Gary Allen Frayn

Gary was a dedicated husband and stepfather. He treasured his family and friends and embraced every moment with them. He will be forever remembered and dearly missed by his wife Kim; stepson Jordin; mother Edith; sister Donna (Wade); sister-in-law Theresa, and his nephews and nieces Adam (Victoria), Amanda, Kelsay (Mike), and Atticus, as well as his many dear friends and acquaintances. He was predeceased by his stepfather Richard.

Gary was born in Calgary and worked in his family’s welding shop. He received his welding ticket from SAIT in 1986. Gary worked in a variety of industries and ended his career managing the Welding Department at the Calgary Board of Education. He was in a different world once he struck an arc and flipped down his welder’s helmet.

Gary met his wife, Kim on a blind date in the garage of a friend’s home. He almost decided to leave before she arrived but the friend talked him into staying. It was love at first sight. They moved in together after 5 weeks and the two married 8 months later. She supported him during his worse days, always insuring he had what he needed to be comfortable, which included a lot of chocolate, love and patience.

Gary was a strong individual. He endured years of pain from a spinal cord disease that weakened his body but never his spirit. He had a zest for life that is rarely seen. From the mountain peaks of the Alberta Rockies, where he was a mountain guide, to the outdoor ice rinks to play hockey in -30 C weather, Gary loved to play. He even had a few grizzly bear and badger encounters when guiding in the mountains. Hearing him tell the stories made you feel like you were with him. He had a very healthy respect for nature and animals.

Gary valued the simple life and did not aspire to gather material possessions. He wanted to experience life to the fullest each day with whomever was able to keep up with him. His stepson, Jordin, appreciated his adventures with Gary, especially camping and exploring nature. He cherished all the guidance and life lessons that Gary provided.

He had a very close relationship with his nephew, Adam and was involved in his life right from his birth, even coaching him in Peewee, Tyke, Novice, and Atom hockey. He enjoyed having an impact on Adam and his teammates. The one thing he admired most about Adam was that he listened to any advice Gary offered him. He fell in love with Adam and Victoria’s son, Atticus, and could not get enough visits with him.

Gary was self-admittedly an a “acquired taste” who was sometimes seen as eccentric or outspoken by others. However, once you gained his trust, he was deeply loving and fiercely loyal. His ability to engage people and motivate them to find their voice were some of his greatest strengths. He had many conversations with his friend Kimberley. They often talked about life and controversial topics of the day as well as playing devils advocate in order to challenge each other.

In 2020 as his disease was progressing, Gary was invited to act as a motivational speaker for the Calgary Northstars. This was the same hockey team that Gary played on when he was a teenager. They left him with some magnificent memories and much gratitude in his heart. A special thank you to those young men and their families. Your acceptance of his disability meant the world to him!

During the last several years Gary enjoyed going to the park with his wife and family members. He enjoyed being in nature and feeding the birds. He particularly liked visiting his friend Dan out in the countryside. They would laugh and joke for hours recalling memories of when they were teenagers and young adults and all the mischief they would get into. Gary could always count on Dan to put a smile on his face!

Following Gary’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. His family will scatter his ashes at a later date.

Donations can be made to Spinal Cord Injury Canada at https://sci-can.ca/ or the Alzheimer Society of Calgary https://www.alzheimercalgary.ca/