Obituary of Gary Lee Tooley

Batavia ~ Gary L. Tooley, age 76, of East Main Street, passed away unexpectedly at home on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Gary Lee Tooley was born April 2, 1939 in Buffalo, NY, a son of the late Gordon Sr. and Charlotte Powers Tooley. While in grade school, he developed polio and spent many months in Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. His young desire to walk and play again, along with excellent care at the hospital, saw him eventually fully recovered. Gary attended Northwestern Univ. in Chicago and Asbury College in Wilmore, KY. As a young man, he worked for Western New York State Lines, a family trucking business, on Pearl Street Road in Batavia, as a Fleet Superintendent and later as Vice President of Operations until the untimely death of his father, the owner. He loved gardening, refinishing furniture and had a keen business mind. Later in life, he realized an interest in helping others with serious health problems, so he trained and became a Home Health care giver for many years until an infection in his right foot caused the loss of that leg. Gary was never heard to complain about this disability, but he greatly missed providing care to his many patients through Rochester General Hospital. Gary is survived by his children; Timothy (Loralee) Tooley of Medina, Jeffrey Tooley of Fonda, NY, Jonathan (Charlene) Tooley of Batavia, Ruth (Randy) Carter of Kingston, GA and David (Celena) Tooley of Goldtown, W. Virgina; sister,Marcia (Sam) Yacuzzo of LeRoy; brother, Gordon (Kathleen Blackburn) Tooley of Medina; mother of his children, Barbara Tooley; 23 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren, along with several nieces, nephews and dear friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Gayle Tooley. Family and friends are invited to attend Gary’s Service of Remembrance on Friday, Sept. 4 at 10:00 A.M. at the First Baptist Church, 5 East Main St., LeRoy. Interment in the Cowlesville Cemetery will be private.