Gary Robert Springs April 13th, 1942-October 28th, 2023 Gary Robert Springs, 81, of Brandon, Fla., died peacefully in his sleep on Oct. 28, 2023, after a courageous fight against pancreatic cancer.  He was born in Durand, Mich., in 1942 to Robert and Margaret Springs. He graduated in 1960 from Grayling (Mich.) High School, where he lettered in basketball and track and was somehow roped into the senior play. After what today would be called a “gap year” (or two), Gary enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, beginning a 20-year career that would take him and his family around the U.S. and the world, including tours of duty in Japan and the Philippines. While in the service, he earned an associates degree in Electrical Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. In 1966, Gary met Darlene Marie Cleveland, who was instantly ambivalent to his charms. But in a classic case of persistence paying off, he won her over, and they were married on Aug. 13, 1966, in Grayling, Mich. Together, they started a family, and their three children meant the world to them. After retirement from the military in 1982, Gary and the family moved to Brandon, Fla., where he undertook a second career, first as an electronics instructor at Tampa Technical Institute and United Electronics Institute, and then as a communication and electronics technician for the Hillsborough County School district, where he served until his “second retirement” in 2009. Settling in Brandon, Gary became an active member first of the Brandon First Church of the Nazarene and then, later, of New Hope Church. Gary’s Christian faith was central to his life, and he strove to be a servant leader, including stints as Sunday school superintendent and church board member at First Church. He participated in several “work and witness” trips to help churches and spread the Word in Costa Rica and Ukraine. Retirement Number Two brought more time – time to spend with Darlene doing the things that they loved. They went out to eat (Gary could not resist a good steak), they got to know their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they traveled. They visited their beloved Smoky Mountains many times. They ate fresh lobster in Maine on a road trip to the Canadian Maritimes. They took in the beauty of St. Petersburg, Russia, on a Baltic Sea cruise. They prayed in the Garden where Christ did in Jerusalem. And they did it all the only way they wanted to – together. Gary was a lifelong Republican, but, more importantly, he was a lifelong Michigan Wolverines fan. (He’ll be terribly disappointed to miss it should the Maize and Blue finally get around to winning the national championship this year.) He loved watching sports, and March Madness was always a highlight for him. He enjoyed finding and riding vintage trains and loved working on cars before it took a PhD to do so. His quiet demeanor hid a fierce competitor who refused to let his children win at anything until they earned it. (Scrabble and chess were two of his favorite instruments of this form of “tough love.”) He fancied himself a whiz at cooking whose rare stints in the kitchen produced such delicacies as fried bologna, fried oatmeal, and green mashed potatoes. (Gary’s answer to any question about how to properly prepare food was to a. fry it, and / or b. add food coloring.) Gary is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Darlene M. Springs; son Greg (Dawn) Springs; daughter Cheryl (James) Clark; son David (Hope) Springs; his eight grandchildren: Allen Clark, Steven (Katerina) Clark, Kayla (Joseph) Mathias, Abigail Springs, Katherine Springs, Andrew Springs, Molly Springs and Grace Springs; his four great-grandchildren: Liam Clark, HavenPerry, Daisy Mathias, and Noah Mathias; his siblings Richard Springs of Kingman, Ariz., and Don Springs, of Byron, Mich.. Gary was preceded in death by his mother, father and by his sister, Linda Mae Rowley. A memorial service will be held at New Hope Church (213 North Knights Ave., Brandon, FL, 33510) on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will follow. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to New Hope Church (please note “Children’s Ministry” in the memo line of any checks).