Gary Lee Amator

Gary Lee Amator was born April 20, 1949 and went to join our Heavenly Father March 6, 2012 after a hard fought battle with the Hanta Virus at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix. Gary went to grade school in Marana and Stanfield, Arizona. He attended high school in Casa Grande where he played football and was chosen "Cougar King" by his class mates who still remain close friends. His hobbies were hunting, rock hounding, gold prospecting, and cooking, baking, roasting lots of Hatch chili, auction buying and working on his cars. Gary was a hard working, energetic, fun loving happy go lucky guy. He worked many jobs from farming at a young age to mining at Megma and as an instrument technician at Abitibi Paper Mill when he earned his retirement. He also worked for Lambs Gray Harbor in Canada and Texarkana and then Salt River Project where he was less than 3 years from his second retirement. He cherished his family and friends. Nothing gave Gary more joy than when he was with his children and grandchildren. We are so blessed to have had him in our lives. He will be terribly missed. He was preceded in death by his father, Bert V. Amator and his son, Garry Jason Amator. Gary is survived by wife, Kathleen Nannette Amator; son, Jerrod Amator (Fiancé, Sherry Nikolaus); daughter, Jessica Amator; step-daughter, Trina Maywald (Bobby); step-son, Jay Kyle Peterson (Terry); step-daughter, Tisha Peterson; 9 grandchildren; 10 step-grandchildren; 3 great-step-grandchildren; his mother, Ethel Amator; sisters: Shelley Amator, Alice Amator, Susan (Bob) Divinny and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, family and friends. Memorial services will be held 11:00 A.M. March 17, 2012 at the White Mountain Christian Church 2866 Tall Pine Road, Show Low, Arizona. Immediately following services a reception will be held at the Show Low Elks Lodge #2090, 805 E. Whipple, Show Low, Arizona.