Gary Williams

Gary R. Williams, famously known as “Gare Bear”, 85, of Fremont, passed away at home surrounded by family on September 7, 2025. He was born on December 22, 1939, to Frank Scola and Ruby Cline in San Jose, California.

On March 12, 1966, he married the love of his life, Sara L. Zapata, and they celebrated 63 years of marriage before her passing on January 2, 2024.

Gary graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University. He was the head of advertisement services for many years for The San Jose Mercury News in California. After retiring, Gary and his family moved to Fremont, where he picked up a part-time job as a patient transporter for Memorial Hospital, which is where he also picked up his famous nickname from all the nurses.

In his free time, Gary loved cruising around in one of his two convertibles or taking day trips with his family in the van they bought special for those occasions. He and Sara enjoyed gambling, and would often gamble at the Fremont Eagles, of which they were members for 10 years. When he was younger, Gary also enjoyed boating and took many vacations to his favorite spot at Lake Tahoe. However, his greatest passion was the Seattle Seahawks. As their biggest fan, not only would he fiercely cheer them on during game day but you couldn’t walk through the house without finding memorabilia of some kind.

Gary’s fun-loving spirit and genuine kindness left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him. His capacity to bring laughter and light into everyday situations made him a cherished presence in both his workplace and personal life and he will be sorely missed.

Left to cherish his memory are his children, Lisa (Brad) Rose of Delaware, Selena (Craig) Inks of Fremont; grandchildren, Ty Wilson and Kit Wilson; Darby (Max) Holdren, Sophie Collison. In addition to his parents and his wife, Sara Williams, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Robert A. and Gregory Williams.

Friends and family already held a celebration of life with Gary, and per his wishes there are to be no other services at this time.Herma-Karlovetz Funeral Home & Crematory, Fremont, Ohio, has the honor of assisting Gary’s family through this difficult time.

To express online condolences, please visit: www.hermanfh.com.