the youngest of three siblings, Gary was a natural born troublemaker determined to leave his mark by depositing mashed potatoes into his sister Debbie’s milk during holiday meals while his brother Chuck aided and abetted.

When he wasn’t being the best younger brother you could hope for, he was being the best partner and father you could want. He was there for you and he truly listened, all while inserting his dry sense of humor.

He was a very devoted and loving partner to longtime love Kathy. He was the proud father to Christopher & Daughter in Law Michelle, Paul & Daughter in Law Haruna, and proud Grandpa to Katie & Angela as well as an uncle to numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

He always celebrated the achievements of those around him - his mother’s celebrity cameo appearance during the ending credits of Field of Dreams (101st minute), his partner Kathy’s ability to make “The Best Ever” anything or the family dog Chase learning to high-five on command.

He was full of adventure, loved the outdoors, and was often seen riding his bike around town that likely cost twice as much as he admitted. Whether RVing around the United States with Kathy, Chase, Joy, Ginger, Gizmo and Petey Pablo in tow, or planning a fishing trip where he’d purposefully catch all of the smaller fish to leave the bigger ones for the rest of us, Gary was always thinking about the next adventure from his indent on the couch. This included his dream of visiting China, despite never having authentic Chinese food - he just thought it would be cool.

He was the neighborhood handyman and the person you could rely on to have the tool or knowledge to fix anything. When he couldn’t be there in person to diagnose your troubles, Gary was only a phone call away and always managed to help any way he could.

While it’s impossible to summarize 65 years of a loved one’s life, those that knew Gary don’t need to look far to see the impact he had on their lives.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a local animal rescue of your choosing.