GARY L. HUDECK

Gary L. Hudeck, 72, of Garrettsville, OH, formerly of Parma, OH, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly Wednesday, September 10, 2025. He was born October 27, 1952, in Arlington VA, to the late Richard "Dick" Hudeck and Joan (nee Brockman) Virostek.

Gary will forever be missed by his loving wife, Linda (nee Huter); dogs, Roxy and Baylee; daughters, Erin (Brian) Meilton and Krysten (Nate) Cottrell; grandchildren, Zoey, Arlo, Reese, and Morgan; mother, Joan Virostek; siblings, Laura (Paul Stenger) Hudeck and Mark (Wanda) Hudeck; aunt, Lynn (Bill) Hudec; brother-in-law, David Huter; as well as his nephews, other extended family members, neighbors, and dear friends.

He was welcomed in Heaven by his father and his infants who gained their angel wings shortly after birth.

In life, Gary made weird cool long before it was actually cool.

His and his future wife's first date at Bowling Green University was to see Spock. Leonard Nimoy must have made quite the impression, as Gary and Linda would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary next month. Gary was a huge Star Trek fan, collecting so many Star Trek Christmas ornaments, they required their own separate tree.

Gary was a collector! He collected record albums, coins, autographs, memorabilia, sports cards, and First Day Covers. In his retirement, he enjoyed posting and selling much of his treasured collections and at the time of his death had over 100 items posted on eBay with 100% positive feedback as a seller. The sound of bids, sales, and messages on the eBay app visibly sparked joy for him. In addition to collecting and selling First Day Covers, he also was a talented artist and created them. If you see any Hudeck Cache Covers at an upcoming show, make sure to grab them – they just went up in value.

Gary also collected Christmas music, the weirder and more obscure, the better. He faithfully curated his favorite songs annually into a collection which he distributed, starting with cassette tapes, every year at Christmas for the last 40 years. In later years, he started allowing his wife, children, and grandchildren to contribute song choices however the majority of disc space still remained his. Art was commissioned for the album cover and thoughtful notes were compiled and proofread. Who would have thought his family would miss these weird songs, but we absolutely will this year. A greatest hits album is in the works as a final tribute in 2025.

Gary displayed a lifelong curiosity and was passionate about science, math, astronomy, and music among other things. This made him an amazing team member for trivia and was a valued addition to his friends and neighbors' teams at local bars/restaurants. He also slayed on cruise ships and stayed sharp playing virtually. Gary's many STEM interests led him to be a first wave purchaser of 3D televisions and he could be found frequently in the den watching 3D movies. Gary got to experience the total solar eclipse and see the aurora borealis in the last year; these were once in a lifetime experiences for him.

Other unique hobbies and interests of his included birding, taking every survey ever sent to him, listening to a good audiobook, catching all his favorite oldies bands and singers on tour, and being an afficionado of fresh cherries, jellybeans, Skyline chili, dark chocolate, and fudge. Gary also boasted a formidable Wordle streak of 678 consecutive days, which required purchasing the internet plan on 2 cruises to keep going.

More important than any hobby or passion, Gary was the ABSOLUTE BEST Pop Pop in the entire world to his 4 grandchildren, and he is simply irreplaceable. He made up the best stories for them, he taught them tongue twisters, shared the worst Dad jokes, performed magic by taking his thumb off or pulling things out of their ears, and gave amazing and sometimes unsafe rides on his rollator. No one was as funny or silly; time with Pop Pop was always highly anticipated and cherished by the kids.

Please join the family for a Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 10692 Freedom St, Garrettsville, OH 44231, with Fr. Frances Katrinak officiating. Gary will be inurned at a later date at All Saints Cemetery in Northfield, OH. Care for Gary was entrusted to Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 8382 Center St. Garrettsville, OH 44231.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Diabetes Association, or the American Heart Association.