In Loving Memory
of
Gary Gordon Ricker
70 years
Thursday, February 2nd, 2017 at his home.

Survived by his wife Gail (Johnston), daughters Katie Pedley (Jim), Mindy (Deven Hauta), granddaughters Alexa, Kyra, and Olivia Pedley, and siblings Linda Rowan (John), Ron, Connie Davies Lawrence (David), and Kevin. Predeceased by his parents Gordon and Marjory Ricker. Gary was born in Sudbury in 1946 and was a lifelong member of the community. He was a science teacher at Sheridan Tech, Sudbury Secondary, and at N'Swakamok Friendship Centre. He loved teaching, and was always ready to help his students. But his real passion was football. He caught the football bug early, and played as a lineman for Sudbury High, Laurentian University, and for the Sudbury Spartans. When his playing days were over, he coached high school and for the Spartans over a career that spanned more than 40 years. Gary was inducted into the Northern Football Conference Hall of Fame and the Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame, and the SDSSAA Football Defensive Player of the Year Award bears his name, all in honour of the contributions he made to the sport he loved so much. For him, coaching was as much about developing the players themselves as it was about the game.

In the last few years, Gary received many blood transfusions, and our family is very grateful to the many donors who made this possible.

A celebration of life
will be held this spring.
Cremation at the Park Lawn Crematorium.
In lieu of flowers, making a blood donation to Canadian Blood Services, or a donation to the Joe MacDonald Youth Football League would be greatly appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home.