On Friday, March 5, 2021, Gary Randolph Malehorn, loving husband and devoted father and grandfather, passed away at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gary was born on July 24, 1944 in Winnfield, Louisiana. He was a proud alumni of Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, Class of 1962. He married his sweetheart, Rita Sue Beagle, while at LSU studying mechanical engineering. He received his degree from LSU and worked for many years in the petrochemical industry, before opening his own family business, American Machine Works, in 1979. Gary and Sue owned and ran the business together for 20 years, before passing the torch to new owners. They raised two daughters, Angela and Alyssa. Gary had a passion for the arts, especially photography and music; he played the piano by ear and loved classical, oldies and cool jazz music. A brilliant man, he was known to be able to fix anything, build anything, and solve just about any problem. A gentle soul, Gary loved animals, nature, and children, and always was ready to lend a helping hand. Some of his favorite memories were fishing with his grandmother as a child, and then teaching his girls and grandchildren how to fish. He also loved history and antiques, and collected vintage cameras and printing presses among other things. He enjoyed connecting with people as a ham radio operator, and created beautiful stained glass windows and art. His faith in God was at the center of his life. He was a Sunday school teacher and a deacon at Parkview Baptist Church for 25 years, and loved teaching and guiding young people. Like all good Louisiana natives, Gary was an avid LSU Tiger fan, watching every game with his wife, Sue. Gary was preceded in death by his mother, Erma Lee Gorham, and his grandparents, Jennie Lee and C.E. Gorham. He is survived by Sue, his wife of 56 years, and his daughters and sons-in-love, Angela Johnson (Guy Johnson) of San Diego, CA and Alyssa Malehorn (Zack Fuentes) of Austin, TX. He adored and was so proud of his four grandchildren: Morgan McDaniel, Wolfgang Schulz, Zoe Johnson, and Garrett Johnson. Gary's also survived by his sister, Pamela Dawne Gourdon (Jesse Gourdon) and their son, Cody, as well as several cousins and other family members. Special thanks and deep gratitude to Audubon Hospice: his nurse, Bea; aide, Barbara; nurse, Tanya; and medical social worker, Ginny. A memorial celebrating Gary's life will be held online via Zoom on Saturday, March 13th, 2021 at 10am Central. For details to attend, email [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made to The Special Olympics, a charity that Gary loved and contributed his skills and talents to (specialolympics.org) or to a charity of your choice.
