Gary Durward Shoup

Gary Durward Shoup passed peacefully at his home, surrounded by his beloved family, on January 31, 2026. He was born on October 23, 1941, in Royal Oak, Michigan, the firstborn child of Durward and Elizabeth Shoup’s four children.

Gary’s life—and the lives of his younger three siblings—was profoundly shaped by the early death of their mother. That loss, carried from childhood, became the wellspring of his lifelong empathy and compassion for those who suffered, whether close to him or across the world.

He is graduate of the University of Michigan, and Michigan became his home throughout his adult life. Gary began his professional career as a commodities trader with Merrill Lynch. An avid reader and lifelong learner, he was also an accomplished author. His early work, The International Guide to Foreign Currency Management, became required reading for future commodities brokers within the industry.

Yet his true literary passion was his short story Suma the Elephant, written in lyrical prose that invites the reader into the tender reckoning of losing one’s sense of self. The book earned prestigious awards and touched thousands of readers over the years.

In 1992, Gary married his soulmate, Chalouy (Newt) Paintanyakorn, and from that moment forward his life was encircled by a magical ring of love. The two became devoted companions, inseparable in their daily rhythms and in the quiet joys that filled their final years together.

Gary’s and Newt’s summers were spent on a peaceful, loon-filled lake in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where their cabin sat nestled among the trees, close enough to hear the Big Lake waves at night. Winters were enjoyed in the warm sunshine of Port Charlotte, Florida. Both homes became gathering places for family and dear friends, filled with laughter, Bridge games, stories, and the comfort of belonging.

His happiest moments were the ones when he and Newt were surrounded by Steven, Kim, and grandchildren. In those gatherings, his world felt complete. Nothing brought him deeper joy than those precious times in his later years.

Gary is preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Kathryn Lupton; his brother, Allen Shoup; and his children’s mother, Sumali. He survives by his devoted and beloved wife, Newt; his son, Steven Shoup (Catherine); his daughter, Kim Batdorff (Cory); six grandchildren; Samantha, Jake, Macy, Cole, Maya and Tyler; and two great grandchildren, Matthew and Olivia. He is also survived by his sister, Jeannie Seeley Smith (Gary); his brother in law, Mike Lupton; his sister in law, Kathleen Shoup; his nephews and nieces; and Kyren Mitchell, who became both son and caretaker. He is further held in loving memory by Newt and Gary’s circle of devoted friends who supported him throughout his journey. Their love was felt deeply.

Memorial services will be announced both in Florida and Michigan.