Gary A. Simonson, 72

Gary A. Simonson, 72 of Stevens Point, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, February 19.

Funeral Services for Gary will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 23, 2019, at the Shuda Funeral Chapel, 3200 Stanley St. Friends and family may gather to share memories from 9:30-10:45 a.m. on Saturday at the funeral chapel.

Full military honors will be held at the funeral chapel following the service. Burial will be held at Guardian Angel Cemetery.

Gary was born in Portage, Wis., on June 18, 1946, to Delbert and Eleanor Simonson. On November 7, 1970, he married his beloved wife Bonnie (Borski), at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church.

Gary graduated from P.J. Jacobs High School in 1964. He joined the Marine Corps in 1966, served in the Vietnam War, and received an honorable discharge in 1972. He took pride in serving his country and instilled the value of patriotism in his family.

In 2016, he was honored at the Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neillsville. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Gary appreciated the importance of having an excellent work ethic and providing for his family. He was a dedicated employee of companies such as Frito Lay, Cintas, Enterprise, Len Dudas Motors, and Scaffidi Motors.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Delbert and Eleanor, and infant daughter Stephanie.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie; sons Chris (Adrienne) and Matt; twin sister Gail (Edward Tepp); and sister Claudia (Randy Wisniewski). Gary loved and cherished his grandchildren Kelton, Addie, Carsten, Cooper, and Nash.

He loved to watch them play and compete in sporting events. His special four-legged friend, Riggs, is also left behind.

Gary enjoyed golf, washer toss, cornhole, birdwatching, and playing cards. He also enjoyed watching the Brewers, Sixers, Pterodactyls, and old Western movies. In the autumn months, he was busy watching the Packers and Badgers. He used halftime to round up “just one more” batch of fallen leaves in the yard.

In recent years, he put forth valiant efforts in fantasy baseball and football leagues. His witty, dry sense of humor will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Portage County Humane Society or the Never Forgotten Honor Flight program.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com.