Gary William Nehls

Gary Nehls was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and lived a life defined by service, dedication, and love for his family and community. He proudly served 21 years in the United States Air Force, committing himself to protecting the freedoms of his country. After retiring from the military, he continued that same calling to serve others through a second career, spending 18 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department supporting and protecting his community.

Gary was married to his high school sweetheart, Judith Ricketts, for 54 years — a lifelong partnership built on love, loyalty, and family. Beyond his uniform and service, he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

Known for his quick wit, thoughtful advice, and steady presence, he had a way of helping others solve problems — earning him the reputation of being his own version of the family’s “Go To,” always ready with a fix or a solution.

One of his greatest joys in life was fishing while sitting next to his trusty four legged best friend Lucy. Being out on the water brought him a sense of peace and quiet, a place where he could reflect, recharge, and simply enjoy the moment. He will be remembered as a good man with a great heart — someone who dedicated his life to serving others while loving his family deeply. His legacy of service, humor, wisdom, and kindness will live on in the many lives he touched.

He is deeply missed and forever honored.

He is survived by his beloved wife Judith Nehls, Children Brian (Staci) Nehls and Melissa (Erick) Knotts. Grandchildren Hunter, Desarae, and Jack. Siblings Rick (Maddy) Nehls, Mary Ellen Prykan (John) deceased, Kathleen Krzywicki (Michael). Favorite Uncle to multiple nieces and nephews. He is proceeded in death by his parents Richard and Eleanor Nehls.

Service at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona 2929 E Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix ,AZ 85024

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me, I will not be here to see,

That the sun will rise and find your eyes; filled with tears for me,

But please know you're always in my heart, and I will forever love you,

And know, each time you think of me, I will be missing you too.

When tomorrow starts without me, I need you to understand,

That an angel came, he called my name and took me by the hand.

He told me it was time to go up to heaven far above,

And that I have to leave behind all those I dearly love.

When tomorrow starts without me, I know that you will cry,

For all my life I’d always thought that I would never die.

I had so much life ahead of me; I had so much to do,

It seems almost impossible that I was leaving you.

When tomorrow starts without me, I think of the good days, and the bad,

I thought of all our fights, next to all the fun we had.

If I could have stayed, just for a little while,

I would say I'd always be here, and then I'd make you smile.

When tomorrow starts without me, I'll realize that this could never be,

As all that would be left of me, is frozen in memories.

Then I thought of all the beautiful things that I would miss tomorrow,

I thought of you and when I did my heart was filled with sorrow.

When tomorrow starts without me I will walk through heaven’s gate,

I will feel at home even without my soul mate.

I know this is what I wanted, deep down within my bones,

And God looked down and smiled at me from his great golden throne.

When tomorrow starts without me I see everything He promised me,

“Today your life on earth is past, and now you can be free.”

“I promise no tomorrow as today will always last,

And since it's all the same you will not be longing for the past.”

So when tomorrow starts without me don’t think we’re far apart,

For every time you think of me I’m right here in your heart.

By David Romano