Gary Wayne Traxler, 73, of Staunton, VA passed away on Friday, November 29, 2024. He leaves behind the earth from which he dug for treasures, oceans where he shared happy family vacations, and the mountains he called home for so long.

Gary, or "Trax", is survived by his wife, MarySue, with whom he spent 52 years of compromise, friendship, and a quiet affection that we swear they shared when no one was looking. He is also survived by his daughters, Susanah Crowder (the strong-willed one), Kristen Rice (the determined one), Katy Traxler (the inquisitive one), and grandson, "Little" Gary Crowder. Additionally, he is survived by his brother, Jay Traxler (the best friend), and sister, Jill Hodgeson (the beloved little sister). Most importantly, he is survived by his sweet pup-pup, Lexi.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Betty and J.O. Traxler, his sisters, Linda Garlock and Amy Traxler, and a special kitty named Maxie.

Gary graduated from Wilson Memorial High School class of 1969 and met MarySue when she spotted him in a crowd and famously screamed, "hahn-ya-ha!" The pair married in 1972. When Gary served in the United States Navy, MarySue joined him in Scotland where he was stationed, and for decades to come they shared stories of terrible food, wonderful friends, and somehow finding Staunton's own Statler Brothers playing a gig in Edinburgh.

He worked for Kenco for 46 years and accumulated an impressive number of friends. Gary could often be heard from his home office taking "important business calls" that included jokes, politics, and asking about his friends' children. He truly enjoyed problem solving and had stacks and stacks of sticky note doodles. Gary simply could not rest until he solved your random tech issue, and scrutinized over the syntax of his emails.

Gary enjoyed metal detecting ("digging"), and collected a ton of relics from old properties and battlefields–he could tell you what it probably was based on the strength of the signal, he was that good at it. Moreover, he managed to rope MarySue into digging and the two shared many sunny weekends in the Shenandoah Valley looking for treasure. He also loved playing darts and won several trophies back in the day. One of his latest undertakings was to master creme brulee, and we are happy to say that he succeeded. Gary shared his love of crossword puzzles with his girls, and insisted they never cheat, but "work it out" (they promise to try).

He loved a good beer, a glass of bourbon, and excelled at the pub trivia that he insisted his family find nearby. He loved the Redskins (hail) but as any Redskins fan knows, stood firm that they could "snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory."

Above all, he loved his wife, his daughters, his brother and sister, and the life he built for himself from the ground up.

A tremendous and heartfelt thanks to the exceptional nurses at University of Virginia Hospital, who provided much more than care, but a peaceful and compassionate environment during his transition from this life to heaven.

A Celebration of a Life Well Lived will be held from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024 at Valley Mills Farm–1808 Parkersburg Turnpike, Swoope, VA 24479. Friends are invited to share BBQ, beer, and bourbon, and are asked to bring their best stories of the Great Gary Traxler.

In lieu of flowers, or if you aren't able to attend, please consider a donation in honor of Gary here to Blue Ridge CASA for Children (a tax deductible non-profit near and dear to the Traxler family's heart).

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive, Staunton is in charge of his arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net