Gary Lee Whaley

Rev. Gary Lee Whaley, 73, of Grove City, Ohio passed away Friday, April 2, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. He was born January 27, 1948 in Oak Hill, Ohio to the late Estle Raymond and Mary Margaret (McCoy) Whaley.

He was a 1966 graduate of Oak Hill High School, served in the U.S. Army and retired from the Ohio Department of Administrative Services in 1998. He was a co-founder of Cornerstone Christian Church in 1990 and served as Senior Pastor from 1999 until he retired in 2014. From an early age, Gary's sense of humor and playful nature were on display, whether it was doing cartoon character voices for his classmates in home room or to emphasize a point in one of his sermons. He was a versatile athlete who excelled in basketball, softball, bowling and golf earning many awards along the way. His favorite teams were OSU and the Browns. He was a musician and singer, playing lead drummer in the marching band and playing drums at church. He loved singing solo or in a church choir. Gary's love of history was contagious. He shared its importance with his children, grandchildren and anyone else who would listen. His love of sports was shared with his children as a football, softball and basketball coach. He played golf with his grandson and gave his granddaughter basketball tips. His knowledge of sports trivia was immense. Gary returned to his Christian roots in 1985 and was dedicated to serving God through his pastoral ministry. He loved to travel and would always make a point of checking out a local historical site. He especially enjoyed his trip to Maui and Pearl Harbor. Gary had many fond memories of his childhood friends and kept in touch with them. Most of all, Gary enjoyed spending time with his beloved family and friends. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his; son, David Whaley; sisters, Glenna Davis and Judy Blackburn. Gary is survived by his wife Shirley of 51 years; daughter Gina (Anthony) Gest; brothers Tim Hammond, Kenneth (Sherry) Hammond, sister Paula (Jerry) Dill; grandchildren, Dillon Whaley and Alyssa Gest; daughter-in-law Michelle (Gerald) Whaley-Belcher; sisters-in-law Christina (Gerald) Felice, Mona Miller; brother-in-law Carl Miller and Rebecca Wallace; and many other relatives and dear friends. Visitation will be 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at Cornerstone Christian Church, 4900 Big Run South Rd., Grove City, OH 43123 where the funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. with Pastor Tom Lopez officiating. The service will be live streamed at . Interment Grove City Cemetery (West). GUESTS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS. Contributions in Gary's memory may be made to American Diabetes Association ). Arrangements by Schoedinger Grove City. Visit www.schoedinger.com to view the expanded obituary, share a special memory or extend condolences.