Paying tribute to the man who is and now was my father-in-law brings a flood of memories and emotions. The impact he had on so many has been evident by the outpouring of love in so many tangible forms to he and my mother-in-law during his battle with cancer over the last 3.5 years.
Gary Marvin Dykema was born July 13, 1945. He was saved at a young age, but did not start growing in his walk with the Lord until his high school years. He met my mother-in-law during high school as well, and they were married shortly after graduation. He was a hard worker, but he also liked to have fun. He would leave for work at 4:30 in the morning and sometimes not come home until 11:00 p.m. because they asked him to work extra. He retired from working in a factory for General Motors after 30 years, and then worked as a car salesman for 18 years. Like I said, he was a hard worker.
His service to the Lord was seen in many different areas, but his favorite was singing. At his memorial service last week, the choir director told me that no one sang as loud as Gary. Everyone wanted to sit near him because he helped them to read and sing the music better. In their previous church, he was the song leader and my mother-in-law was the pianist. They often sang duets together. They made a great service pair not only in the church, but also outside of the church. They liked to go calling on people that had visited the church. They are both so friendly and easy to talk with that soon after a visit you knew you had just made a lifelong friend with them. Neither of them knew a stranger.
Gary loved his family. He has two children; my husband Dave and his sister Pam. Gary has 2 grandsons, 3 granddaughters, and 2 great-granddaughters. He was able to meet both of his great-granddaughters. Having his family around was always a delight, especially at the cabin. Being at the lake and hearing the peals of laughter across the lake either as he drove the boat or just watched from shore was one of his favorite times. This is where I first met him. At the cabin. He and my then boyfriend (now husband) would be in the boat while I skied, knee boarded, and flew through the air on the tube. He was a great teacher and knew every single time what I needed to do to make the next time more fun.
He also loved to play games and tell jokes. Whenever playing a game and we couldn’t remember the rules, we would call him so he could refresh our memoires. Every summer when they came to visit, he and my mother-in-law would teach us a new game. The new games they have taught us have spread around the U.S. Now we get texts from friends that ask us about some of the rules of the games we have taught them.
He knew how to tell just the right joke at just the right moment. I had a favorite one that I made him tell me every time I saw him. It kept getting better with more details. Good thing we have it recorded.
Gary Dykema is now signing praises to His Lord and reunited with his brother and his parents and others that have gone to heaven before him. He is in heaven, not because he went to church and sang in the choir. He is in heaven with Jesus because he had a personal relationship with Jesus. Gary believed that Jesus died on the cross paying his penalty for his sins. His purpose in living was not to work hard, or play games, or tell jokes. Gary’s purpose in life was to glorify his Creator and Savior as he did those things. If there was one thing that Gary would want anyone to know it is that Jesus loves you. Jesus died for your sins, but you have to do one small thing – believe that Jesus paid the price for your sins on the cross and ask Him to be a part of your life.
Gary Dykema, thank you for your legacy that lives on not just in your family but also in all the friends you have made along the way. We know that God’s timing is perfect and His plans are perfect, but we wish we could have kept you around for a little bit longer.
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