Gary Clinton Mcduff

Gary Clinton McDuff was born on October 27, 1942 in Fort Worth, Texas to Frank Metze and Kathryn Renfro McDuff. He had a very happy and free-spirited childhood. As a youngster, he loved swimming which earned him the nickname "Ducky". At a very young age, he and his brother Frank each paid a 6¢ fare to ride the bus to downtown Fort Worth to visit their father working at Leonard's Department Store. They also walked to the theater in Morningside to see a movie where Gary sat in Frank's lap because he was too small to see over the theater seats.

When Frank was tall enough to drive a car, he allowed Gary to take the steering wheel while he operated the gas pedal and brake. As a teenager, Gary went with Frank to the drag races every weekend, building his passion for cars that lasted throughout his life. Growing up, the brothers built an unbreakable bond that would last over 78 years.

Gary attended Polytechnic Senior High School and then was a member of the first graduating class of the new Eastern Hills High School in 1960. He began his college studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, married Wanda Jean Griffin, started a family, and worked various jobs while attending college. While it took several years, he balanced work, family, and schooling until he graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration in 1969.

With his business degree, he joined The Hartford which launched his career in the insurance industry. His work as a Claims Adjuster and Manager relocated his family to Lubbock, Midland, and back to Lubbock before settling in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1979.

Just as he was intent on earning his Bachelor degree, Gary proactively pursued an ongoing professional education throughout his career. He completed every insurance industry course offered, earning the most distinguished CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) designation as well as the ultimate designation of SCLA (Senior Claim Law Associate).

In 1986, Gary married Janet Mitcham which opened a new chapter in his life. Their careers in insurance initially led them to Dove Canyon in southern California where they drove through the orange groves going to and from work. Afterwards, they moved to Roseville and then Sun City Lincoln Hills in northern California where they spent the majority of their happily married years.

Gary especially liked the temperate climate in California which enabled an active lifestyle and easy access to San Francisco for cruises to Alaska and Mexico, to name a couple of destinations.

Gary was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed watching sports on TV as well as playing them. He was an accomplished golfer who played at numerous renowned courses in California and around the U.S., including Pebble Beach and the Los Angeles Country Club. He won first place in the Bruce Jenner Charity Golf Tournament at the Riviera Country Club, and he also hit a hole-in-one at the Brea Municipal Golf Course where the hole was hidden from sight at the tee. Gary played professional golf courses from San Diego to Mount Shasta, truly living the Golfer's dream.

While Gary played tennis and attended tennis camps early in his marriage, he later learned pickleball and thoroughly enjoyed playing within leagues at his large Sun City community. He very much liked being active and outdoors.

In more recent years, Gary focused on his artistic gift and began drawing. He would spend hours sketching a picture and then using pastels to bring it to life. He drew a wide variety of subjects from animals to football helmets to abstract designs to praying hands and then gave many of these drawings as gifts to others.

In January 2020, Gary and Janet returned to Texas to be closer to his family, and they chose Northlake as their new home. His brother, daughters, and grandchildren were blessed by the opportunity to spend more time with him this last year.

While Gary was dedicated to his job and worked long hours to support his family over the years, he will be remembered most for his easygoing nature, congeniality, slightly off-kilter sense of humor, kindness, generosity and desire to continually learn and hone his skills. When he took on a new activity, he strived to master it. He was generous with his time, money, and affection, and he loved deeply both with his actions and words. He was a person you could totally trust with your heart, your secrets, and your life.

Gary managed his health well, so it was quite unexpected when he passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 12, 2021. While his family and friends are deeply saddened by his passing, they celebrate his life and cherish every good memory. Because of his strong and abiding faith in God, they also rejoice in the knowledge that he is now with his Lord and Savior as well as with his parents whom he adored. His legacy of love and laughter lives on.

Gary is survived by his wife, Janet Mitcham McDuff; brother, Frank McDuff with wife Marsha Cay; daughters, Kimber McDuff and Kristi Brown; step-daughters, Carol Arbaugh with husband Robert and Colleen Orellano with husband Luis; grandchildren, Scott Lynn Brown II, Samantha Brown, Joshua McGaha, and Lucas McGaha as well as Matthew Lodge, Jacob Arbaugh, Wyatt Arbaugh, Garrett Arbaugh, Victor Orellano, Vincent Orellano, Vanessa Orellano, and Luis Orellano, Jr. in addition to precious great-grandchildren, nieces, cousins, and friends – all whom he loved dearly.