Most of the things he did were in the service of others. Or at least just to make them laugh. Of Missouri City and Port Isabel, Texas, Gary was proud to be known as “the corniest man in the world” with a collection of dad jokes that he could deadpan while wearing a literal corn-on-the-cob hat on his head.
Born in Mercedes, Texas, on Aug. 24, 1955, Gary served as a police officer for more than 20 years. He spent some of that time training recruits at the police academy. But that was far from his only chapter. Alongside his law enforcement career, he was instrumental in bringing technology into policing, installing some of the first modern electronic communication systems into Missouri City’s patrol cars. His talent and curiosity then led him into one of the city’s first IT positions. From there, he advanced to become Director of Information Systems for the City of Sugar Land, where he helped build the IT foundation the city continues to rely on today. After a brief retirement, he returned to public service in the same role for the City of West University Place, badging out of the building security system he helped implement for the last time in 2019.
But what he really loved was teaching and leading others. Having been a scout as a kid, Gary was deeply involved in volunteering for the Boy Scouts, mentoring and inspiring countless young people including his three sons. (Each of them would go on to become Eagle Scouts, which Gary was very proud of.) A talented woodworker, he especially became known for crafting detailed wooden birds that really do flap in the wind. He also loved cars – spending hours in the garage helping his kids take apart and rebuild various project cars, teaching them about tools, and passing along both mechanical skills and knowledge. Once he retired, he devoted long hours to studying up on a lifelong passion: space exploration. He went as far as purchasing what his family called the “rocket house” in Port Isabel where he could sit in his chair, look out the front window, and watch from afar the SpaceX complex where rockets are built and launched.
Gary is survived by his children, Stephen McFarland (Arianna), Bobby McFarland (Cassie), Bradley Castillo (Ricardo), and Katie McFarland; his grandchildren, Laramie, Hadley, Ledger, Lincoln, Sarynn, and Luca; former wife Catherine McFarland; his sisters, Karen Luster (Clarence) and Pam Ramzinski (Danny); nieces Kylie Voigt (Luke), Amber Ramzinski, and Jayme Young (Tyler); and many extended family members and friends who will cherish his memory.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Otto Fay McFarland and Betty Jean Voelkel McFarland.
A celebration of Gary’s life will be held on Sunday, October 12th at 10am at Settegast-Kopf Sugar Creek 15015 Southwest Freeway Sugar Land, TX.
Because Scouting America was an important part of Gary’s life for nearly 30 years, and in lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Sam Houston Area Council in his memory.
To make a donation, please go to:
https://p2p.onecause.com/memorialsandtributes/donate
