It was with great sadness that I learned of Gary’s passing on the morning of July
12 th . He had become a great friend of mine over the past 40 years. We met
originally through Church as he led the worship songs with his guitar at services.
I had been playing guitar for years - and after one of the church services we
struck up a conversation, after that I started to sit in periodically playing guitar at
the services with him. After that meeting, our love of music played a huge part in
our friendship throughout the years. One fateful day, his daughter Shaina came
home from nursery school and asked Gary to play guitar for the children at the
school. He approached me and told me he was asked to play and wanted me to
go with him. I said “sure, we can write a few songs and we can do a few
traditional songs and make it fun” We played that day for the kids, and the kids
went crazy with our slapstick dumb improvisations. We didn’t rehearse anything,
we just did what came naturally – we played off each other not knowing what the
other was going to do next. The Kids and the teachers all - had a blast, and we did
too! And on that day Doug and Gary “The Happy Pirates” was born.
I had been writing songs for years at that point and after meeting Gary’s wife
Kathy – who is a great song writer in her own right – I wanted to collaborate with
her to write songs. She would give me lyrics and I would write music to them, and
we wrote a lot of music together. Gary had input too and with the three of us we
built a catalog of music that made a lot of kids and parents very happy! I think we
recorder roughly over 98 songs in studio all together. For us to know our songs
impacted so many people – and made them happy - was something that Gary,
Kathy and I cherished! We helped to make childhood memories for a lot of people
– what an honor that is!
One instance was at Gary’s house on a Monday Night football night. Bills vs
Giants, before game time I was playing guitar for his kids in his living room. I was
playing some Elvis Presley riffs and Kathy started making popcorn in an air fryer
for the game. While the popcorn was popping away, the Elvis riffs I was playing
turned into the popcorn song. I started chomping out what eventually became
the “Popcorn Song” I yelled to Gary and Kathy to come over and we wrote the
song down as best we could and watched the game. It was that simple - and
that’s how a lot of the Doug and Gary songs were written – no planning, just
spontaneity. The kids loved the “Popcorn song” and for the rest of our career - and even to this day - that was one of the signature favorites! We had to play that
song or children would riot!!
The three of us together got very creative, sometime all in one room together or
on our own with ideas and concepts. Bob Marini, who produced all of our albums
was also instrumental in making the Doug and Gary sound possible. Gary and Bob
were also very good friends.
I’m so thankful that the Lord brought Gary and I together as friends and as
collaborators in music. It was so rewarding to all of us involved
The Pirate toy fund was another one of Gary’s Loves. Back in the early years we
played monthly for Strong Critical Care and that’s where we met Christy Simonetti
who eventually passed from her cancer. We also made friend with Christies
parents David and Laurie through those concerts.
When I was a kid, my appendix ruptured and I was admitted to Rochester General
Hospital. While there for 9 days I received a toy from the “Eddie Meath Toy Fund”
Eddie Meath eventually passed and the toy fund stopped. I approached Gary
after one of our shows at strong hospital and I talked with him about a toy fund
that would not end but keep going after we either broke up or passed away. I told
him about my hospital stay and the toy I received from the Eddie Meath Toy Fund
and that planted the seed for the “Pirate Toy Fund” We talked about how our
music combined with the toy fund would be a great combination and a natural fit.
So Gary took it and ran with it – and boy did he run – and he never stopped!!
After I left Doug and Gary he kept building the “Pirate Toy Fund” into what it is
today. I’m so thankful that even after Gary’s passing the toy fund will continue to
grow and bless kids throughout the surrounding Rochester area.
I will miss my friend Gary. But I will have thousands of memories to fall back on
throughout those years together. I’m so glad that I went to visit with him a few
weeks before his passing. I will never forget my visit with him and Kathy, as sad as
that visit was.
Im currently in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks area in Wyoming for 3
weeks. It is with regret that I will not be back in the Rochester area to attend
Gary’s services. I did reach out to Kathy and the family, on the morning of his passing and my thoughts, heart and prayers are with them all. I will be seeing
them on my return as I will be going to visit them when they feel ready for me to
come over.
To Gary – my friend - I love you brother – I will miss you here while you are gone
– But I know we will eventually meet again in glory – where there will be no more
sorrow, no more pain, no more tears and no more death. And as our “Goodbye
Song” says:
We don’t want to go away
We had lots of fun today
We sang some songs and played some games
And we may be back someday
We made lots of friends
That we’d like to see again
Even though we’d like to stay
Now it’s time to go away