dear gary, where do i start to talk about everything we did together and how much you mean to me?  how about the time you took me shrimping at myrtle grove.  it was  the first time i ever  went shrimping .  we were pulling the net behind your boat and we kept watching that dark cloud in the distance.  it kept getting closer, but we decided to keep on shrimping.  finally, we figured that the cloud was too wicked looking, so we pulled up the net and made a run for the dock.  well, we go about a block away when the sky opened up.  it was like someone was dumping buckets of water on us, and the wind was blowing us around.  it was fun only because we were close to the dock.
   how about the time i came into town with the kids, and we went camping down to grande isle?  we pitched all the tents, and a big wind and rain storm came up and knocked them all down except yours.  of course you let us know that you were the only one in the crew that knew how to pitch a tent that could withstand a louisiana storm.  we heard about that for years.
   my brother, i'm going to miss you so much.  thank you for being there when we lost joe.  it meant a lot to pat and me that you came to california and supported us.     
    thanks for all the times you had seafood ready for me when i came into town.
    thanks for joining us at the ucla softball tournaments when our girls were playing.  we had a ton of fun, and the girls loved having uncle gary and family there.
  thanks for going with me to the lsu football games.
   thanks for all the fishing trips.  you even baited my hooks!  you would always drop everything to be with me when i came into town.
   most of all, gary, thanks for being my brother.  i love you and will surely miss you.  i am happy that you had a good life, and i know it made you feel good to know that you were the reason people were having a good time.
    and susan.  pat and i love you, and you are always in our thoughts and prayers.  God bless you and keep you in this very difficult time.      love,  butch and pat mike

I don't know where to start... there is so much I want to say but don't know how to say them except I miss you with all my heart. For the last 15 years we have always known what we were going to do Friday nights, mardi gras, halloween, crawfish boils, trips to the beach, endless weekends of Texas Hold'em, chiminea nights--all of these memories we have shared with the Stodghills and the Bennens, and the list goes on and on...we all were not just friends but FAMILY! For these memories I have been blessed to have met you and shared them with you!

Your door was always open and food always on the stove for anyone, as well as your BIG heart! I had a blast whenever you were around.  You could make me laugh and pee my pants. You taught me to have fun and be goofy and just enjoy life! I will miss your smile and everything about you, especially how you always like to mess with me.  I feel you are still messing with me every now again since you have left... I know it is you who keeps knocking my cigarette out of my hand now, and I know it was you who had played "Indian Outlaw" at your funeral! Only you could make everyone laugh and smile so unexpectedly at your funeral.... Life was one big party to you and you wanted everyone to leave on a happy note and not sad! That was YOUR final message to all of US!  You always wanted to make sure everyone was happy and having and good time, and YOU did just that! I LOVE YOU GARY and I know you and BEAN are looking down at us playing little tricks on us and laughing about it! Brad misses the BOTH of you soo much...you both left us too soon!

Suzie Q - where do I begin? You know how much I love you and my deepest heart felt prayers are with YOU, Josh, Regina, and little Gary every day. You are my forever friend and family. I know how much you LOVE Gary... You've loved him all your life! I hope your pain eases with each passing day and I get to see you smile again.  I love you Suzie Q and hope you know all you have to do is call and I'll be there!

Love Always,
Renee, Brad, Kody & Kristen

I will remember Uncle Gary for the most precious gifts he has given to me....my cousins Regina, Gary and Josh.  He has given me family and I will alway think of him kindly and see him through his handsome sons and his beautiful daughter.  All My Love  Anne M. Mailing

G Daddy,  You were a true friend/brother to me.  The laughter we shared was enormous.  Dressing up during Mardi Gras, Halloween and any other excuse we could find created some priceless moments.  All the parties, seafood boils, Friday night dinners, Texas-Hold-Em tournaments, Chiminea Nights, Kids ball games, coaching together and against one another at the playground, Saints parties, etc.  You, Brad Girault and I were inseparable and you are both still in my heart.  
I remember all the early morning walks that just you, me and Pepper did for years.  We were like brothers after Katrina, we lived together through that rough period and I dont know what I would have done without your friendship and expertise in helping put my home back together.  Glad we had the opportunity to be there for each other during that time and all times.  I will surely remember the great support you gave me during my illness-thanks for bringing me to get snowballs and letting me just rest in your living room when I was too weak to do anything else, you catered to my every need endlessly.  I know you will be greatly missed by your friends and family down there on earth but now I am the lucky one cause now I have you up here with me and we are smiling and laughing like we used to.   We gonna catch lots of ICE CHESTES full of fish.  LOVE YOU BEAN

Suzie Q, Regina, Gary & Josh,  I believe the above would be close to what Bryan would have wanted to share with you guys as he loved Gary so much.  I pray for you and your family through this time and I also will never forget all the great memories.  I feel fortunate that I have years and years of memories with all of you.  I hope it can bring some comfort for you to know that the Bean is with him.  God Bless you all
Love
Melissa, Brad and George

Paw paw you will live on in our hearts.

We love you.
Mary, Savannah & Sarah

It's hard for me to put into words how much I will miss you. You were always there, part of my world, part of my life as I knew it to help when  I fell, guide me when I needed guidance and protect me no matter what the case because you were my dad. And you were a good dad.

I would not be the person I am today without you. You taught me the importance of family, dignity, good friends and most of all how to enjoy life.   All things, thanks to you, I will pass along to my own children.

Though I miss you terribly, I am also grateful for the time we had with you. There is no one who could deny that you lived a full life. When I say full, I mean full of excitement, fun, family, friends and plenty of entertainment. You were always ready to have a party and anyone was welcome. 

You accepted Sidney as part of the family when we were married. You took him fishing and shrimping and invited him to hang out with the guys like he had always been around.  He loves you for the way you accepted him and hopes he can be as accepting with his own son in laws one day.

You knew my children, were there when each of them were born and showered them with the same love you showed me. I'm proud to say they love you. They had the opportunity to spend time with you and come to respect you as I do.  You went fishing with them, bought them treats and let them have two desserts when I wasn't around. These are all times that will live on as happy memories in their minds.  

You were my youngest, Sarah's, favorite person to hang out with when we were at your house. She used to love to sit on the couch and talk to you about everything and you just patiently listened. Savannah loved to tease you because she knew she could, especially about your pool trophy. She teased you just like you teased Mary. Mary will always remember the way you asked her about her “little lamb” repeatedly. 

Even till the end, you were always solid and strong in body and spirit. You could lift what would normally take two men and when called for you could be very strong willed just like myself. Which would sometimes lead to us butting heads but we never stayed mad at each other because at the end of the day we were family and as you always said, "Family comes first."

Even though you're gone, you will live on through our memories and I know you are still here watching over us. So I will continue to do my best to make you proud.

Your funeral was the hardest thing I ever had to endure but, what gets me through is the knowledge that this goodbye is only temporary, not forever. So until we meet again just know I love and miss you very much.

Love Always your daughter,
Regina

My heart weeps. Heart broken but grateful to have had an awesome uncle like you. Uncle Gary, you have been nothing short of amazing to me. A man that brought the "party" to the party. Your undeniable "southern charm", Your unbeatable seafood, your kind and welcoming ways, your competitive drive, your love for your family. I can go on for days listing the goodness you brought to my world.  You will be greatly missed.I'm so glad my wife and children got to know you. God truly has a special place for you in heaven. I am so lucky to have had an uncle like you. I will hold the memories of you deep in my heart forever. You were such an inspiration to me.  I will truely miss you dearly.  Your spirit lives on in each of us. Thank you for all you've done. Love you Uncle Gary, Billy Authement Jr.

When I first came around almost 19 years ago Billy would bring me to some family gatherings. When I say family gatherings, I mean Uncle Gary and Aunt Suzie's "seafood boils". Being I didnt really know any one, I would stand quietly. Uncle Gary would pull me up a chair, pour me a heaping pile of seafood and talk to me for hours while i enjoyed the best seafood my taste buds had ever encountered. He made sure I was comforatable and that I never left hungry.This kindness never seized thru the years. I wanna say how forever grateful and touched I am by your kindness Uncle Gary. My heart aches to know you are gone.You were a special man and will be forever missed

When I see Aunt Suzie, Lil Gary,Regina and Josh, my heart gets so heavy by the pain I see in their faces. Such a wonderful family with so much grief.I pray to God to give this family the courage to overcome this greif.

Have mercy and be gracious unto me O Lord, for I am in trouble; with grief my eye is weakened, also my inner self and my body Psalms 31-9
Susie coming to you and Gary's house will never be the same. We will miss Gary very much. Our hearts go out to you. We are so sorry for your loss. We love you and Gary very much and are praying for yall.
Love,
Connie & Barry Mathews

I love you and may god be with all of yall.
Love ya Johnny Mathews

I am so sorry for your loss you are in my heart and in my prayers.
Terri Mathews

Growing up, Mr Gary & Ms Susie were my other "parents". I can still see Mr Gary standing at the stove telling us to try this, or boiling seafood & asking if I'd ever tasted better. And I never had. I even got my husband to use the same seasoning he used when boiling seafood because that's what Mr Gary used & it was ALWAYS good. I can still hear him calling out, "Hey KiKi" only because he knew I hated that nickname, which started me calling him Mack Daddy J, hoping he would hate it just the same, but it only made him smile every time I said it. He was the first person to take me crabbing. But I also remembered that he was one of the very few that cared enough to wait up to see that I got home safely and checked to make sure my face wasn't red or I was in trouble. When I was at his house, I was always part of the family. And I have always considered him part of mine. I hope you know that I will always be there for Regina and the girls, no matter how far away I move. You will truly be missed and will always hold a special place in my heart. And I will think about you every time I eat a bacon wrapped bbq shrimp.

Love always, 
KiKi

Dad... What can I say.. You were a man in every sense of the word. You worked harder than anyone I've ever known to provide a good life for all of your children, mom, and myself. You molded me into the competitor that I am today. I still can't believe you are gone, but I will live the rest of my life for you. I will love everyone that you loved, work as hard as you worked, and play as hard as you played. 

I know you will always be with me, and I feel your spirit within me now. Burying you is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I would rather that than for you to have to bury me. I've always had a deep respect for you and I promise I won't let you down. I couldn't have asked for a better father.

Love, Josh

I love you Uncle Gary. Thank you for teaching me how to crab at Grand Isle. I have many dear memories of the summers we came to visit. xoxo Ginny

Sue, Gary, Josh and Regina,  my deepest thoughts go out to you and your family.  Gary is my best friend and will be greatly missed.  I treasured all the years we spent together.  He was a great husband, father and friend.  You will all be in my heart forever.  Jimmy Wayne I will miss you alot.  Love, Tim White, Slidell, La.

My deepest sympathy to Josh and the rest of the Stodghill family during this difficult time. Ingrid Panchame' (Clinton's mom)

Gary, my brother in law
What he meant to me...
Gary was always trying to say something funny to make me laugh and he always would offer me something he had cooked. Then he always wanted reassurance it was good. He would say "Is it good?" He always offered to do things here and there for me. This meant a lot to me. He always treated me and my family in a loving and caring way. It makes me proud to have had the privilege of knowing him. He will always be remembered and held close in our hearts. I know in my heart that God has a place for him in Heaven and will take care of him. He is smiling down on us and is still with us in spirit. I loved Gary like a brother and will miss him greatly. I will never forget the kindness he has shown us. You will always be remembered!
    Love,
   Karen

UNCLE GARY…..
Always smiling and joking
Always comforting and welcoming 
Always cooking with such pleasure and feeding all who walked through his door
Always competing and so proud of his accomplishments
Always going out of his way to please those he cared about
So much more than a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle and so on
UNCLE GARY…
What a great man to have as an uncle!
Loved by all who knew him!
Will miss you and never forget you!
                                    Love,
                         
Tina, William, William and Hannah

Dear Sue.
Bil and I, were so sorry to hear of your 
loss.Our prayers are with you and your family. God bless you all,
          Bill, Macy and family

DEAR Big Gary, I still think you are somewhere around whenever I go to your house, and it will always be that forever. I only have known you and Susan not even for 4 years, but you guys have been taking care of me more than my parents and make me feel like home every time I visit your house when I am half way around the world from my families in China. I will never forget you cook seafood for us, you went crabbing with us... , for the rest of my life, I still love the fishing pole you gave me when I started liking fishing...I will take care of lil Gary and Susan for you. You will always wearing the camouflage Saints jersey when I think about you.

Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Susan Gould and Joshua Gould

Susan , Regina Gary Jr. and Josh -
I am so sorry for your loss. I have been praying for your family and will continue to do so.
Although I was not close to Uncle Gary, I have very fond memories of him.
His smile, his kindness and his joyful attitude. 
What a great legacy he leaves with you.
God Bless You ALL!

Michelle Tortorich

Peace to all the family love you all. Love thomas

Susan, my thoughts & prayers are with you and your family.  I will always appreciate and be thankful for Gary being like family to my son and always so thoughtful and nice to me and our family.  We will all miss him.

Nita Spilman Eanes

Gary after being with and working with you for 6 years I know what kind of person you were. you always bought us lunch and you were the best fisherman.will always miss you

Dear dad,     I still can't believe you are gone it hurts so much. You was such a great dad always there for us in our lives and always so proud of us. I can still hear you bragging in heavin about us. I promises  not to ever forget  everything you taught me especially fishing and crabbing. One of the best things you taught me was how to be a man and good person. You always worked so hard to support our family and build your ceiling company up. You did such a great job and showed me what was possible with hard work and determination. I promise to keep your company up the way you would if you were still here. I will always take care of mom and be there for her. I know you will be with me everyday of my life and be waiting for me till we reunite one day. You will be in my heart always and in my mind. I will always love you so much. Love your son

Susan - so sorry to hear about your loss - our prayers are with you and your family. Michael & Eileen Culotta

My deepest sympathy to Regina and Josh and the rest of the Stodghill family in this difficult time.

Octavio Hernandez, former teacher at King High

dear gary even though i was not part of the family i will miss you very much as will every one in the family.

Dear gary if i could talk to you right now i would tell you how proud i'am of you. I love you very much gary my baby brother.I will never forget you and the good times we had fishing.I would try to win with the most redfish but you catch in the end.I'll miss you baby brother!Every time i see your picture it hurts because i can't cut up with you anymore.I love you gary!!!!!! damit this hurts!!! your brother rickey.I know one day i will see you again.

Gary my brother you are in heaven now with my beloved Susie. God has a place for you my friend among the angels that protect all fishermen on the oceans of this world. From this moment on till we meet again the first fish caught in my boat will be released in your memory. Rest in peace Gary,Sincerely                 your brother Willie Calix.

OBITUARY

James Gary Stodghill

September 13, 1958 – May 24, 2012

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