Gary Eugene Snow, 71, of Henry, South Dakota, passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2026, surrounded by family and the love of the many people whose lives he touched. Gary was born June 14, 1955, in Faulkton, South Dakota, to Rose Mary Gabriel Snow and Veman Truman “Ve” Snow. He grew up on the family farm outside Onaka with his ten siblings. In the late 1980s, the family moved to a hobby farm just outside of town. In the mid-1990s, Gary moved to Henry, SD, with his sister Dianne and her family. He lived with Dianne, whom he affectionately called “Doonie,” until 2025, when he moved to Spearfish, SD to live with his niece Becky and her husband Dan, who cared for him until his death.

Gary had a remarkable ability to find joy (and mischief) wherever he went. As a very little boy, he would often disappear from his mom’s sight, only to be found sitting peacefully in a ditch, picking sunflower petals from the heads. Years later, he would ride his bicycle through the ditches along the highway, on a mission to buy candy at the grocery store. There, he would charge his favorite candy to his tab, a tab which was always a surprise to Rose when the grocery bill was next totaled. Gary loved classic country music and would dance and sing along to records, often performing into a toy microphone. He loved watching westerns, wrestling, and soap operas, and could be counted on to report the latest soap opera developments to Doonie when she got home from work. He especially enjoyed Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Brady Bunch, and Who’s the Boss. Toward the end of his life, he strictly wore only his favorite T-shirts: Gunsmoke and Who’s the Boss, always adorned with a puppy sticker.

At the family farm, Gary enjoyed playing pool and became known for his trick shots, including shooting under his leg and behind his back. He loved puppies, babies, children, his family, and being around people. He went with Dianne to her job at Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living & Independent Living Center in Clark, where he folded linens and spent time with the residents. He made many friends there. “Gary-Speak,” a collection of his unique language and slang, was part of the family vocabulary. He called one-dollar bills his “hunnerds” and carefully saved them, preferring that everyone else “write a check” rather than make him spend his own money. At the Millstone, however, he occasionally broke his own rule and left a six-dime tip.

Gary loved birthdays, but especially his own. He carefully planned his parties, handed out beaded Mardi Gras necklaces, and had a simple rule about the guest list: if he liked you, you were invited. If you made him mad, you might find yourself uninvited.

He also loved “doing his pictures” and his “pages.” He would carefully curate his own photo albums, cutting down family photographs and saving clippings from newspapers, wrestling magazines, and Soap Opera Digest. He would spend hours reviewing and rearranging photos of the people he loved. He put masking tape, or “inky tape” in Gary-speak, on everything. To show his love and appreciation, he wrote notes to the people in his life, leaving behind little pieces of himself in his special handwriting. He also had a talent for keeping track of what everyone else was doing. For example, he had no problem reporting at the dinner table that his then-teenage-niece Becky had beer hidden under her bed. But beneath all the mischief was an enormous capacity for love. Gary laughed often and wholeheartedly. He gave some of the biggest and best hugs. He loved people generously. He faced more obstacles than most people ever knew, including cancer and major abdominal surgery, yet he continued to find reasons to laugh, celebrate, watch his favorite shows, save his “hunnerds,” give hugs, and plan the next birthday party.

Gary leaves behind his siblings Vern (Elaine) Snow, Dixie Allbee, Dianne Grismer, Darold “Scott” Snow, David (Darla) Snow, Collette (Troy) Nieman, and Lori (Kevin) Kaiser; and sisters-in-law Sally Snow and Gail Snow. He also leaves behind nieces Jenny (Scott) Lees; Becky (Dan) Grismer Swenson; great-nephews Spencer and Chase Lees and great-niece Brooke Lees, and many other nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rose and Veman Snow; siblings Renee Morgan, Ronnie Snow, and Kurt Snow; brothers-in-law Harley Allbee, John Grismer, and Richard Morgan; niece Linda Allbee; nephew Josh Kaiser; and great-nephew Palmer Lees. Everyone who met Gary loved him, and everyone who loved Gary was better for having known him. His family will miss him immensely.

Gary’s funeral service will be held on October 10th at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, in Hoven, S.D. Friends and Family are invited to gather for a time of visitation beginning at 10 a.m., and there will be an 11.a.m. service with a luncheon to follow, concluding with burial at St. John the Baptist Cemetery in Onaka, S.D.