Gary Dean Lang, 69, of Westminster, CO, passed away on October 20, 2022, from complications of a stroke. Gary was born in Quinter. He was the fourth of six siblings born to Bennie and Minnie Lang where he grew up on the family farm. Gary attended catholic school in Park, KS and then graduated from Quinter High School in 1970.
After high school, Gary moved to Colorado in July 1970. On July 19, 1975, Gary married his high school sweetheart Marsha Jodell Press. They were married for 47 very happy years, mainly because Gary could clean a house almost as good as Marsha. Gary was truly a perfectionist with high attention to detail, was always helpful, and was a very prideful man. In fact, he took such pride in his appearance, he was the only man with that amount of hair that needed four brushes, a comb, a mirror, a hairdryer and an unnecessary amount of hairspray.
While his music career started when he was in high school, Gary spent nearly the next decade of his life playing the bass guitar with his two older brothers, Derrell and Ken, performing as The Lang Brothers. Gary not only excelled at his bass guitar and vocals but was especially skilled at stressing out Ken by not wanting to practice all hours of the day and loved to go off script. In 1976, The Lang Brothers recorded and then released an album called “Wagons Ho” that featured six songs, one of which was written by their father. The Lang Brothers went on the road playing in numerous venues from March to July 1977. During this time, they performed in Los Angeles CA, Peoria IL, Hartford CT, and Fort Lauderdale FL. From 2005-2007 The Lang Brothers held an annual reunion tour in Colby, Kansas. They headlined a local holiday concert and their final show performing together was held on November 18th.
Gary worked at Benson Optical from 1973 to 1982. During this time, he attended Pickens Technical College and became a certified optician through the American Board of Opticianry. In 1982, Gary began working as an optician for Kaiser Permanente, where he spent the next 14 years. Starting in 1997, alongside his partner Pete Cusack, Gary co-owned and operated Vision Masters in Greenwood Village, CO for nine years. After this adventure, he went back to work at Kaiser, where he was very highly respected, and remained until retirement. For many years during his optical career, he participated in HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), acting as a judge to prepare young people for a career in health occupations. Gary had an incredible work ethic and took his job very seriously. He consistently received outstanding performance evaluations and awards for his dedication and knowledge in his profession. Co-workers also appreciated Gary for his delightful, entertaining, and witty humor, and has been greatly missed since his retirement on June 1, 2022. He was very eager for retirement, where he planned on doing home projects, yard work, and if he had time, relaxing and watching Gunsmoke.
While he did enjoy doing the necessary yard work, he undeniably preferred spending time with his family. He was a very devoted husband, a wonderful father, and the best grandpa and papa his grandkids could ask for. He never turned down an opportunity to play with his grandchildren. He gave horsey back rides and participated in wrestling matches as often as he could. Most importantly, Gary had Marsha by his side for everything. They took vacations to Hawaii and Boston, enjoyed watching movies, shopping, going on walks, and of course, eating at their favorite Mexican Restaurant, Rosita’s. They also prioritized watching their grandkids competing in soccer, t-ball, gymnastics, swimming, softball and martial arts.
Gary is survived by his wife Marsha; two sons, Jordan Lang and wife Michelle of Lawrence, KS, and Jarrod Lang and wife Brenda of Thornton, CO. His grandchildren were his pride and joy- Landon (9), Sydney (6), Brooklyn (8), Camden (5), and Easton (1). Gary’s siblings include Derrell (Pam), Charlene (Leon) Wittman, Ken (Bev), Coleen (Dan) Pickett, and Randy. He is also survived by many wonderful in-laws, 22 nieces and nephews, and many other family and friends.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services will be held at the Church of the Brethren in Quinter, KS on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at 10:00 am. Dale Fredrickson of Highlands Ranch, CO will be officiating. Burial will follow at the Baker Township Cemetery in Quinter.
Visitation will be Friday, October 28, 2022, from 5-7pm at Schmitt Funeral Home in Quinter, KS.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Seasons Hospice Foundation (seasonsfoundation.org) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org).
Donations may also be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 Main St. Quinter, KS 67752.
Condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.schmittfuneral.com