George Gary Pyburn

Gary is survived by his wife, Judy Goff Pyburn of Manvel, his brother John and his wife Sally of Gladewater, and his children: Cathy Jewett and her husband Doug of Round Rock, Pamela Anderson and her husband Dennis of Houston, Dean Businelle and his wife Tracy of Pearland, and Greg Businelle and his wife Jill of Seabrook. Gary is also survived by six grandchildren: Brian Jewett, Cole Anderson and Paige Peak, Chelsea Businelle and Shelby Poindexter, Faith Anne and Presley Businelle, and six great-grandchildren: Brody Johnson, Sawyer, Emery, and Skylar Poindexter, and Adelaide and Elizabeth Jewett.

Gary was born at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, Texas and lived or worked in Almeda for the majority of his life. Gary grew up as a member of Almeda Baptist Church where his parents were charter members. Gary benefited from a quality public education attending Almeda Elementary, Johnson Junior High and graduating from Houston’s San Jacinto High School in 1953. Gary then attended Sam Houston State Teacher’s College (now Sam Houston State University) where he studied agricultural sciences and graduated with a teaching certificate and an agricultural science degree in 1957. Gary was the first member of his immediate family to attend and subsequently graduate from college. He then returned to Almeda where he worked and lived until he moved to acreage in Manvel where he lived with Judy until his death. After graduation he worked for Uncle Ben’s Rice for several years until he purchased the building for Pyburn’s Market from his father and acquired the Bailey’s Super Value grocery store. Gary then owned and operated his grocery business as Pyburn’s Food Market and later established the Kountry Kupboard convenience store until those businesses were sold. Pyburn's Food Market was a well-known and highly regarded grocery store in the community. People travelled from all over Houston to buy groceries, meat, boudin, dirty rice, and/or jerky from the grocery store. Later in his life and especially during his frequent visits to MD Anderson Hospital people would ask him or his family members if he was “The Mr. Pyburn" of Pyburn's Food Market, complement him on the store, and often shared their memories of shopping in the store.

Gary was a serial entrepreneur, owning and operating his grocery and convenience stores, a trailer park located adjacent to Pyburn’s Food Market, a mercury refining business, as well as various real estate interests and holdings. In 1975, Gary married Judy and loved and raised Judy’s two boys, Dean and Greg, as his sons from that time forward.

Gary was an avid outdoorsman, an accomplished hunter and fisherman, and a lover of both the mountains and the water. During their youth, Gary and John's mom would drop them off near the rice patties south of Almeda where they would camp, fish, swim in the rice canals and fend for themselves all weekend. During the 1960s, Gary designed and built a pop-up camper which was used on family trips, some to faraway destinations in the mountains of the west and as far north as Canada. He frequently left for hunting trips to a South Texas lease after closing the store at night. He enjoyed fishing near the San Luis Pass bridge and other secret spots in Bastrop Bay or along the inter-coastal waterways. Later he acquired an isolated fishing cabin in Bastrop Bay and after a storm destroyed that cabin, he constructed its replacement, hauling all of the materials out one boatload at a time. This primitive, elevated fishing cabin was one of his favorite places and he enjoyed spending time there alone or with his children and grandchildren.

Gary was generous with his love and knowledge of the outdoors and took his children and grandchildren fishing and hunting whenever he could. He exemplified a kind and caring nature. He imparted lessons to his children and grandchildren that they carry to this day. Gary was a private pilot who loved to fly his airplane and combined his love of fishing and flying landing his plane on an isolated beach, where he would fish and spend time with his children.

Gary’s kind and good nature endeared him to Mrs. Lewis, whose family homesteaded in western Colorado in the mid 1800s. Mrs. Lewis sold Gary and Judy their Ridgway Colorado mountain cabin and subsequently allowed him to access the extensive acreage she retained within Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch (Mrs. Lewis also sold Mr. Lauren that property). The Ridgway cabin was a refuge for Judy and Gary. On occasion, friends and family members would visit and Gary would treat them to the grandeur and majesty of western Colorado.

At times, despite his gentle soul, Gary could be intimidating and tough - first meeting and greeting Cathy’s high school date (and future husband) sitting in his rocking chair with a shotgun draped across his lap. He was known to follow fire trucks to a local fire and frequently chased would-be thieves in his pickup or Suburban with a pistol by his side. Gary was a "live and let live" person and was accepting of others. He was a well-liked and respected businessman, a loving father, grandfather, and husband, and a kind and genuinely good person who frequently aided those who were down on their luck.

In April 2014, Gary was diagnosed with AML, acute myeloid leukemia, and given a short time to live. Gary chose to fight and fight he did. He was treated at MD Anderson enduring repeated rounds of treatment, transfusions, and several clinical trials. Gary's desire and strong will to live, coupled with his treatment regimens gave him three plus additional years of life - far exceeding all expectations. While his quality of life was frequently compromised, he lived to love his family and see it grow. To the very end of his life, Gary wanted to be outside, enjoying nature and admiring the skies where he previously soared among the clouds. He died at home to return to those puffy cumulus clouds and to his life beyond.

Gary hoped his friends and family would attend his services which will be held at Forest Park East Funeral Home in Webster, Texas on Friday, June 16 at 3pm. Gary elected to donate his body to the furtherance of science at MD Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate your donation to the American Cancer Society.