Gary Davis

[kyledehart5]

Hello everyone. I received a call earlier from Susan, Gary’s wife telling me that he had passed away. I am very grateful that she took the time to call me. I emailed and/or spoke on the phone with Gary at least once per week. We shared a love of modeling of course, but also short track racing and he always was excited to talk about sprint cars, super modifieds or midgets and Indycars, of course. He was an extremely gifted builder and always was encouraging my builds. I will miss our talks going forwards and seeing his beautiful work. I’ve just been sitting here scrolling through all his old builds on the forum. Thought everyone here should know, as he was always an active member. Godspeed, my friend.

Kyle

[Calvin]

Oh my! That's terrible news! 😥 I wasn't expecting to hear that today! Very sad.
He's been such a huge supporter of so many and a legendary modeler himself.
We will definitely miss him.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 20:40:28 GMT -5 Calvin said:

Oh my! That's terrible news! 😥 I wasn't expecting to hear that today! Very sad.
He's been such a huge supporter of so many and a legendary modeler himself.
We will definitely miss him.

I wasn’t expecting it either Calvin. I had, in fact, been planning to talk to him tomorrow so we could have a debrief session following the midget races at IMS. He’ll definitely be greatly missed.

[indycals]

This is so sad. Gary was a big part of our community.

[Art Laski]

Thanks, Kyle, for the post. I heard a couple of days ago about Gary, but was reluctant to post it because my information was third or fourth hand. I first met Gary and Susan in 2011 at the GSL and we bonded over our shared love of race cars, and especially open wheel cars. Gary was a great modeler. I met up with them again in 2018 at the IPM Nationals in Phoenix and Gary brought some more phenomenal models. We last spoke about 6 months ago, as I was trying to get him to go to the last GSL. Sadly, he didn't get there. He will be missed. RIP Gary.

[Calvin]

Sept 30, 2023 20:43:33 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Sept 30, 2023 20:40:28 GMT -5 Calvin said:

Oh my! That's terrible news! 😥 I wasn't expecting to hear that today! Very sad.
He's been such a huge supporter of so many and a legendary modeler himself.
We will definitely miss him.

I wasn’t expecting it either Calvin. I had, in fact, been planning to talk to him tomorrow so we could have a debrief session following the midget races at IMS. He’ll definitely be greatly missed.

I'm completely shocked as he was very active on the forums recently.

I enjoyed his Positive enthusiasm he brought to the hobby

I've had a lot of interaction with him over the forums and emails, he would say I was his neighbor to the east as he lived in Tacoma Washington. We were "neighbors in the same state"

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 20:44:27 GMT -5 indycals said:

This is so sad. Gary was a big part of our community.

He sure was. Always active whenever anyone had a build post or thread going on.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 20:48:48 GMT -5 Art Laski said:

Thanks, Kyle, for the post. I heard a couple of days ago about Gary, but was reluctant to post it because my information was third or fourth hand. I first met Gary and Susan in 2011 at the GSL and we bonded over our shared love of race cars, and especially open wheel cars. Gary was a great modeler. I met up with them again in 2018 at the IPM Nationals in Phoenix and Gary brought some more phenomenal models. We last spoke about 6 months ago, as I was trying to get him to go to the last GSL. Sadly, he didn't get there. He will be missed. RIP Gary.

I was hesitant to post it even after talking to Susan directly. But I thought everyone here should know, as he was such a big part of the site, so I went ahead. I spoke to him on the phone several times. Would’ve been nice to be able to meet he and Susan in person.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 20:51:10 GMT -5 Calvin said:

Sept 30, 2023 20:43:33 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

I wasn’t expecting it either Calvin. I had, in fact, been planning to talk to him tomorrow so we could have a debrief session following the midget races at IMS. He’ll definitely be greatly missed.

I'm completely shocked as he was very active on the forums recently.

I enjoyed his Positive enthusiasm he brought to the hobby

I've had a lot of interaction with him over the forums and emails, he would say I was his neighbor to the east as he lived in Tacoma Washington. We were "neighbors in the same state"

I agree completely. You’re so right about his positive enthusiasm. And when we were on the phone one day a couple weeks ago he mentioned that you were his “neighbor”. Lol.

[indycals]

Sept 30, 2023 21:04:33 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Sept 30, 2023 20:48:48 GMT -5 Art Laski said:

Thanks, Kyle, for the post. I heard a couple of days ago about Gary, but was reluctant to post it because my information was third or fourth hand. I first met Gary and Susan in 2011 at the GSL and we bonded over our shared love of race cars, and especially open wheel cars. Gary was a great modeler. I met up with them again in 2018 at the IPM Nationals in Phoenix and Gary brought some more phenomenal models. We last spoke about 6 months ago, as I was trying to get him to go to the last GSL. Sadly, he didn't get there. He will be missed. RIP Gary.

I was hesitant to post it even after talking to Susan directly. But I thought everyone here should know, as he was such a big part of the site, so I went ahead. I spoke to him on the phone several times. Would’ve been nice to be able to meet he and Susan in person.

We are grateful you did post it.

[hurtubise56]

Ooof, that's awful news! Great guy, very active here, fun to go back & forth with. Will miss him, for sure.

[lance]

I find myself at a loss for words, so very sorry to hear of his passing.

[Calvin]

Sept 30, 2023 21:06:36 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Sept 30, 2023 20:51:10 GMT -5 Calvin said:

I'm completely shocked as he was very active on the forums recently.

I enjoyed his Positive enthusiasm he brought to the hobby

I've had a lot of interaction with him over the forums and emails, he would say I was his neighbor to the east as he lived in Tacoma Washington. We were "neighbors in the same state"

I agree completely. You’re so right about his positive enthusiasm. And when we were on the phone one day a couple weeks ago he mentioned that you were his “neighbor”. Lol.

Over here, the definition of a neighbor is within 300 miles away. Lol 😂

But he seemed to take grate pride in living here in Washington State. I'd say, but Gary we live in racing no man's land. No one knows what racing is up here.

(For those that don't know I live by Spokane, Washington which is 5 hours away from Gary in Tacoma which is close by Seattle)

[alwaysindy]

GaryDavis: The kind of guy the world needs more of…travel well my friend, until we all meet there…
Tim

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 21:12:19 GMT -5 hurtubise56 said:

Ooof, that's awful news! Great guy, very active here, fun to go back & forth with. Will miss him, for sure.

couldn’t agree more.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 21:23:23 GMT -5 lance said:

I find myself at a loss for words, so very sorry to hear of his passing.

I was the same when I got the phone call. Hard to process

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 21:27:17 GMT -5 Calvin said:

Sept 30, 2023 21:06:36 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

I agree completely. You’re so right about his positive enthusiasm. And when we were on the phone one day a couple weeks ago he mentioned that you were his “neighbor”. Lol.

Over here, the definition of a neighbor is within 300 miles away. Lol 😂

But he seemed to take grate pride in living here in Washington State. I'd say, but Gary we live in racing no man's land. No one knows what racing is up here.

(For those that don't know I live by Spokane, Washington which is 5 hours away from Gary in Tacoma which is close by Seattle)

He sure did. He was always saying that my wife and I should come for a visit. He also talked a lot about how he loved the area but hated how there wasn’t any good racing around. Lol. Always fun to talk to.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 21:30:48 GMT -5 alwaysindy said:

GaryDavis: The kind of guy the world needs more of…travel well my friend, until we all meet there…
Tim

Well said Tim.

[1961redlegs]

This comes as a thunderbolt out of the blue I regret to hear it. He was a good fellow and was a pillar of positivity and enthusiasm here. He will be missed greatly.

[kyledehart5]

Sept 30, 2023 21:59:05 GMT -5 1961redlegs said:

This comes as a thunderbolt out of the blue I regret to hear it. He was a good fellow and was a pillar of positivity and enthusiasm here. He will be missed greatly.

absolutely

[pje]

I am very saddened to hear of Gary’s passing. He was a wonderful friend, a great model builder and I always appreciated his feedback on my work. We would meet up at the IPMS Seattle Spring Show and talk models and life. I hadn’t seen him in a while because of Covid and circumstances were such that I couldn’t make it up to Seattle for the last contest. I was hoping to see him there next April and catch up. Now I am sure I’ll walk into that hall feeling just a little bit empty, and the world and our group is lesser without him. Rest in peace my friend.
Paul Erlendson

[jj66]

Very sad news. RIP Gary

[kyledehart5]

Oct 1, 2023 0:23:13 GMT -5 pje said:

I am very saddened to hear of Gary’s passing. He was a wonderful friend, a great model builder and I always appreciated his feedback on my work. We would meet up at the IPMS Seattle Spring Show and talk models and life. I hadn’t seen him in a while because of Covid and circumstances were such that I couldn’t make it up to Seattle for the last contest. I was hoping to see him there next April and catch up. Now I am sure I’ll walk into that hall feeling just a little bit empty, and the world and our group is lesser without him. Rest in peace my friend.
Paul Erlendson

Great photo Paul! He was a wonderful friend for sure.

[illeagle10]

I am shocked to wake up this morning to hear this, as all have said, this is so sad! I will miss him on our boards. Thanks for posting Kyle. RIP Gary

Jim

[quattro]

Just getting up over here to see this sad post.

I have been on this forum a while now,
but right from the outset Gary was pitching in on my stuff,
being complimentary and encouraging and even gave me a couple of useful pointers
on all things open wheel, not just the modelling.

When I posted something I would scroll down the replies and see that Modified (?) Red 37 icon
and know it was him being helpful and enjoying the material.

My sympathies to the family and to you all on here who have lost a good friend and mentor.

[jamesharvey]

This is sad news indeed. Gary was one of us whose posts were ones I always looked forward to. He had so much knowledge and skill plus, as others have so, so willing to share. May he be a lesson to all of us.
Jim

[pntmachine]

So sad to hear. My regards to his family and may he RIP. Truly be missed here.

[sam198]

Though I never met Gary, this still feels like a punch in the gut. RIP.

[Chris]

Gary was on several Forums that I use and he was the voice of everything Short Track and Sprint Car. I just exchanged messages with him on Wednesday and had no idea. I read about him when I got up this morning and like Sam198 said, it was a punch in the gut. It took me several hours to post not knowing how to describe Our Friend and Mentor he was. He was alway there when I had a question and will still in my heart be there. My Sympathy goes out to his Family and friends. Chris

[gwstexas]

I was shocked when Susan called me yesterday. I can't add anything to what's already been said. Gary was a great modeler and a great friend. I'll miss him....

Gary