Born in Waverly, Colorado, to Englebert W. and Martha (Hoekstra) Gesink, Gary was raised in a lively Dutch family of ten children in Denver. Growing up in a large household taught him early lessons in cooperation, sharing, and resilience. Following his father’s passing when Gary was 16, he stepped up to support his family, taking on every job imaginable—from shoveling snow and selling newspapers on street corners to door-to-door donut sales.
A formative summer spent on his uncle’s farm in Waverly instilled in him a deep respect for hard work, whether milking cows, bucking hay bales, or taking weekend trips to the Great Sand Dunes and local hot springs.
Around age 13, Gary discovered his lifelong passion for the printing trade under the mentorship of a neighbor. After graduating high school, he served his country honorably in the U.S. Army, holding a top-secret clearance to produce classified materials in Germany before earning the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Active Reserves. Upon returning home, he built a distinguished career in the printing industry, eventually serving as Vice President of Multi-List, Inc., where he helped scale the business nationally, and later founding his own successful company, Spectro-Graphics, Inc.
Above all, Gary’s greatest legacy was his family. In 1954, he met the love of his life, Eileen Marie Fells. Married on June 13, 1959, they shared 62 wonderful years of marriage and 68 years of deep partnership before her passing in 2021. Together, they built a life rooted in love, managing properties, traveling, and celebrating the achievements of their growing family.
Gary is survived by his four children, Deborah Ann, Robert John, Danny Ray (Mary), and Brent Allan (Laura Sinton); his beloved grandchildren, Tonya (Joe) Charette, Aaron (Sarah) Goodfellow, Lynn (Adam) Goodfellow, Kirsten (Stephen) Delgado, Danniel (Hannah) Sinton, and Jennifer (Marco) Najera; 12 great-grandchildren and his brothers John and Bill. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eileen, his parents, and other siblings.
A life well-lived, Gary’s strong work ethic, generosity, and steadfast love for his family will be remembered always.
