Gary Leverett, 71, of Nashville, TN, passed peacefully on October 4, 2023. Son of the late Dot and Les Leverett, and preceded in death by his brother John, Gary is survived by his wife Charlotte, son Lucas, daughter Leilani, two grandchildren, his sister Libby, dear extended family, and a lifetime of loving friends.

Growing up in and around show-business in Nashville, with some childhood summers spent as an assistant in his father’s darkroom, Gary worked as a youth selling show programs at the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Mr. Leverett was a proud retired member of the IATSE union, after a lengthy career as a stagehand, working behind the scenes in many of Nashville’s staple productions and touring concerts.

An avid music lover, free thinker, reader, lover of sweets and a good cup of coffee, and known to cast a fishing line simply to partake of the inner peace he found sitting by (or sailing on) the water, Gary is remembered as a loving dad who provided eagerly for his family and never met a stranger.

He carried on a long family tradition of wit and whimsy in his observations of life and culture, and was a living encyclopedia of music history, specifically in service to his love of bluegrass, classic country, folk, and rock. As a lover of all forms of prose, he had taken more in recent years to writing a bit of his own on his trademark yellow legal pads. Always ready with a story about any neighborhood in Nashville, his work and life were a tapestry of colorful experiences punctuated by interesting people to whom he would eagerly offer a selfless helping hand.

As a humble and hard-working father, his career spanned from construction to guitar and drum finishing before settling into his decades as a regular crew member of the Grand Ole Opry. When not at work, he spent time showing his son how to groove along with musically-inclined friends on the drums he built himself while working at Pearl, shooting some baskets after work and going fishing with his daughter, and later expanding his endless love for kids to adoring and admiring his granddaughter and grandson. His passion for the gulf coast, instilled by childhood trips to Alabama to visit family, was imparted to these children and grandchildren as well, with many beach trips creating a treasure-trove of memories.

In keeping with his wishes, Mr. Leverett has completed his full-circle life journey with a return to his place of birth via anatomical donation to Vanderbilt Health Sciences. A memorial celebration is being planned for November 19th, 2023, adjacent to the occasion of his posthumous 72nd birthday. Friends and family will gather at the Circle Room in the Grand Ole Opry House, from 3-5pm.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/gary-leverett/obituary/

Copy