Gary Eugene Critzer

On May 29, 2025, Gary Eugene Critzer passed away peacefully in Baltimore, MD. He was the beloved husband of Patricia A. Critzer (nee Smith); devoted father of Karen A. Gempp and her husband Frederick W. Gempp, III; loving grandfather of Courtney P. Gempp and Natalie R. Gempp; dear brother of Earl Lee Critzer, Jr. and wife Patricia; Gary is also survived by many other loving family and friends.
Gary embodied a "work hard, play hard" work ethic. He was an old soul who was easy to get to know and even easier to love. Putting everyone else first was the mantra he lived by and hung his hat on. He grew up near Loch Raven Boulevard during the 40's, 50's, and 60's and loved all types of music through that era. He adored being with his friends, going to Teen Center to dance, and working odd jobs to save some money for weekend fun with Towson High School chums.
Gary was blessed with a loving family, true friends, and a community who loved him like they were part of his family. He put in 40 years at Domino Sugar as a crane operator and then found a job as a crossing guard after retirement to fill his time in his later years. He never missed a lacrosse game, swim meet at York Manor, or field hockey game for his daughter or granddaughters and was always their biggest cheerleader. His grand dog, Shay, loved her granddad and always looked for him to shower her with extra treats.
Spending time at their Ocean City condo in the 9400 was central to Pat and Gary's good times when they were vacationing. Dad also loved riding around in his 1990 "Little Red Corvette" all over town on beautiful weekend days to say hello to close friends he wanted to catch up with. He had a talent for knowing all the old actors in every movie without cheating and loved the westerns most of all. He was an avid card shark, chess player, monopoly guru, and was fabulous at handling money over the years. He was especially proud to be a Marine. Semper Fi.
His special talent was making people laugh and entering the room with his signature callout line, "BA-OOH". He was also Mr. Dance Fever whenever we were at parties, pool gatherings, or weddings. There are countless stories that he would tell about the mischief he would get into in the teenage years that would keep us laughing for hours. Everything he did was heartfelt and held special meaning. Nothing pleased him more than taking us on a special vacation or giving us a special gift. Little did he know that he was our special gift.
The love that was shared between Pat and Gary was a testament to their almost 60 years of marriage and Karen was the joy of their lives. They did everything together, such as Mahjong nights for dinner with close high school and pool friends, going to dances, and entertaining the family and friends for countless holiday dinners. The legacy and memories of Gary and his full life will always be remembered fondly by those who surrounded him with everlasting love.
Friends may visit at the Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Road (Beltway Exit 26) on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 2-4 & 6-8pm and where services will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 11:00am. The interment will follow at the Fairview Methodist Church Cemetery.
Flowers are welcome or you may send donations to The American Kidney Foundation Fund at the following address:
The American Kidney Foundation Fund
11921 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852