Gary Louis Pilgrim

Born on November 5, 1940, in Nowata, OK to Louis and Gail Pilgrim, Gary and his younger siblings Carole and Robert grew up in Pauls Valley, OK, where in the eighth grade he met his school sweetheart and future wife Betsy Trahern. He was an enthusiastic Boy Scout, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13. He also distinguished himself as a clarinet player, both in the high school band and competitive ensembles throughout the state, reaching the position of third chair in the Oklahoma State Band. After a brief stint at East Central University in Ada, he left college to fulfill his Army service in 1960. He asked to be stationed at Fort Sill to be near Betsy, and played clarinet in the Army band, transitioning to the Reserves at the rank of Specialist in 1962. Returning to college, he pursued a business degree, and in 1964 he and Betsy were married in Pauls Valley. A position in the trainee program at Philadelphia National Bank brought them to the East Coast, and while working at the bank as a loan officer, Gary attended night school at Drexel University, earning his MBA in 1971. The same year, he and Betsy welcomed their daughter Suzanne. A son, Steven, followed in 1973.

Gary soon transitioned to the bank’s Trust Department, where he managed investments, rising over the next decade to the level of Executive Vice President. In 1982, Gary and three colleagues left to begin their own investment firm, Pilgrim Baxter Hoyt and Greig, and built a successful business managing corporate and institutional pension funds. Gary also created a small mutual fund, the PBHG Growth Fund. Though not marketed to the public, the fund began to attract media attention, which resulted in a flood of investor interest throughout the 1990s. Mutual funds became the firm’s primary business, and Gary established himself as a leader in growth stock investing.

Gary loved his family and his work, as well as Elvis, popcorn, the clarinet, and OU football (Betsy’s alma mater). He was a fan and supporter of Outward Bound, sharing multiple adventures in the wilderness with family and friends. Throughout his adult life, he was committed to fitness and preventative health, and faithfully jogged almost every day. In later years, his annual physicals at the Cooper Clinic in Texas became a tradition, as he happily sponsored any friends or family who wished to come get checked out as well. At the same time, he was well known in the family for enduring his vegetables to get to the ice cream, his love of black licorice and for reliably keeping a stash of root beer barrel candies in his office.

Retiring in 2003, Gary enjoyed spending time in Nantucket and Florida, as well as at home in Malvern. He turned his focus to charitable giving, both individually and through the Pilgrim Foundation, which continues under the leadership of his daughter Suzanne. He was deeply grateful for his country and for the life he lived, and as a devout Christian and a true believer in the American dream, his passions were education, religious liberty, and free markets. He was also known to friends and family for being generous, both financially and with his time, and was valued as a mentor and source of wisdom for many in his close circle.

Most of all, his family will remember him for his cheerful and optimistic demeanor, his often silly sense of humor, the stick figure doodles and clarinet tunes that entertained his children, his gentleness, and his love of his dogs. They will always cherish his model of quiet faith, and his calm and measured approach to both success and adversity. They will dearly miss his steady guidance, his kind heart, and his endless willingness to listen.

He is survived by his wife Betsy, children Suzanne (Marc) Daniel and Steven (Lauren) Pilgrim, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A private celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in his memory to Angel’s Retreat dog rescue. (www.angelsretreat.org)