Gary's obituary
We regretfully announce the passing of Gary W. Marcellus, 67, of Scottsdale, Arizona. Gary passed away peacefully at home on March 23, 2022, from polycystic kidney and polycystic liver disease complications. Gary loved life, and he was a strong person, putting up a brave, courageous fight for many years.
Gary was born in Illinois to Harry and Betty Marcellus in 1954. Gary graduated from Sandwich High School in 1973, where he was voted most humorous. This characterization is no surprise to the many friends, employees, and people's lives he touched with his fun, charismatic, and (sometimes) wild personality. Gary was proud to have served in the U.S. Navy as a Spanish linguist. Upon his honorable discharge in 1978, Gary went on to study business at the University of Central Florida. At UCF, he met his wife, Linda Townsend, and they married in November 1982. After graduating from UCF in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, Gary was accepted into the physical therapy program at Florida A&M University. He was voted Outstanding Junior in that program and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy degree in 1986.
Gary and his wife settled in Jacksonville, FL, for ten years, and Gary founded a home health physical therapy contracting company. He had active years boating, water skiing, and making cherished, lifelong friends. With his love of boating, he and Linda enjoyed two extended sailing sabbaticals in the Bahamas during their marriage. Gary also enjoyed traveling with his wife on multiple trips to Central America and Europe. For their 25th wedding anniversary, they traveled a month in Thailand, and it became a highlight of their journeys with the beautiful people, culture, and excellent food.
After falling in love with Santa Fe, NM, and its history, culture, beauty, and most importantly, its people, Gary and Linda decided to call Santa Fe home in 1998. In 2003, Gary opened AllCare Physical Therapy. The outpatient clinic continues to serve the Santa Fe community, with Linda being the practice manager for 19 years. Gary appreciated and loved his staff and patients. He also made many close friends in Santa Fe with his kind-hearted, fun, and joyful outlook on life. Until his health began failing, Gary enjoyed weight-lifting, snow skiing, water skiing, hiking, traveling, boating, and visiting with friends.
Gary is survived by his wife, Linda Marcellus, of Scottsdale, AZ, his sister, Julie (Garry) Ohme, of Leland, IL, his parents-in-law, William and Anne Townsend, of Huntersville, NC, his sister-in-law, Debbie (Chuck) Koman, of Kannapolis, NC, brother-in-law, Donald Townsend, of Clermont, FL, five nephews, five nieces, and over twenty great nephews and nieces. Gary is predeceased by his parents, Harry and Betty Marcellus, brother Steven Marcellus, nephew Garrett Ohme, and brother-in-law Steven Townsend. We will be holding an intimate spreading of his ashes ceremony in the beautiful Santa Fe mountains that he so loved to hike. A private celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, April 30.
If you'd like to honor Gary's legacy, please donate to the PKD Foundation at https://pkdcure.org/ or call 816.931.2600.
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